FACE Nepal Newsletter

December 2010

Namaste Friends, Team members, Contributors and all Participants who have contributed funds, time and knowledge. 

Since our last newsletter we have had a large number of volunteers and started our Child Sponsorship Programme. Another three collaborative projects have been completed by Second-base and the community of Kumiya. We have had kind donations which have helped to finance either the first steps of these projects or their completion. We have also successfully placed and supported two volunteers away from Chitwan in the mountainous village of Helambu in Langtang.

Past projects and initiatives have also continued to be used and developed by FACE Nepal and the local villagers and communities. The Learning Centre at Patalahara has again been used for teaching English to children and past projects are revisited depending on community interest and what current field volunteers wish to contribute to. Our Advisory Board is comprised of members who represent a range of communities and who suggest where help and resources are needed.

The hard work and kind donations provided by volunteers, donors, child sponsors, board members and supporters make a real impact on people's lives.

For example, four years after Patalahara learning centre was built and English classes commenced, pass rates in English for village children had jumped from 20% to 95%.

Projects

Three projects were successfully completed in Kumiya by Second-base, the villagers of Kumiya and FACE Nepal volunteers. The projects were facilitated by FACE Nepal and Arjun who has several roles as general helper for FACE Nepal, facilitator for Second-base participants' needs and as an independent trekking guide.

The building of the toilet at the Kumiya Learning Centre was enabled by a generous donation from Peter Williams. There has been a suggestion that the amenity can be named "Peter's Potty". Carpenters in the village are making the door and water will be brought to the toilet from the water pump nearby. Since the Learning Centre was constructed last year it has been in frequent use by the community and having a toilet close by contributes to the completeness of the building. The villagers have expressed a desire to house a library in the Learning Centre which is a more realistic now that the thatched roof has been replace by a more weather-proof tin one. The use of the Centre therefore will continue to develop.

'Peter's Potty' - a new amenity at the Kumiya Learning Centre

A generous donation was made by Jacob Kajavala for the road reconstruction. The road is a very important step forward for Kumiya. The residents considered its repair as their number one priority. Each year the monsoons wash the gravel off the road and into the fields which means the road is back to its unsafe state and parts of the fields are left unworkable. The sidings will contain the road surface while providing drainage for the rains.

Second-base and FACE Nepal continue to help with developing Kumiya as a 'model' village. The community has been proactive in achieving the targets they have set themselves for the development of their village which means that the time, finance and general involvement of FACE Nepal and Second-base is a sustained investment. It is hoped that surrounding villages will see Kumiya as an example of what can be achieved with collaboration and co-operation and that without the commitment of the community the donation of funds can very easily be wasted in non-sustained projects.

Painting of Shree Rastrya Secondary School, Danausi (which is now renamed and known as Shree Lower Secondary, Danausi) was conducted in April 2010 by a Second-base team. This has transformed the physical appearance of the school and made it a much better learning environment for students and working environment for teachers.

Office Update

The FACE Nepal office has also been moved from Bharatpur to the more convenient location of Pakaudi in Patihani 6. Work there is much more efficient as it has a back up battery and server provision.

Computer Repair in the Front Part of the Office in Pakaudi

Volunteers

Our volunteers continue to bring valuable time and skills to help improve the lives and education of local communities in Nepal.

In 2010 we have welcomed: Jerram from Canada, Laura from the USA, Julie from Malaysia, Stephy Shi from China, Maude and Benjamin from Belgium, Marsha from the USA, Carolina from Chile, Jessica and William from the USA, Staci and Lauren, both also from the USA.

Jerram completed invaluable work on the FACE Nepal website and worked on bringing up the search ranking of FACE Nepal on Google, which will increase our visibility to potential volunteers and donors. He also ran computer classes for some members of the Advisory Board. Laura and Stephi taught English to children in the Patalahara and Kumiya Learning Centres. Julie taught English and also helped in the FACE Nepal office. Maude and Benjamin worked at an orphanage in Tadi Bazaar.

We were visited in May by friends of our Chairperson Zoe. Hal and Jack worked on the road reconstruction in Kumiya and in the office. Both presented FACE Nepal with generous donations which will help us to continue our work in the local communities and are greatly appreciated.

Later in the year Marsha, Carolina, Lauren and Staci were volunteering at the same time and were given the Nepali names of Karuna, Kalpana Kamala and Kabita respectively. Between them they taught at Kumiya Learning Centre, Patalahara Learning Centre, Shree Secondary School, Ganganagar and Shree Lower Secondary School, Danausi. Kalpana also initiated a Health and Hygiene programme in Patalahara with help from Kamala and has left a booklet, which has been translated into Tharu by our Advisory Board Treasurer, Jitendra Mahato, and made available at the learning centres. Kalpana was recommended to come and volunteer with FACE Nepal by Macarena, one of our earlier volunteers.

Aayush, Shreeram, Kabita, Sarita, Karuna, Kalpana and Kamala. Ayusha and Jitu in front

Kabita has recently returned from trekking, and intends to devise a manual using her skills and knowledge as a teacher to help future volunteers who have little or no teaching experience.

Students busy in Patalahara Learning Centre.

Kamala very kindly donated a substantial amount of (very heavy!) textbooks and a microscope. We extend our grateful thanks to her for this generous donation not least because of the effort it took her to carry them all the way to Nepal!

Traditional 'Goodbye' programme

Kamala donates the microscope to Shreeram, FACE Nepal MD.

Jessica and Scott were our first volunteers to go to a placement in Helambu, up in the hills of Langtang. They taught in the school, introduced techniques and strategies for teaching to the staff there and devised booklets with aids to teaching English. Altogether they had a very warm welcome in Helambu and their project was successful and satisfying.

Many potential volunteers ask for placements in the mountains so we are very pleased that Jessica and Scott had such a good experience in Helambu. This increases the choice we can offer to future volunteers.

Daniel from Wales has recently arrived for a five month volunteer experience. He is already proving to be an amazing help in the office and with general organization and improvement of FACE Nepal activities and administrative responsibilities. He was here for the recent Tihar festival which is one of what is sure to be many new experiences for him in this culturally rich and diverse country.

Malai dudh mon perchha

Child Sponsorship

We are continuing to develop our Child Sponsorship Programme and now have two more children sponsored for their educational costs. In total three young girls are currently sponsored which enables them to attend school, through kind support from Christine, Juliet and Brad. This brings all the benefits of learning and socialising which enhances their day to day lives and also greatly increases their future prospects.

Details of how children can be sponsored, either for education alone or with the provision of a home and daily needs, are available by emailing us at info@facenepal.org

Volunteer Programs available with FACE Nepal

Teaching English

Caring for children in an orphanage

Librarian project

Construction project

Administration in the Head Office

Environment project

Health Specialist project

Details of projects currently offered can be found on our website: www.facenepal.org

Alternatively you can email the Managing Director Shreeram Devkota on: info@facenepal.org or shreedevkota@yahoo.com

Leadership and Team Development Programs available with Second Base

Second Base provides leadership and team development programs, to help participants to develop their leadership style. Many programs involve working with FACE Nepal on projects in the local community, for example the Kumiya learning centre. For more details please visit www.second-base.org

We wish all our friends the very best for 2011 and hope to see you here again soon!

Scene in the local town of Narayangarh Views across the rice fields towards the Himalaya in Patalahara, Chitwan

Newsletter edited by Ann Bartholomew with assistance from Daniel Lawrence. For comments on the newsletter and any suggestions or photos for inclusion in the next edition, please contact Ann at ann.bartholomew1@btinternet.com