Dolpo (Tibetan) or Dolpa (Nepali) forms one of the northwestern districts of Nepal on the border with Tibet today. Although it is the largest district by area, it is very sparsely populated and has a population of only about 30,000 residents.

In the northern part of the district, one of the highest settlement areas in the world, largely located above 3000 meters above sea level, lives a Tibetan-speaking population who refer to themselves as Dolpo-pa (someone from Dolpo). Since agriculture and animal husbandry are not sufficient in this barren area, additional goods are obtained through trade. In summer, the men travel to Tibet with their yak caravans, while the women live with the female animals, the dri, in the high pastures and produce butter and cheese there. In Tibet, grain is exchanged for tea, salt, wool, and butter, as well as modern goods. In spring and autumn, the acquired goods are then traded again in southern Dolpo or even Jumla. In winter, people leave their main villages and move to their winter villages or, for those who can afford it, travel to Kathmandu for a pilgrimage. Religiously, the Dolpo-pa belong to the Bön tradition or Buddhism, whereas the southern part of Dolpo is predominantly Hindu or practices shamanism. The Tapriza School is located in the Shey-Phoksundo district, named after the crystal-clear blue lake, the heart of the district, and the Crystal Mountain (Shey).

Phoksundo encompasses the villages of Ringmo, Pugmo, Rike, and Renji and forms the main catchment area for the students of the Tapriza School. The school building is centrally located at the intersection of several trade routes and has now become an important meeting place for the village population, especially during school performances and cultural events. To this day, no road leads to the school, and access is only possible on foot from Dunai. There is now sparse solar energy and recently a few telephone antennas, which, however, function unreliably. There is some medical care only in Dunai in the new hospital; otherwise, the local government health posts and the Tibetan medicine post must provide medical care as much as possible. The education rate was extremely low until the start of the Tapriza School and was restricted to primary level (if at all) in most regions. Fortunately, this has improved greatly since the start of the Tapriza School and other schools in other valleys. (written by Marietta Kind)