New Orphanage Completed in TibetThe Orphanage of Tibet and the Tibet Social Welfare Service Center, built with financing from the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs, were completed and put into service in the southwest China autonomous region over the weekend.A total of 69 orphans from different parts of Tibet have moved into the new orphanage, according to local sources. The Orphanage of Tibet is one of the 14 selected construction projects the Ministry of Civil Affairs decided to complete in its drive to support Tibet. In 1997, the ministry raised 100 million yuan (about 12.05 million U.S. dollars) for financing the construction of 14 major social welfare infrastructure projects inTibet. These projects involve the construction of orphanages and social welfare centers in seven prefectures and cities including Lhasa, Qamdo, and Xigaze, repairing and enlarging the Cemetery for the Martyrs in Shannan Prefecture, and construction of a new center in Chongqing to train civil affairs personnel from Tibet. Currently, 10 of the 14 projects have been finished and put into service, with the exception of Xigaze Orphanage. |
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