Two girls look at the mountains and rivers surrounding their school. Photo: Li Hao/GT

Deep in the mountains of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, villagers struggle to survive. Poverty, drugs, high rates of HIV/AIDS and in some areas, the fear of leprosy, haunt the remote location.

Social activists and organizations have attempted to overcome the region's lack of connections with the outside world to assist with basic school education.

Volunteers come to visit local schools now and then. However, few teachers stay for long due to harsh living conditions, despite the breathtaking natural beauty.

Dropping out of school in the region is common, as receiving education produces little immediate improvement to the livelihood of families. Furthermore, growing up speaking their own language, children from Yi families struggle to follow the classes due to poor Putonghua proficiency.

Those who manage to finish the courses in Linchuan Primary School, residing in Abuluoha village alongside leprosy sufferers, are reluctantly accepted by middle schools in towns due to fear of the disease, even though no student has been infected.

Nevertheless, these children have started to desire to leave their hometown and study and live beyond the mountains, and some dream of becoming singers and celebrities following some famous ethnic Yi musicians. Changes are taking place as the students in the Linchuan school now brush their teeth twice a day and wash their hands before meals, neither of which are habits of their parents.

But their parents still think farm work is a pragmatic future for the kids, even though their children have started to live a different life.

Global Times

Students of Linchuan Primary School attend a graduation ceremony for grade-6 students. Photo: Li Hao/GT

 

A boy is weighed as part of a physical inspection carried out by a charity organization called the Leprosy Project. Photo: Li Hao/GT

 

Students sleep in the dormitory at school. About half of the 52 students in the school live in the dorms. Photo: Li Hao/GT

 

Boys wash their faces and brush their teeth in the morning, a rarity among local residents. Photo: Li Hao/GT