School Environment Improvement Program - Nepal

Namaste.

Two biggest festivals of Nepalese - Dashain and Tihar (commonly known as the festival of lights) occurred in the past quarter (September – November) and consequently schools were closed for a long period of time and also, people were busy in the festival.

However, Kali Devi Lower Secondary School Nature Club organized Clean-up program and also developed a garden in the open space inside the school compound. Inter Class Quiz Competition held in October helped to enhance the knowledge of the students. For the promotion of safe drinking water and the chlorine solution, students visited each household to make the villagers aware on the need to use disinfected drinking water. Such Door to door campaign was held in both the months September and October. During such visits, students also sell chlorine solution.

Similarly, Majh Gaou Lower Secondary School Nature Club organized Hand writing Competition and Essay Competition in their school. Maintaining school based herbal garden was also done. Clean-up program was held in the community. The students conducted a campaign in the village to promote the use of Tulip Filter (which is a Colloidal Silver treated ceramic filter adjusted with a siphon system that allows the faster filtration of drinking water).

Laligurash Bright Future Lower Secondary School Nature Club organized orientation program for the villagers on the need of using safe drinking water and use of chlorine solution to disinfect drinking water.

We sincerely thank all our donors, well-wishers and partners of Global Giving. We welcome your feedback and suggestions.

Thanks & Regards,

Namaste and Seasonal Greetings from Nepal.

With the arrival of monsoon season, the entire students get a month long vacation from their school all across the nation. The frequent rainfall over this period does not favour for the smooth operation of school activities. Hence, during this period most of the students get themselves busy with helping their guardians in their field with rice plantation. Without an exception, the schools of Mirge were also closed during this period.

From August 4^th, schools in Mirge resumed its operation after completing the monsoon vacation break. In order to motivate the nature club members to continue their activities in school, few additional training programs as well as monitoring visit was organized by ECCA Staff from 5^th to 9^th August.

On 5^th and 6^th August, the students from Majhgau School and Kalidhunga School were trained on developing herbal garden in school. A glimpses of herbal garden preparation in majhgau is presented here along with this report. The major objective of this program is to educate students regarding the traditional use of herbals as well as to create a research habit among students in various herbs available locally in their village. A total of 25 students from both the schools had actively participated in the training and are very exited to learn new things apart from their educational curriculum and committed to maintain the garden effectively to share knowledge and understandings.

On 6^th August, a training program on Safe Drinking water for the students of two new schools, Kali Devi Lower Secondary School and Laligurans Bright Future English Boarding School were organized. A total of 55 students from both the schools had actively participated in the training program. They were trained on various water purification technologies that are locally available and could be easy to use.

On 7^th and 8^th August, facilitators along with Nature Club students organized orientation class from 4^th grade to 10^th grade in all four schools regarding the need of safe drinking water. This activity hope to create awareness among students towards the use of safe drinking water for healthy living.

Apart from these activities Nature club members are planning to organize their various regular activities in order to enhance the knowledge and skills of students.

We would like to thank you for your continuous support and believing and supporting us in our campaign. Because of YOU, we have been able to bring changes in the life of needy people in Nepal. We look forward towards the same type of support in the days to come ahead. Please like our Facebook page to get updates regarding our activities and follow us on Twitter to get our tweets. We are also looking forward towards your valuable suggestions and comments regarding our works as well.

Thanks & Regards,

Angel Chitrakar

Sr. Program Officer

ECCA

After the detection of fical coliform in a water analysis done in the month of June 2012, ECCA realized the need of implementation of Safe Drinking water campaign and initiated the activities in both the schools (Kalidhunga H. Sec. School & Majhgau Sec. School). In the process, the students and the teachers were equipped with the device for producing chlorine solution along with a two day training program for the production of chlorine in the month of August 2012 in school. Then after, the students and teachers were actively involved in the production, use and promotion of WATASOL (Chlorine solution) in the school. The excess amount of watasol being produced in the school was being distributed in their local community to provide safe water for the community members. As a continuity for the program, a refresher training was organized for the students and teachers in order to enhance their skills and knowledge towards the production and used of chlorine solution.

