Better Schools in Rural Nepal!

This GlobalGiving project was originally launched in late 2013 so that ETC, with your kind and generous support, could physically improve school facilities in rural Nepal. In the aftermath of the spring 2015 earthquakes, that work became more urgent and the needs greater than ever before. Schools needed temporary buildings immediately, and more permanent buildings as quickly as possible. They need new toilets and new or repaired sources of drinking water. They also need furniture and supplies such as complete desk and bench sets, shelving units, carpeting, computers, and educational and recreational materials. ETC has been working hard to construct sturdy two-classroom buildings, toilets, and drinking water sources at more than two dozen schools in our current and former project areas, and to provide furniture and supplies at these and dozens of other schools. This work is ongoing, because the needs are long-term.

Although the obvious importance of having school buildings to go to cannot be overstated, it is equally important that children can actually attend, and that their experience is enriching. With that in mind, in this quarterly report we'd like to tell you about some of the "soft" programs that complement the physical infrastructure work, and which make ETC so effective in improving education in rural Nepal.

• In February, ETC provided important basic support to 670 children from impoverished families, who might otherwise have to be kept home from school. We do this every year, covering relatively low-cost necessities (fees, supplies, uniforms) that are nevertheless beyond the reach of some families. Pictured at the top of this report, ETC-Nepal Director Mira Rana and Education Director Laxmi Basukala present a child with her new backpack full of useful supplies.
• We also hold regular group meetings with parents – attended by hundreds annually – at which parents gain information and learn strategies to give their children the best chance to succeed at school. Topics include the importance of regular school attendance and of reading at home, behavioral issues and how best to cope, and health issues.
• Rural teachers in Nepal are very unlikely to have access to professional development opportunities. ETC provides training every year to dozens of teachers of varying grade levels and subjects. Earlier this year, 34 teachers from 30 schools participated enthusiastically in a three-day music therapy training workshop, led by a well-known Nepali singer/musician. Incorporating music and dance into young children’s school activities offers an outlet for energy, fosters a positive learning environment, enables the use of skills and thought processes not typically engaged through desk work, and in this case provides children with a way to work through any ongoing post-quake stress. Pictured below are some of the training participants dancing to a lively song, and young children at Guranse Primary School dancing and singing in their classroom.
• Finally, enriching extracurricular activities are an important component of any child's education. ETC supports volleyball tournaments, art competitions, and club activities such as our Agriculture in Schools program. Participants learn about the dignity and importance of agricultural work, gain practical experience through planning and cultivating their school gardens, and pass on their newfound skills and knowledge to their farming families. Pictured below are program participants at Milijuli Lower Secondary School, led by ETC staff agricultural specialist Chock Badahur Thami.

All of this "hard" and "soft" work is crucial to the success of our educational programming, and as always, we thank you very much for making it possible.

Links:

• ETC website (stay tuned for a beautiful redesign!)
• ETC's Facebook page