Tasmanian Fundraiser

A really big thank you to all my guests who came along to the first Fundraiser Dinner held at Chillies Authentic Indian Restaurant on Tuesday 4th October. It was energizing sharing beautiful food and sharing information about MSEIP with everyone. Thirty-eight people poured into the restaurant and within minutes a wonderful atmosphere was created abuzz with conversation and fabulous aromas. The history of the my involvement with Mirge was  received with interest as was the explanations of the work we are undertaking. Many guests expressed an interest in visiting and even volunteering in Mirge. Everyone's generosity has meant that 777 books donated by Bookery in Melbourne and Macmillan Publishers will now be sent to Nepal and distributed to our target schools. There has been many donations in this past week and now we have enough to support some of the actions identified in the Mirge Visioning Training aspect of the SEIP. Most likely we have enough funds to start installing a drinking water system at Kalidhunga, paint for the new classrooms and add extra funds to the base amount supplied by the government for new gender specific toilets for Kalidhunga Higher Secondary School. I am very grateful to all who continue or have just begun to support this significant work.

I leave for Nepal for a 3 month volunteering stint in Mirge on Monday 10th and will also assist ECCA with further SEIP projects. So my next blog will have the hint of authentic Dal Bhat and posted from Nepal. 

Mirge Village and Schools Slide Show

Two successful School Environment Improvement trainings

ECCA has completed the first phase of the SEIP with two successful tarinings. Firstly the Visioning Training was attended by 17 adults and the Children's Camp by 19 students from Kalidhunga and Majhgaun. We now have a clear vision for school improvement in both schools with trained adult and child leaders to implement their action plans. Further details can be read in the Global Giving report and detailed reports for each training camp at the Global Giving website. This is certainly an exciting development and I look forward to the next target for our fund raising and action.

The Mirge School Environment Program has begun!

Today and over the next 3 days, representatives from Kalidhunga Higher Secondary School and Majhgaun Lower Secondary School are involved in the Youth Training phase of the program at the capital of Dolakha, Charikot. Check out the link on the ECCA site.

The participants in this phase will concentrate on developing a coordinated and collaborative vision for Mirge’s improvement in community sustainable growth and quality education. ECCA’s and our role will be defined in line with specific directions and targets identified by the participants. Essential to this process will be building awareness of sustainable practices and developing skills in community and project leadership and autonomous and empowered project management.

Next week, after the Youth Training phase has been concluded, ECCA’s training team will go to the village and facilitate a children’s training program that includes leadership skills that will manifest in the creation of student leadership teams, Nature Clubs and encouraging students to take direct responsibility for the care of the school environment.

ECCA will continue with the community consultation process as they engage with parents and other stake holders in the village.

So, in a few days we should have a clear vision and some enthusiasm for change and action for improved sustainable practises in education, living and economics throughout the village.

On another matter, a UK charity, Classroom in the Clouds, have agreed to fund the construction of 6 rooms for the new Majhgaun Lower Secondary School and the government has supplied funds for another two. Construction is expected to start in October/November. The new school management committee have agreed that the quality of the facilities should be equal to the standards set out by ECCA and other organisations which promote quality education for example, early child learning classrooms will have floor coverings, modular furniture, white boards and generally a cleaner less dusty and colourful environment. This is quite a development in attitude considering the conditions teachers and parents were prepared to accept in the existing schools as can be seen in my photos on the blog or Picasa. There is a growing awareness that facilities and learning can be improved and the villagers can be in charge of that process. It is incredible to think of how much change has already taken place in 10 years since the first library was established. We will still have a major role in raising funds for construction and renovations not only for Majhgaun but for Kalidhunga and other schools yet to be embraced.

Kalidhunga now have 3 more computers supplied a rural development fund (a total of 6 and internet connection albeit slow and expensive) and funds from the education department to replace the toilets.

Also, thank you to Bookery, John Wiley and Sons and MacMillan Education Australia who donated mountains of books for the schools in Mirge. Thanks to Linda and Richard for making contact with the publishers and Aaron, Trish and Joan for storing them until I can work out how to get them to Kathmandu.

