Opening a world outside the mountains of Xinjiang

THE parents of Gypar Sattwaldi, 24, and Qirhal Sattwaldi, 21, are the envy of their herding community; The two beautiful girls are college students.

Gypar and Qirhal were born into a Kirgiz family in Wuqia County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The Pamir Plateau is one of the most deprived areas in this remote northwestern region of China, and the children of Kirgiz herders once had limited access to higher education. Few were encouraged to aim beyond their ancestral nomadic life.

“Without support or opportunities, my sister and I would have become shepherds,” said Qirhal. Luckily for her, the young woman’s family is just one of thousands to have benefited from drastic changes over the past decade.

The Sattwaldis used to live at an altitude of 3,000 meters, but their lives were way below the national poverty line. Their village had no roads, mains water, or electricity. In 2014, the whole family was relocated to a purpose-built new community, under a wide-reaching initiative to lift impoverished herders out of poverty.

In 2000, China launched “Xinjiang classes,” which places students at top high schools in more economically developed areas. Gypar secured a place in the city of Wuxi in east China.

“Never in my wildest dreams had I expected to go to school outside Xinjiang,” she said. “It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It led me to a world outside the mountains.”

Qirhal is in her sophomore year at the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in the city of Chengdu, southwest China.

“Studying finance can help me count sheep faster,” she jokes. “I would like to work in a bank.” Her elder sister dreams of being a mentor. In her final undergraduate year at Changji University, Xinjiang, Gypar sees her future as a teacher.

“I want to become a math teacher back home,” she said. “I grew up on the Pamir Plateau. I know that many local children ache for a chance to get out of the mountains. I want to play a part in the realization of their dreams.”

(Xinhua)