On 6^th March 2013, students organized door to door campaign for the promotion of safe drinking water campaign and awareness rally towards the need and use of safe water in the community. Approx 90 students were actively involved in the program and visited around 120 household in mirge VDC. They oriented each household owner regarding the importance to stay healthy through using safe water. They were also able to succeed to raise funds through the distribution of WATASOL in their community.

In order to strengthen the skills of Nature Club (NC) members a regular follow-up activities were conducted in which monitoring of the activities implemented and the planned programs were monitored with feedback and suggestions for improvement. During the follow-up activities, a vigorous interaction with NC members were also done and new possible programs in order to develop the skills and knowledge were also discussed.

Recently, two new schools – Kali Devi Lower Sec School and Laligurans English Boarding School were also visited as per their interest to implement safe drinking water in the community.

We would like to thank you for your continuous support and believing and supporting us in our campaign. Because of YOU, we have been able to bring changes in the life of needy people in Nepal. Furthermore, we would like to request you all to share the information of our project and request your friends and families to donate on 12th June 2013 (Wednesday). This particular day is very important for us because, GlobalGiving has announced this day as GG Bonus Day. Hence, of the total donation received in all the projects from 9:00 AM on this day, 40% of additional amount will be matched by GG until it’s US $90,000 budget is completed. Hence, your support through spreading out the message of bonus day will help us achieve our target very soon through securing additional funds.

We hope for the same type of support in the days to come ahead. Please like our Facebook page to get updates regarding our activities and follow us on Twitter to get our tweets. We are also looking forward towards your valuable suggestions and comments regarding our works through email - ecca@mos.com.np.

Regards,

Angel Chitrakar

Senior Program Officer - ECCA

Empowering students through providing training on different topics / issues and motivating them to organize different programs in their school and community so as to encourage and enhance their leadership skills and capabilities is one of the major objective in School Environment Improvement program. Hence, different activities and training programs were organized in past for the students so as to empower and motivate them. As a result, Nature Club members presented their activeness through organizing different programs in their school and peripheral community of their school.

Every month, students are organizing different programs and activities so as to enhance the knowledge and skills of students in their schools. On 14^th Dec 2012 Friday, Nature Club members of Kalidhunga H.S.S. organized a Quiz Competition in their school. A Volleyball Competition was organized on 4^th January 2013, Friday. Similarly, at the end of every month, students are very active in organizing clean-up campaign in their school periphery and community. A speech competition was organized among the students on 21^st February 2013. Organizing these types of programs in school definitely enhance knowledge and skills. It also helps in improving school environment through creating harmony and friendly behavior in between and among the students.

A parents gathering and Anniversary Celebration was also celebrated in 22^nd and 23^rd February 2013. Organizing these types of programs in schools motivated all the stakeholders – Parents, Students and teachers to work in close coordination for improving school environment as well as to take the school in a new height in the community. It helped all the stakeholders to think about the challenges that are required to think and act.

As educational fiscal year is nearly to an end, development of new plans and programs are under consideration. Hope new educational fiscal year will bring more energy to the nature club members and motivation for them to organize more innovative programs.

We would like to thank you all for your continuous support and encouragement in the work that we are doing towards improving the school condition in Nepal. We would also like to request you to disseminate the information of our program in your network so as to raise more support for our cause and bring difference in the life of students in rural areas. We also hope to get your feedback, comments and suggestions regarding our program in our email ecca@mos.com.np so that we could implement our program more effectively.

Regards

Angel Chitrakar

Sr. Program Officer, ECCA

angel@ecca.org.np

On the eve of Thanksgiving, we - ECCA Family would like to express our sincere gratitude towards all our donors, supporters and well-wishers for your continuous support in our initiation towards our work in rural areas of Nepal.

A smile in the face of needy students and the community is all that matters the most and have the strength to change the nation and the world. Without your support we would not have been able to bring smile in the faces of students in our schools.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH for being the reason to create a smile and to change our nation and world.

We look forward to your continued support in the days ahead and request for your feedback, comments and suggestion regarding our program at ecca@mos.com.np so that we could implement our programs more effectively.

Sincerely,

Angel Chitrakar

Sr. Program Officer

ECCA