Prajwal School starts Literacy class

Prajwal School has started literacy classes for parents and people of Chaughada community. Hari Rai, the care taker of the Prajwal School who is illiterate, has also joined the class. This initiative from the Prajwal School has come to implement the school vision to provide education opportunity for all.

Students of the Prajwal School are encouraging their parents and relatives to join the classes.

Sandra presents " Play for Peace" in the Netherlands

Sandra did a presentation on " Play for Peace" project at the Sportacademy of Amsterdam, the capital city of the Netherlands. There were 10 students to listen to the stories about the project.
Loes Meulenbroeks and Sandra Rutten, then students of Sports teacher had provided funding through International Council for Nepal ( ICFON) the Netherlands.
Last December Sandra visited the projects after three years with her parents and friends.
The project was successful in peace building and empowering girls in sports. Read more about Play for Peace Play for Peace

NEST welcomes to Alana

NEST is very pleased to welcome Alana who will be volunteer with NEST for five months as a project adviser. She left Canada to live overseas, first as a traveler, then as an English teacher, and most recently as a volunteer with VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas). She has been living mostly in South East Asia, but has spent the last two years working with VSO in Cameroon, West Africa. She is keen on learning the language, the customs, meeting people. She says " Becoming a part of the community is very important to me".

Maths Teacher Training in Hetauda

With financial support from ICFON, the Netherlands and in collaboration with Mathematics Education Council, a professional organisation of Maths teachers in Nepal , NEST is going to organise two day Maths Teachers workshop from 28 to 29 October 2009 in Hetauda.

Mr. Tikaram Pokharel, Asst. Professor of School of Education, Kathmandu University and Mr. Krishna Pokharel, General Secretary of the Mathematics Education Council and Senior Maths trainer will conduct the training.
Please contact NEST office in Rapti Road for registration.
Registration. NRs 100 for two days

NEST supports three girls with different abilities

Hetauda

Pabitra Thing is 26 years old. She lives in a village near to Hetauda Municipality. She wants to become a professional teacher therefore, she is doing B.Ed in a college in Hetauda. But she is worried if her dream to become a teacher will be fulfilled as her parents' economic condition is not very good. She has many dreams- she wants to stop girl trafficking. Every year, many girls from her village are trafficked to India, some end up working in Indian Brothel and others work in Circus. She wants to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS in her community and wants to serve in the local school. She is physically challenged as she lost her left leg because of cancer. But she is committed to struggle in life and be an example for many girls in her community who do not complete primary education.

Similalry, Shanti Maya Muktan (24) comes from the same village of Pabitra. She also wants to be a teacher. She is currently studying in I.Ed. Because of her parents' poor financial conditions, she is worried if she could finish her study. She has got two artificial legs. She wants to run a tailoring shop to support her study. She wants to be self-reliant.

Jamuna Tithung also has similar story. She wants to continue her study but she does not have money. She is currently doing her 10+2 in Hetauda.

They all approached NEST for financial support after hearing about NEST support programme. With the financial support from ICFON, the Netherlands, NEST has been supporting children and youths with different abilities , Dalit and ethnic communities to their education. In stead of sponsoring the children, NEST provides loans to the children and they also receive skills and training to run micro business.

NEST has also supported Umesh Raut who is visually impaired to start a food shop in Hetauda.

NEST Sports Club Formed

10 September 2008

NEST started "Play for Peace" sport project two years ago. This programme was funded by Sandra and Loes through ICFON,the Netherlands. Six local schools got grants to build table tennis courts, and they also received sport gears and materials.
This programme was very successful in establishing harmony and friendship among children who were affected by conflict. Moreover, last year NEST organised a month long Football coaching during the summer school holidays. As a result of this coaching, three girls were selected for District Football Team and they also took part in a national level football tournament.
Part of the project, a basket ball court was built at Prajwal School, it is the only basket ball court in this community. A sport club has been formed under the leadership of Pratik , Prajwal, Pratit and Prashanta who are working as NEST volunteers and coaching students and youths of the community.
30 children and local youths have already joined the NEST sport club. The members of the club practise basket ball at weekends.

International Literacy Day and National Education Day observed

Hetauda, 8 September 2008 .
On the occasion of International Literacy Day and National Education Day NEST organised a street library exhibition at Traffic Chok, Hetauda. Various libraries related activities such as drawing,story writing, poem writing and essay writing competitions were organised. The Chief guest of the programme was the District Education Officer Mr. Cholendra Kumar Pandit. Executive Director of NEST Mr. Ganesh Kumar Shrestha, Special guest from Room to Read, Mr.Sushil Adhikari, NEST Volunteer from France, Ms Karien Parpime, and all NEST members were present in the programme. 46 students from 12 partner schools where NEST in collaboration with Room to Read has established school libraries,took part in the competitions.
This is the second year that NEST has organised street library exhibition in Hetauda to observe international literacy day.Mr. Ganesh Kumar Shrestha, the Executive Director told that the main purpose of the programme was to raise awareness about the importance of libraries, encourage children to read and develop their reading habits.Mr. Pandit, the DEO of Makwanpur district appreciated NEST's contribution to the development of quality education in community schools of Makawanpur district. Shambhu Bartaula, a teacher from Rastriya Lower Secondary School said " Such Exhibition and activities really motivate students, teachers and other public to read books and use library".At the end of the programme, winners of Story writing, Peom writing, Essay writing and drawing competition received prizes.

Welcome to Karen and Rebecca

Karen Perpina from France and Rebecca Hagon from the UK are arriving in Nepal to volunteer with NEST, NEST would like to welcome both of them to Nepal. Karen will be working at Prajwal School and will be involved in environment project whereas Rebecca will share her teaching experience with teachers from Prjawal School. She will also do some creative writing project work with students from Prajwal School.

Review meeting with District Education Office held

Hetauda
The review meeting with District Education Office Makwanpur was held at the District Education Office hall on 19th August 2008. There were 30 participants in that program including, Resource Persons, School Supervisers, Deputy District Education Officer, Section officers and a VSO Education Adviser. Executive Director and Deputy Director of NEST also attended the program.
In that program , roles and responsibilities of Resource Persons, and School Supervisers to implement the library programme and ways to improve coordination with District Education Office were discussed.

The main objectives of the programme were:

• To discuss on program implementation and monitoring process.
• To share experience about library program running in schools.
• To discuss on phase out schools and roles and responsibilities of School Supervisors and Resource Person on that schools.
• To give the information about different registers and monitoring and evaluation format.
• To give the information about library management committee (LMC) formed in school.
• To give the information about various Libraries related activities in school.

The Resource persons and school supervisors were appreciated the initiative of NEST and Room to Read to involve them in the process of monitoring and evaluation of the programme. At the end of the programme, some Resource persons shared that they were more clear about their roles and responsibilities. The workshop was facilitated by NEST staff members.

NEST Child Clubs Management Workshop Held

NEST organised a two day Child club management workshop for child club memebers from six partner schools at Prajwal Shiksha Sadan English Lower Secondary School in Chaughada on 19-20 August 2008. 28 NEST child club members participated in the workshop. NEST has been running child clubs in six schools with financial support from ICFON, the Netherlands for last five years. The main purposes of child clubs are to develop democratic values in schools, raise child right awareness, reduce discrimination based on castes and involve children in community development process by organising different workshops. NEST organises children camps every year.