Women at Work in Rural Nepal

Family and friends, 

While it’s hard to believe that it’s May already, our garden, now in its second year, asserts it as fact. Apricot blossoms have come and gone, our winter crops of garlic and potatoes are a lush green, and we’ve already put so many new seeds in the ground.

Every teacher has been using the garden to its fullest potential since school started in February. It serves as both outdoor play area, and a sensorial lab where students put language to its sights, smells, textures, tastes and sounds.

Last week Nanu’s LKG group found the familiar smells of garlic and mint, and the less familiar smells of sage, lemon balm and fennel. The week before that, UKG was tasting edible spring flowers–yellow and orange nasturtiums and the white flowers of our tall peppery arugula.

That same week, we also inaugurated our new Creative Studio, an amazing complement to the garden. Its renovation was made possible by an additional 1000 Euro donation from a long-time supporter, for the expressed purpose of creating a dedicated art space for our kindergarteners.

It took us ten days to carry lumber from the mill, work with local carpenters to plane the wood and install paneling and new shelves. And then, of course we had to finish the surfaces, paint the exterior and mud the ceiling! It was a sprint, and all was accomplished within days of this year’s first Creative Studio Fellow, Alice, joining us from Australia.

We’ve put together a short video of Marpha Foundation in motion. To give you a better snese of the amount of people and activities that fill our spaces on a daily basis. It is also a window onto the systemic nature of our curiosity, communication, and relationships. We hope you enjoy!

Links:

• Marpha in Motion