The information that local people can access via TV can broaden their horizons dramatically.

"It has a huge impact on people," said Shen Yiyang, programme manager of the Energy & Environment project for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). "They watch news and gather more information, which diversifies their perceptions and values."

Like the rest of the 140,000 Kirgiz who are scattered throughout the southwestern part of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the villagers go out herding for months.

"When spring comes, the village has seen no outsiders for months," said Luo Bin, Party secretary in Bulungkol County. "They move from one place to another, looking for the best grassland."

Bulungkol is the educational centre for hundreds of herdsmen families in nearby mountain areas. It has a primary school and a junior middle school. The children stay at the school studying when their parents go out herding.

The arrival of electricity has been improving such township public services as education and medicine, which has a crucial impact on the region's sustainable development, Shen said.

"The lighting helps children do more homework," said Dilalamu, 29, a politics teacher who only speaks Kirgiz dialect. "Students can have two hours of classes in the evening to finish their homework every day."

Some students are thirsty for more. Abudulamuti was looking forward to going back to school, which has just recruited two new computer teachers and five Mandarin teachers.

"Our (previous) Mandarin teachers didn't speak good Mandarin, and we didn't have many chances to practise," Abudulamuti said. The Kirgiz ethnic dialect uses the Arabic alphabet.

The young man is also keen to learning English even though there are no English courses offered at school.

1

2

3

4

(For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)