The arrival of new volunteers and more teacher training; this time with some amazing experiments!

Rob and Sam arrived on the Sunday afternoon to a warm welcome from the Bashyl family. Dhanni is away in Kathmandu doing a course for the cooperative that he is involved with so Janaki is proving that she’s the backbone of the house and is working very hard looking after all her guests.

Rob and Sam spent the Monday exploring Tansen and we met up with Dan in the office on Tuesday the 19^th to talk about what they had planned for a teacher training session. We decided that Rob would plan to deliver ten experiments that the teachers would then be able to do at school. Rob spent some of the day running through the experiments making sure that they worked on the other side of the world, thankfully they all did.

Then we spent the Wednesday getting all of the photocopying done for the teacher training as well as getting our equipment together for the experiments which unfortunately involved eating some pringles and drinking some sprite as we needed the containers for the experiments. I wanted to get the method sheets laminated so that they would last longer, but then the electricity decided to go off about 3pm until about 7pm I was beginning to worry that I would have to take all the sheets out of the laminating pouches which I had spent a couple of hours that day doing.

Thursday the 21^st was the day for teacher training. I was so impressed with the experiments that Rob had planned it really took me back to my school days, which definitely wasn’t a bad thing. I think I paid a lot more attention this time round than when I did when I was in school. The ten experiments that Rob did (with the help of his wonderful assistant Sam) were; Using carbon dioxide, from the reaction of baking soda and vinegar, to extinguish a candle, chromatography, electrolysis of water, looking at plant cells under an electric microscope, using pomegranate as an indicator, making a pin hole camera, making a model lung, looking at oxygen in the air, measuring your pulse rate and making a rainbow with an old CD.

Not only did we show the teachers these experiments we also made method sheets for each experiment and also photocopied the pages from the text books that the experiments corresponded with so the teachers were able to see the relevance to their curriculum, which is very important. We then asked the teachers to decide what experiments they wanted to do in school, we would then bring the equipment for the experiments to schools and re stock them once we know that they have done them with the children.

Friday the 22^nd was spent relaxing as we were all rather tired from the day before and then Saturday we were invited to Bimila and Dan’s house for the rice pudding, which I love. After eating way too much rice pudding, again, I managed it up the steep steps with Rob and Sam, they carried on for a walk and I retreated back to my laptop to try and get some of my blog done, which I had failed to post. After supper it was time to pack ready for Okhaldunga the next day.

Okhaldunga, what an experience. We arrived to Tikka and flower garlands, which were lovely as always. We then had a few minutes for me to ask some data collection questions for me to send the numbers of the school and staff team back to the UK. The first period I went into an English class I saw another English class that afternoon. That evening we were sitting around the fire having a chat with the teachers which was really nice and we were able to keep warm too which was obviously a big bonus. Then about 8pm we saw a very drunk man crawl down the steps next to the place we were and then stumble around for a bit before he attempted to climb up the stairs and ended up falling flat on his face. I’ve seen some pretty drunk people in my time and I must admit there have been times where I’ve had a few too many but I don’t think I’ve ever been that drunk, thankfully. I’m sure his head would have been very sore, not only from the fall!

We tried to make our leaving the next day a quiet affair but we ended up with a five piece band and teachers dancing before being given more tika, flower garlands and a traditional Nepali hat a Daka Tope. The band followed us up to the jeep and we made an escape. Now I have described what the school visit was like I can now describe the journey there and back. The journey there was okay until we reached the top of the hill on the other side of the valley. Now I must say that our jeep driver was divine and the best driver I have ever seen, sorry dad! There is no way I’d have got in a vehicle with anyone else going down a very narrow shingle track with very tight corners. On the way home we decided that going up that slope would be more dangerous than it was worth so we decided to pay the driver a little more and for him to take us the long way home.  This way home was okay, until we reached the slidey mud. It was a challenge that’s for sure but the driver was completely controlled, I’m pretty sure he’d win awards for such controlled driving in the west. But once we got home I was ready for bed and completely shattered. 

A School anniversary, progressive meetings and the potential of new office space.

Monday the 11^th Dan, Bimila (Dan’s wife) and I got the bus down the valley to Dumre and marched up the hill to Dumre School. We had been invited to the schools 25^th anniversary and the teachers were very keen that we attended so we made a promise to go and kept our word. The head teacher had told Saran that we needed to be there at 11am we managed to get there about 11.45 minutes knowing that they would be running behind schedule. I think the whole ceremony started at about 1.30. There were many guests; head teachers from other schools, local politicians, other highly thought of members of society and then the Manisha team. We were sat at the back of the guests enjoying our bag of peanuts whilst trying to look like we were interested. It is very difficult trying to look interested in something that you have no idea what is going on. Then there was some dancing from the children which was really lovely. They seemed to break off into their classes and it looked like the school and children had put a lot of effort into their dances. That was definitely the highlight for me.

