The Prop Roots Program strives for the empowerment of the children of the Jingpo minority in a remote part of China, struck by poverty, cultural erosion, and immense problems around drugs and AIDS, by raising the kids’ self esteem through creative and language education and intercultural exchange. Founder Dr. Anton Lustig, apart from a painter and musician, is also the world’s main specialist on the Jingpo’s language and has been a much welcomed guest in the Jingpo villages since 20 years ago.
 
Prop Roots’ PROJECT CENTER is indispensable for lodging volunteers and for doing more activities for the Jingpo kids. Moreover, it enables us to do our work on a much more regular basis and right from the heart of the Jingpo homeland. The project center will also serve as a platform for researchers, educators and artists from around the globe.
  
Material and labor costs turned out to be much more higher than foreseen, and moreover the construction also needed to be earthquake-resistant. We will not be able to finish this construction from our very last money only. Obviously, we cannot ask the villagers to pay for it, even though this project mainly is for their benefit. But isn't all of this also for the sake of global intercultural communication in general?

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Welcome to our English info page.

The above video, named “Prop Roots in a Nutshell”, illustrates the uniqueness of our project and its special position and growing recognition in China’s non-profit world. 

The activity center is a two-floor eco-friendly building, a unique PRO BONO design by Yuster’s top-level artist Yao Jianjun. Its foundation and first floor (stone and bricks) are almost ready, and we still need bamboo walls for the second floor and a wooden roof. 

If we reach our tipping point of $2000, we can construct bamboo walls for the second floor and temporarily cover them with canvas, enabling us to do children’s activities for one season, before we find other funding for the permanent roof.

If we reach our total goal of $7500, our center will be completed and have basic furniture and facilities.