“Becomethecandlelighttobrightenthefutureforchildreninimpoverishedregions”--ThestoryofDuAndongandCaoXiaohua,acouplewhospent11yearsteachingata5000-meteraltitude"Whenthewindblows,itcausestherockstorun;allfourseasonswewearwinterjackets."Atanaveragealtitudeofover5,000meters,whereoxygenintheairisonly40%ofthatintherestofthecountry,thisisthehighestcountyinthecountry,theShuanghuCountyinNagquCityofTibetAutonomousRegion,wheremanypeopleflinchinfrontoftheharshnaturalenvironment.However,forthemarriedcoupleDuAndongandCaoXiaohua,whowereborninthe1980sandareteachersattheShuanghuCountyCenterElementarySchool,thisistheparadisewheretheycanrealizetheirdreams."Ourdreamistobecometeachers,impartknowledgeandeducatepeople."DuandCaoarefromthesamehometown,andtheymetandfellinlovewhilestudyingatXinjiangUniversity.Aftergraduatingin2008,theysawthepublicrecruitmentinformationforteacherstoteachinTibet.Despiteconcernsoverleavinghometoworkatafarawayandhigh-altitudeplace,theyneverthelessfollowedtheirdreamsandbothappliedfortheteachingjobsatthecityofNaqu.InMarch2009,theycametoteachattheShuanghuCountyCenterElementarySchool,wheretheyhavestayedfor11fullyears.DepartingfromNagqubycar,drivingnorthwestforanentireday,therearefinallysomehumantraces.ThisisShuanghuCounty,withanaveragealtitudeofover5,000meters,alsoknownas"theexperimentalgroundforchallengingthelimitationofhumanphysicality".TheCountyCenterElementarySchoolistheonlysix-gradeelementaryschoolinthefourneighboringvillagesandtowns,wherechildrenwithina100kmdistanceallcomeheretostudy."Thereisaseverelackofoxygen,electricityisonlyavailableatnight,andmycellphonesoftenlosessignal......afteranentiresemester,wegraduallyadjustedtolifehere."RecallingtheirfirstarrivalatShuanghuCounty,CaoXiaohuaexclaimsthattheplateaushedreamedofcomingisworldsapartfromtheclimateandthelivingconditionsinotherareas.Shesaid:"Highaltitudesicknessoftengivesmeaheadache,onlywalkingforafewstepswouldcausemetopantheavily,everydayIspendatShuanghuisanextremechallengeformybody."Tibetanchildrenfromthepastoralareaspeaklimitedputonghua(Mandarin),thereisagreatbarrierinteacher-studentcommunication."Ican'talwaysspeak,Ihavetoalsomakehandgesturestoletstudentsunderstandbothaurallyandvisually."ShuanghuCountyCenterElementarySchoolisaboardingschool.Sinceitisfarfromhome,manystudentsgohomeonlyonceeverysemester.Inthissituation,DuandCaoactnotonlyasteachers,butalsoasparentstothestudents.Theywouldcarrystudentstothehospitallateatnight,takestudentstobuydailynecessitiesontheweekends,washstudents'hair,andwashtheirclothes......"Winterisoftenaslowas-20to-30degreesCelcius,Ican'ttolerateseeingstudentswashclothesinthiscoldweatherandtheirhandsturnred,soIdoitmyself,"saidCao.Togivelovealsomeansreceivingmorelove."Godmother,pleasecomebacksoon,Imissyou!"ThisiswhatstudentswroteonthebackwindowofDu'scarinSeptember2017.Atthetime,CaowastakingmaternalleaveinherhometowninShandong,whenshesawthephotosentbyDuthroughWechat,hernosebecamesore.Shedidn’texpecttobemissedwhenshewasafewthousandmilesaway."TobecomethecandlelighttobrightenthefutureofchildrenwholiveinimpoverishedregionsisourbiggestmotivationforteachingatShuanghu,"Dusaid.Duringhisfirstsemesterteachinghere,studentsfromsecondGradeaveragedascoreofonly7.8inChinesecourse."WheneverIstoodattheclassroomdoor,myheartfeltheavyasifarockcrushedinit."After10years,DuandCaofumbledanddevelopedauniqueteachingmethod,theysacrificedinnumerablerestingtimeandfinallyrankedtopintheirteachingachievements."Inonefinalexam,the3rdclassofGrade5achievedanaveragescoreof82.3inChinesecourse.ThisscorebecamethehighestrecordsincetheShuanghuCountyBoardofEducationcreatedsuchatally,”Dustatedproudly."IstartedteachingthatclasssinceGrade3,webuiltadeepteacher-studentconnection."Caorememberedthatinearly2014,thepressuretoentermiddleschoolcausedthemtopersistinteachingmake-upclassesduringlunchbreakforstudentsforover100days.Asaresult,themajorityofstudentsfromthisclasssuccessfullypassedtheexamtoattendtheTibetanclassinamainlandschool.In2015,Duwasdiagnosedwithventriculararrhythmias.Thedoctorrecommendedhimtoleavetheplateauregionimmediately.Nowadays,Duneedsoxygeninhalationinordertofallasleep,yetthisdidnotshakehisdeterminationtostayatShuanghu.For11years,DuandCaohavestayedfarfromtheirhomelandandrelatives,taughtstudentsinaccordancewiththeiraptitudes,strivedtocreatehighqualityclasses,anddevotedtoadvancingeducationaldevelopmentinethnic-minorityandimpoverishedregions.Theydedicatedtheirlivestoteachingonthethree-footpodium,quietlycontributedthemselves,andhaveconsistentlyreceivedhonorslike"KeyTeacher","ExcellentTeacher",and"EducationalExperts"fromtheschool,county,andcitylevels.thankstotheircontributionstopovertyreliefthrougheducation,theyfoundthemselvesonthelistofTibetAutonomousRegion'spovertyalleviationspecialawardrecipientsearlythisyear."Idon'tthinkaboutwhethertheroadaheadissmoothormuddy.SinceIchoseafarawaydestination,Iwillmarchforwardregardlessofhardship,”Duwrotehisthoughtsinhisdiary.HealsosaidthattosendmorechildrenoutofShuanghu’pastoralareastoabiggerworldisthevalsueandsignificanceofhimandhiswife'spersistencetoremainat5,000metersabovesealevel.ContributedbyKarmaDorji,ZhangYu,XieWeiTranslatedbyZhangJunye