Finally, I wish to thank all the donors for your generosity. We have reached the $4000 mark which has enabled the program to make a start. THANK YOU. However, we still have a long way to go over the next 10 years. Very soon I should be able to let you know about the next focus for fundraising and the details of further developments.

I wish you all well in the next few cold months of winter.

Exhibition fund-raiser going quite well

 The opening of the exhibition was last Saturday and was a pleasant get together with friends. So far the exhibition has raised $900.00 for the project.

The Youth Training Phase has now been scheduled to begin in the first week of May in Charikot, the capital of Dolakha District . More news soon about its progress and outcomes. I am hoping to have some Skype contact with the trainees. All very exciting.

On Saturday, I presented a workshop at the Tasmanian TESOL mini-conference on our program. There was a good response and even some experienced EFL teachers expressed their interest in volunteering as English teachers in Mirge schools. The momentum is growing.

Fund-raising successful

We had set a target of $3000.00 for March so that the Youth Training Phase of the program could start in April.

Well, we made it!

A huge thank you to all donors and those who rallied at the final hours to take advantage of the Global Giving Bonus Day additions to the fund.

For your interest, I have included a link to May 2010 Newsletter that might interest you. Outcomes shown in this newsletter reflect the potential of the Mirge Program.

http://www.ecca.org.np/files/ecokhabar-may-2010.pdf

Also, the latest news from the village is that Majhgaun Lower Secondary School has just been granted funds from the Ministry of Education to build two new classrooms. That makes only 14 to go!

Bruny Island Beach 2008

April 2nd marks the next major fund-raising event - an exhibition of my paintings. It runs for two months and all sales will be donated to the program. I have also prepared a fund-raiser package for a dinner party, called 'A Night in for Mirge'. I will post this in the next week or so, and if you can host an event like this then that would be great. Fun and fund-raising all in one night.

I look forward to letting you know more about the starting date and activities related to the first phase of the program next month.

Mirge today - reflections after two weeks living in the village



Laxmi 

I spent a truly wonderful two weeks, during December 2010 and January 2011, in the mountain village of Mirge. Again and again through conversations and observations, I was reminded of the real significance of this ‘Mirge School’s Environment Improvement Program’ to the people of this village. Education and infrastructure development continue to become the priorities of the villagers as they embrace small enterprises that empower them to rise out of poverty and manage a more sustainable future.

Ramesh, Seti and Rajesh Lama

It is uplifting to see how attitudes and self belief have evolved so much over the last decade due to the vision of community members and the support from individuals, government and non-government sources. No longer is the paradigm merely subsistence alone; new cash crops have emerged, roads provide better access to markets and health support, biogas waste management systems are appearing in homes and the young people talk of such high ideals as being doctors, scientists and better educated farmers. School based and community education is driving change, but there is still much to achieve; a thirst for new knowledge and sustainability runs parallel to a firm grip on traditional ways and poverty.

Kalidhunga Higher Secondary School new library

In April 2011, Majhgaun Lower Secondary School will introduce Class 7 and Kalidhunga Higher Secondary School will start their first ever Class 12. In 2010 we raised money to stock each school with new library books and visual and kinaesthetic learning resources, thank you Room to Read, Nepal. 

Class 5 and Head Teacher Ram Saram

However, there is still much work to be done in both these schools and the other seven primary schools, to achieve the vision of the community, which has been to create two secondary schools that will provide the highest quality education possible for rural students equal to that provided in the larger cities, like Kathmandu. For example, there are infrastructure, facility and curriculum challenges for all schools, limited access to clean water and hygienic sanitation in all of Mirge’s eight schools and private homes, a need for increased awareness of sustainable technologies and practises for use in the homes and access to teacher professional development, especially in English and other teaching methodology other than rote learning.

