Welcome to the Surya Civic Association web site

Kargyak is an isolated village situated in the Indian Himalayas in the altitude of 4200 m above sea level and it is one of the last places where the original Tibetan culture still survives. Until recently, there was no school in the village and the children had no other chance but either to leave for distant boarding schools or never to learn to read and write. In September 2009 the Surya Civic Association finished construction of the specially designed “passive” school-building heated by sun, fully ecological and also compatible with local structures also in terms of appearance.

 

News from Kargyak

News from Dawa - 2021-04-10

Julley, while the pandemic was spreading across the world last year our place, Kargyak in Zangskar was doing okay because there is no way for anyone could come in or go out due to the roads being blocked by snow.

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Road to Kargyak - 2019-08-25

Yes, Martin and Martina are first Czechs, Surya volunteers to arrive in Kargyak all the way by car.

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DAY FORTY-FIVE – Eva and Prokop back in Leh - 2018-10-11

We are back in Leh and drinking coffee. A Month and a bit later we are exactly where we started. This was not our plan. We were supposed to be in Manali bating in hot springs already a week ago. But… Let´s start from the beginning. The start was tough. Days passed so slowly. We established our daily routine: teeth, morning exercise, breakfast, dish washing. Lesson preparation on our philosophical stone, which is situated between children´s toilet and Dawa´s (teacher who we stayed with) little vegetable garden. We didn´t come up with anything worth mentioning here. Following lunch, dishes, school, short walk, helping villagers with harvest, dinner, sleep. Every day the same. After first few days that felt like month, the month passed like few days.

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Kargyak Sun School celebrates its 10th anniversary - 2018-10-04

On September 21st, Kargyak Sun School will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its opening. There, in one of the last places on Earth, the original Tibetan culture survives at the elevation of 4200 m. Before the school opened, the village of 200 heads had only 10 members who could read and write a little. To get an education, children were sent away to boarding schools in faraway towns. Today, the Sun School has its alumni and thanks to the project, people stopped moving away from the village.

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