I have been back in Nepal since December 13th 2012 and have visited the schools and undertook some work on the volunteer accommodation.
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| Nature Club Training |
I am happy to report that both schools have continued to maintain momentum with the programs, especially the WATASOL and Herbal Gardens (Kalidhunga) but it was clear during our site visit on January 3rd, that mentoring is still needed with both the Nature Clubs and staff. However, the Kalidhunga Nature Club is firing on all cylinders and continue to maintain a clean school ground and have doubled their sales of WATASOL to the local community; Majhgaun on the other hand need a little more skill development to equal the results of KHSS. Thus we have agreed to conduct some further training for Nature Clubs and increase monitoring and mentoring contact. Student participation is a very new concept for these schools, as is staff participation in anything other than teaching. Therefore, it is expected that they would require continuous support for a while yet. We have asked the schools to provide us with more regular reporting of activities so we are always aware of the actions and processes undertaken at each school.
I am excited to announce that we have formed an informal partnership with Classrooms in the Clouds, a British Charity, who is building the new MLSS classrooms and facilities. Our team approach to supporting school improvement at MLSS will now be a little more effective. We conducted a formal meeting with the MLSS School Management Committee and with this combined front we have shown to the school community a better support structure than before. It is anticipate that the new 8 roomed school will be completed around April 2013, just in time for the new school year.
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| Central Court at Volunteer House |
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| View of 'Sunny Sitting Area' |
I have previously written about some ideas and completed programs for Teacher Training in past Blogs. Now ECCA and Classrooms in the Clouds are going to approach this need in a coordinated manner and may involve other Training NGO's especially utilizing trained Nepalese trainers supported with western educational professionals. Sarah Hagen from CitC will be coordinating this with our support and with the use of ECCA's connections with local authorities. Volunteers and trainers will be able to stay in our new accommodation that we have been slowly developing over the past 12 months. I hope that we can offer accommodation and living support to up to 6 volunteers at once from April 2013. This means that we will be able to confidently provide a comfortable place for volunteer staff to stay when they help with training programs. We anticipate that we will have two seasons of training, one focused on the peak holiday periods for the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
So the next blog entry, I hope, will be photos of a new school and new accommodation with details about volunteer trainer opportunities and a holiday in Nepal in an authentic foothills Tamang farming village. Till then, Namaste.
