September 21, 2013
Dear Family and Friends,
Our last week begins. Before we leave, here is a bit more about life in our neighborhood. Mr. Rogers would have been proudly wearing his cardigan sweater after seeing our friendly neighbors.
Ladders in every house lead to the upper floors. The 3rd
floor here is for cornstalk drying. There are three multipurpose bedrooms on
the second floor used for everything from living room, guest sitting, TV and
computer, storage of clothing and food and tools, as we use our attics or
basements. We both share a room just big enough for two wooden beds covered by
a quilt serving as a mattress. We manage to sleep soundly most every night! Our
early-to-bed and early-to-rise schedules, due to our host’s work / farm chore
needs and electric “load shedding” has taken on new meaning! Our evening trips
to the outhouse are a challenge; with trusty headlamps secured to our noggins,
we have managed to make many a nighttime foray without falling down the ladder.
As we enter our last week, the school is in a frenzy over
the upcoming dedication for the new high school building donated by two Swiss
corporations. With every student preparing for a dancing or singing performance
of some kind (Nepalese and Tamang folk dances, American folk songs taught by
yours- truly), speeches, banners, signs, food, gifts, etc. are in the making.
We have managed to jumpstart a trash clean-up afternoon all around the building
with all the students and faculty participating, something never tried before!
It is Saturday washing and chore day, what everyone does on his or her one day off from school or work. We, however, are planning a hike around our foothill mountains after we have done our own laundry and swept the mud floor. Again, no electricity today- this time all day -to subsidize city power in great demand, we are told. This epistle will go when we can load and send- electricity is a precious gift when we can access internet!
The men arrive in Kathmandu on the 28th. We will be oh-so glad to see them.
Love, C and J
September 20, 2013
We awoke this morning at 4:40 am to the pungent fragrance of
water buffalo dung mixed with the ripening guava fruit, both competing with the
early cooking fire smoke, all within 20 feet of our bedroom window. Our window
remains wide open to the elements- no screens in spite of the deafening chirps
of cicadas and birds, and the eager hoard of flying critters (bugs) just
waiting for a light bulb to illuminate. There is the sound of a single motor
bike each morning heading for the milk collection shed down the path. Our day
has begun.
We have not really described our school activities- the
amazing daily experiences with 500 children and 17 teachers. After our 9AM
“lunch” (Kanna) at home with Rajman (already been to school and back and hauled
water jugs from the local well ) and prepared by Maya, we put on our walking
shoes (all others in their flip flops) to make the trek up the ¾ mile rugged
path. We are usually joined by 20 plus
children for the hike up to school where we mop off our soaked brows and bodies
to begin our day. We are greeted all along the way and again at the school by
dozens of “Namastes”, “good mornings”
and warm smiles. At 10:00 am the gong is
heard and all children (K-10) gather on the new patio for the daily morning
assembly- rows of students in front of the brand new building built by the
Swiss donors and by Health Care Nepal (our friend Jack Starmer and NGO). With
students leading the troops, students stand at attention, sing the Nepalese
anthem with bowed heads, answer a trivia question of the day, and march out to
drums to their respective classrooms. We gather our box of materials and head
for our first class. Our role began and emerged: teachers of English and
mentors or teachers. We seem to be a
hit! In that these teachers have had little training- few have been to college
or university and most began right out of high school- we are bringing a very
new view of education. Their traditional model has been one of rote recitation,
memorization, and chanting facts and readings. This school, thanks to the influences
of the a few outside visitors/volunteers brought in by Nepal Children’ Aid
Center and Health Care Nepal, slowly becomes a model school for the area, with
English texts and instruction (though extremely limited), interactive
classrooms, and Kindergarten. We, however, are the first teachers to spend a
concentrated amount of time in the classrooms and with the teachers to model,
coach, instruct, and guide teaching in a western style. We are doing the first
teacher workshop they have ever had early next week, complete with handouts and
interactive learning strategies for them to see in action. We are thrilled with
the eager and open reception from teachers, with continual invites to
additional classrooms beyond our planned 3rd-5th grades. It has been
wonderfully rewarding; we are a good team, sharing like styles of teaching and
philosophy, and know each other well. Last night our home stay hosts, Rajman
and Maya, extended a most generous invitation to return to his home and school,
extolling our virtues and contributions. We are glowing.
Teachers and Principal earn nearly nothing- in fact, so
little none qualify to pay taxes at the minimum wage of $5000 per year. Two
teachers are volunteers (no pay) and several are earning the equivalent of less
than $700 per year. Most around $4000 per year, we are understanding. Materials
are scarce. There is one internet-connected computer and printer in school and
the printer acts as the only copy machine. The generous support of outside
donors has brought a computer lab (non-internet) of 15 computers to the school-
an amazing luxury for these parts.
Carolyn and I scrounge for a pencil and paper to make notes and
materials. It took ten minutes to find a pair of scissors. This is miracle in
the making, yet has so far to go.
Nepal has more hydro power resources than most countries in
the world, yet we experience 50 hours of
“load shedding” (no power) per
week. As we rarely know the schedule of shutoffs, we never know when we will be in the dark.
The country is too poor to harness its resources both, for itself or for export. No electric power
for up to seven hours per day means we often are in the dark; in places where
they are in place, one cannot use any
electric appliances or heating system, etc. TV is limited. It is hard
for the country to move into the 21st century with any muscle.
On the other side of things, we continue to experience our
neighborhood in new ways. Our neighborhood
has moved on from corn crop harvesting and bean planting to rice or corn
wine making for the upcoming holiday, Dashain. One neighbor weaves intricate
wool rugs for sale (wool must be imported as there are no sheep here), while
her husband works in Malaysia and returns every couple of years. This is pretty
typical- women stay to farm and raise children while the men leave for work and
return when they can. Maya and Rajman are Tamang, complete with their own
traditional dress and unique language. Learning Nepalese reading and writing
has been a challenge for many. English is a
something for the new generation.
So much more to tell – coming soon. Love to all the outside
world, if you are still there???
J and C
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