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Grade 12: Halo Trip to Ningxia

May 13, 2016

Grade 12: Halo Trip to Ningxia

Every year, Halo donates 20,000 RMB that it makes from organizing annual singing competitions and concerts in the form of Microfinance to four families in Dagouyan Village at Ningxia, while expecting an interest return at 0.06%. At Ningxia, the Halo Crew interviewed each family that received 5,000 RMB, asking for their plans with the money. During the interviews, we learned that the extremely dry climate and lack of water at Ningxia renders farmers unable to grow crops using their fertile soil, therefore only allowing them to mainly trade cows and lambs to maintain their lives. Through Ms Zhao, our contact, we understood that the fundamental issue that is hindering the development of the village is the lack of water. Since the village is located on a mountain, it is impossible to pump water from the city located at a lower altitude. The government, according to Ms Zhao, is unwilling to build a well for the village and only provides them with a limited amount of watering technologies that could only be used on a very small area. Ms Zhao said if they had the financial ability to build a 200 meter deep well, they will be able to utilize the extremely fertile land and “literally plant anything,” and perhaps change the lives of 800 families (around 2,000 people!). However, without the farmland, the farmers find difficulties in sustaining their families. Throughout the interaction with the children at Dagouyan, we found that they are very passionate about studying and pursuing a higher education. A girl at the village claimed that she’d like to be a PhD. Given the gender inequality and the limited economic ability of her family, it’s almost impossible for her to attain her dream.

Currently the Halo Crew is working on video production in collaboration with GoPro, preparing a charity concert, and producing a CD which compiles recordings of the best performances during the competition. Every single one of these activities moves us one step closer to raising the funds we need to permanently change the lives of those in Dagouyan. It’s difficult to understand the severity of the problem there without truly experiencing it firsthand. In the making of these videos and photos, we hope you can see a little of what we saw in the barren lands of Ningxia, and participate in our events to help our cause. We hope that our efforts will reflect in the creation of the well and moreover the prosperity at Dagouyan.

(Written by Kevin Jiang12（2） Picture by Elaine Shen12（5）)