The return trip to the UK was all my husband Simon and I had hoped it would be. Time to spend with our kids and grandkids, say thanks to all the friends who had kept in touch during the past year and chill out in our Somerset home. And we’ve left it all behind again to continue our Nepali experience for another year, and I’m so excited to start working on the Sisters for Sisters project again. I couldn’t be here without your support and kind messages, so thank you so much. It’s been such a source of motivation throughout the tough months since the devasting earthquake in April.
Now we are helping those schools that need us most
You may recall from my last blog the several days of trekking to remote areas of the Lamjung region to assess how much damage the earthquakes had caused for the 58 schools in the region. We found 11 particularly badly affected schools, where often the buildings were so structurally unsafe that the teachers had to give their lessons outside. As the monsoon season was fast approaching we knew we had to do something to ensure the children still had an education over the winter.
So things have been hectic expanding the Sisters for Sisters programme, but it’s a situation that everyone involved has really enjoyed!
Getting the community together for girls’ education
Training of our new youth volunteers in action
My first task was to help with recruiting and interviewing five new Community Mobilisers and 40 Youth Volunteers. Two very full days of interviews and we nearly had a full team for the eleven new schools we are set to help rebuild and support following the earthquake.
The second challenge was to give training to the new Community Mobilisers and Youth Volunteers brilliantly supported by the experienced team. I think everyone enjoyed themselves, joined in and learnt lots. What we have achieved in so little time really does amaze me!
Who’d have known I’d become a builder?
2 hours to spare and half of the hut varnished. Very hot work and I ended up with nearly as much on me!
We’ve also been talking to head teachers of the eleven schools on the practicalities of building temporary structures. It was agreed that the school themselves would manage the buildings but we would help design and erect them in the first place.
Who would have thought that I would be involved working out what size and how many corrugated sheets we would need at each school! My calculation of tonnage of soil to build up the floor was not far from my professional cousin's recommendations. There is very little use of gutters and water collection in Nepal so that is another idea which seems to be taking hold. They could use this to flush toilets and urinals, where the smell of urine is almost unbearable and it could also be used to improve hygiene and hand washing. What a lucky turn of fate that I have watched so many farm buildings being constructed from my husband being a farmer back in our home in Somerset!
And now we’re doing more
I’m really happy to say we’ve now managed to get all eleven temporary structures constructed and we have moved onto longer term support. We are now providing teacher training, psycho-social support and the use of games and practical activities to improve teaching and learning methods.
My role is to help the Community Mobilisers and the Youth Volunteers to start clubs (art, sport, drama, music etc) and generally encourage parents to send their children back to a school where they can now feel safe after the earthquakes and have an enriched learning experience.
Truck loaded up and on its way to Chiti and Hiletaksar. Ann and I delighted to see the distribution of resources.
My VSO colleague, Ann, has been busy organising the distribution of some wonderful resources that have been provided full of fun toys, puzzles and books for the under 5's. These packs will be an amazing addition for these under-resourced schools and will be more resources than they have ever had. Now these packs are being used around the region we will be returning to each school to encourage the best use these goodies so they are of maximum benefit and enjoyment to the students.
I’m happy to be back
Thank you again for all of your support, I couldn’t be here without you. Going home was really refreshing, but coming back to Nepal and getting stuck back in to the next year’s worth of work has been even better. Now the temporary classrooms are up and being used, Sisters for Sisters can move towards mentoring young girls once again in the eleven new schools as well as our original schools. I’m looking forward to updating you on our progress!
Best wishes,
Judith