Class 3

Even though the vision and specific goals for the program will be established by the community during the ‘Training Phase’ of the Mirge School Environment Improvement Program, the schools have already identified some targets for change. These include; building a complete new school at another site for the Majhgaun Lower Secondary School so it can cope with expansion and growth to Class 10 and (later Class 11, 12 and 13). At Kalidhunga Higher Secondary School the older classrooms require renovation, safe water and hygienic sanitation needs addressing, more specific texts and novels for the library, creation of a senior science laboratory and a class set of computers, as well as access to the wireless network.

Above all, addressing the issues related to responsibility and sustainability are the keys to improving the environment, future lifestyles and the quality of education in Mirge. In April 2011, ECCA will start with the ‘Training Phase’. This empowering process is designed to build skills and confidence in local youths 18-25, to promote community responsibility (environment / school / enterprise / health) to the community stakeholders and children. Through ECCA’s facilitation of this training, knowledge and awareness will be disseminated through the curriculum, conversation and leadership / action by the local community. Specific community needs will be identified and these will become the focus of the ‘Mirge School Environment Improvement Program’. 

Have a look at the video in the left column of the Blog; it provides a really good explanation of the process and exemplifies some of ECCA's achievements.

To start we will need at least $3000.00 to be raised through Global Giving. So far, we have about $900.00, so if you can help reach our first target together, then we can launch ahead in April. This is the start of the school year and by far the best time to commence our program. I will be posting a range of fund raising ideas soon and if you can help it would be greatly appreciated.

What is truly significant about this project is that it is driven by the needs of the community, not by our own agenda. Only in this way, through community ownership and vision, can significant change be sustainable and appropriate. We are at this stage, because over the last thirteen years, a few visionary community members saw a better future for their village and asked for help; we can only imagine what the community will have achieved with our support in another ten years.

Images from Majhgaun Lower Secondary School

Early Childhood Development Class shared with storage of building materials

Class 6

Listening, chanting and writing

Majhgaun Power Secondary School

Morning Assembly and PT

It all started over 10 years ago.

Jack and Phulkaji

This project has risen from the vision and desire of Phulkaji Tamang Lama, who has at a personal level offered direction and hope for his village. I first met Phulkaji (Suresh) in 1996 when he was still trying to complete Class 11 and 12. He told me of his vision and 'dream' and over the years we have become close friends, colleagues and partners in this project. He is one of only twenty-one people from his village of Mirge (4500 people), who have successfully completed a Bachelor Degree and is now undertaking a Masters in Education (Teaching English). Not bad for a young man who holds down a job at Kalidhunga Higher Secondary School and at the same time cares for a family of three. 

He has become a respected community leader and it is his and others' vision to improve the lives and opportunities of his village and inspire young people to strive to take charge of their own lives and make changes towards a sustainable future.  However, this will not happen by itself without significant leadership. Already he is a respected member of the community and through his example and leadership Mirge may have the opportunity to reduce poverty, improve health management and holistic school improvement.

Initial support occurred in 2000 when a partnership was formed between myself, Wendouree Breakfast Rotary Club, Ballarat District 9780 (Australia) and the School Management Committee (SMC) of the Majhgaun Primary School. This partnership resulted in a new double storey school building (three classrooms, an office and library), books and resources. The immediate effect of this intervention was an increase of school population from 20 – 100 and 2 new teachers supplied by the SMC and the Nepal Ministry of Education. The SMC created an enterprise selling produce and raised minimal funds to pay the salary of the teacher. The outcomes from this experience were staggering. There was a new wave of interest from the community to view education as most important and along with a number of developments nationally and locally education became the village's priority. Not bad for a village that has over 50% illiteracy rate.

Part of Phulkaji's 'dream' was to study and return to teach and be a leader in his village; well this dream has come true! He is now the English teacher at Kalidhunga Higher Secondary School and a most respected leader in the community. I certainly 'backed the right horse!' 

After some break to focus on study Phulkaji has initiated action once again to seek support to develop and implement a 10 year strategy for holistic community development with schools being the core of the project. 

Class 4 Majhgaun Lower Secondary School and teacher Dhal Bahadur 

This is where our new story begins ........