The next day we rallied the Manisha crew again (Dan, Saran, Sargar and I) and went to see Room to Read. Room to Read is an INGO and are focused at improving reading and literacy skills in schools as well as providing libraries and books. As some of our schools have Room to Read libraries and some don’t we were looking at what Room to Reads’ next steps are and to see if we were able to work together in the future as they also run teacher training days so we were excited to see how we might be able to collaborate and work together. I felt that it was a really progressive meeting and it was really interesting to clarify how they operate and it definitely seems to be an efficient system.

On the Wednesday the 13^th Dan and I went to see the Red Cross as Barbara and I had previously visited to see about renting an office on their first floor. Although the office we currently use at the back of Sargar’s office is great, it is pretty noisy and dusty and the Red Cross office is away from the bus park so the noise and dust is a lot less. In true Nepali fashion the two meetings we had over a couple of days at the Red Cross were focused on drinking tea and sitting in slightly awkward silences not really sure of what to say. We had taken some pictures and got them sent back to the UK for the approval of the trustees before we said that we would be interested in renting.

Rob, a retired chemistry teacher and an old friend of one of the trustees, and his wife Sam, a retired scientist at a university, were due to arrive on the Saturday but as the trip from Kathmandu to Pokhara was slightly longer than they anticipated so they spent an extra night in Pokhara and arrived on the Sunday. This then meant that I was able to have the day to myself reading and I went for a walk up Shrinigar hill, which is always lovely even if the weather isn’t clear.

Just a very quite New Year! Then Schools and signed agreements.

From the 28^th was able to stay at the homestay and going down to the office to be able to start designing more resources. Saran and I had ordered lots of big white boards and 100 more mini white boards before Christmas and they were just about finished so Saran went down to Bartung to pick them up. The next day he called and said that they were all in the office. I was very excited to see them so I walked down so I could have a look at our carpenters work. I don’t think I’ve ever been excited to see so many whiteboards before. But it is just really satisfying knowing that we’re helping the learning of so many children across the Palpa district.

Many of my friends and family asked how I spent New Year’s Eve, they were all rather surprised when I said I was in bed by 9.30pm at the latest and was most definitely asleep by 12. So I saw the New Year in comfortably asleep and in bed knowing I’d be waking up the next day without a hangover!

On the 1^st Dan, Saran and I were able to get a Jeep to Mahachap. The idea of this trip was to present to then an agreement that stated how much Manisha were going to contribute in the building of 4 new classrooms. The school and village committees wanted some time to think over the agreement, as it was a big commitment on their part. Thankfully though they came back on the 8^th and were able to sign the agreement and met up with Dan and Saran in Tansen.

There’s a similar story for both Dumre and Amrit. Dan and I caught the bus down to Dumre and walked up to the school on the 3^rd where we had a very positive meeting and the agreement was signed for the new classrooms there. Then we all went to Amrit on the 4^th and again the agreement was signed the same day. There were a few questions asked but mainly it was just confusion with the figures but that was soon answered and everyone was at ease.

Tuesday the 5^th I walked over to Bagnas, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that walk, the views are just amazing! I got there to a very empty school with only 3 children doing exams. I had a nice chat with some of the teachers about the children and their plans for the winter holiday. I had meant to bring a bag of resources but I forgot them and only remembered as I got to the school. Typical. So I promised I’d be back the next day with them.

So on the 6^th I wandered back down to Bagnas and with the resources as well as a new school bag for one of the children. This young girl unfortunately doesn’t have any parents and lives with her aunt and until Barbara noticed that she didn’t have a school bag this wouldn’t have changed. She was so happy and grateful and it really humbled me and reminded me why I’m here. As the children were having a day of being set homework there wasn’t much going happening so I soon headed back into Tansen. Just in the nick of time really as my host father, Dhanni, had said that there was a parcel waiting for me in the post office and I had to get there before 1. So I got to the post office, to no parcel. After some rather frustrating sign language with the main woman who works there I called Dhanni who said to wait 10 minutes for it and 10 minutes later it arrived!

Now due to a huge change in my diet and a load of walking, I’ve managed to shift over 3 stone! Now as you can imagine that means very few of my clothes fit anymore, so my mum ever so kindly sent me a package with a few new bits of clothing and some PG tips as I’ve been craving a home brew. However, tea just doesn’t taste the same with buffalo milk which is a shame. I’ll just have to wait until I get home to curb that craving!

This afternoon I’m going to visit my host mother’s sisters house with Abhi as well as he finishes his exams today, which I’m looking forward to. We’re planning to come back on Sunday morning before school.