जेनिशाको फेलोसिप यात्रा

(This article came out of the writing workshop led by our Shisir Khanal dai at Teach for Nepal. This is one of my few attempts at writing in Nepali. Image source: Conscious Impact and Jenisha Shakya)

२०७३ -२०७४ सालमा बनेपादेखि नवलपुरको बाटो जेनिशा शाक्यले धेरैचोटी आगमन गरीन् । सन्दर्भ टिच फर नेपालको फेलोसिप । आफ्नो स्कुल पढ्दा शिक्षकहरुबाट अपेक्षित सपोर्ट नपाउदा भोगेको अनूभव र  ब्याचेलर पढ्दा पाएका उत्कृष्ट शिक्षकहरुको सम्झना संगाल्दै जेनिसा त्यो नवलपुरको चिसो डाडामा पुगिन्। लक्ष्य थियो आत्मसन्तुष्टि: अहिले फर्केर हेर्दा बिशेष दुई कुरामा उनले यो पाएकी छिन्।

सानैदेखि कम बोल्ने स्वभाव कि थिइन् जेनिशा तर फेलोसिपमा यो स्वभावमा निकै सुधार आएको उनले पाइन्। कक्ष्याकोठामा पनि विद्यार्थीलाई अंग्रेजी नडराइकन सिक्न प्रोत्साहन गरिरहिन् । विद्यार्थीहरुमा सिक्ने उत्साह बढाउन सधैं ‘Contextualized learning ’को बाटो अपनाइन। यसरी गाह्रो   भाषा अंग्रेजीलाइ सान्धर्भिक बनाएर सिक्न मदत गरिन्। त्यसो गर्दागर्दै, आफुँमा पनि एउटा अबल शिक्षक फेला पारिन्। आफ्नै शिक्षण अनि टि.एफ.एनका अन्य तालिमका सहयोगले आफ्नो बोल्ने सिप निकै प्रस्फुटन भएको उनि भन्छिन्, "कक्ष्याकोठा छिर्दा लाग्थ्यो I belong here"

यस्तै आफ्नो बोल्ने सिप संगै, जेनिशाले Collaboration र Coaching सिप पनि सिकिन् । फेलोसिपमा भिज्दै जाँदा उनले Conscious Impact संस्थाकी एक स्वयंसेवी एलिसनलाई भेटिन्। दुबैले एउटै लक्ष्य बोकेका रहेछन्: गाउँका युवतीहरुको सबलीकरण र सशक्तिकरण ।  

" कक्ष्याकोठामा छर्लंगै देखिन्थ्यो केटीहरु केटाहरुभन्दा पछि परेका। उत्तर भन्न हात उठाउँदा होस वा छलफलहरुमा भाग लिंदा।"

एलिसन र जेनिशाले त्यो देखेर ‘Girls Group’ सुरु गरे । Girls Groupको हरेक  शुक्रबार भेला हुन्थ्यो अनि युवतीहरुले विभिन्न सिप सिक्थे । छात्राहरुले हस्तकला, कवितालेखन, इत्यादि सिकेर आफ्नो आत्मविश्वास बढाएका छन् । यो देखेर स्कुलको हेड सरले पनि यी तालिमलाई निरन्तरता दिने प्रतिबद्धता ब्यक्त गरेर हौसला दिनुभएको छ।

अहिले दुई  वर्षपछि बनेपा फर्केकी जेनिशा भन्छिन्, " आउँदो दुई महिना Conscious Impact संगै काम गर्छु। सहरभन्दा गाउँमै बस्न रहर लागिरहेको छ ।"

Nutrition and Youth Advocacy Days

My friend Bonita Sharma and I had been thinking about collaboration for a while. It finally worked out on March 11 to 13 for the Action for Nutrition project. Sochai - Youth For Nutrition team came to Melamchi, Sindhupalchok on a three-day trip to train our students in public speaking and information sharing about facets of nutrition and hygiene such as Menstruation, Malnutrition, Dangers of Junk food, etc.

They dedicated about 30 hours towards the project. They individually mentored students to understand the ideas about these topics and then to prepare them for presentation the next day. Students and the mentors/SOCHAI volunteers wowed the whole school and community during their stall presentation. The posters were excellent. The stalls were interactive. The celebration through dance and song at the end of the program ensured participation of a maximum number of students.

In our school, younger students come to school with a five or ten rupee note every morning and before assembly, they buy chamcha paun, candy, instant noodles etc. It was a very apt awareness program for our school. The SOCHAI team carried their work impeccably and they very much aligned with the Teach for Nepal values of Excellence, Mutual Respect and Responsibility, Sense of Agency and Sense of Urgency.

Thank you everyone for making this event successful, even more so, for providing an amazing platform for our students to apply their learning and skills. Thank you Lekhnath Sir, IP sir, Tara sir, Bhuminanda sir , Hari Sir, Radha Sir, Devi Sir, Thakur Sir, Anita Miss, Durga Miss, Anil Sir, Mandal sir, Bidur dai and didi and everyone for your constant support and enthusiastic participation in the event. Thank you Tej for shouldering the stress of our SEE preparation while I got busy with the event. We could not have done this without you. Thank you children for showering our guests with love and respect.

A huge shoutout of appreciation to Sochai - Youth For Nutritionvolunteers Kritee Lamichhane Stuti Sharma Sagar Parajuli Bonita Sharma and Neha Malla for your hard work. Thank you so much to funding partners We Inspire Nepal and UNESCO

Picture Credit: SOCHAI

Top five moments of 2073 (2016-2017) in pictures

I have made a lot of memories in my first fellowship year. It was quite the roller coaster experience. I wanted to share a few of my memorable experiences. Enjoy!

5. When we moved first into our placement home at Melamchi, it was a long day of gathering flooring material, curtains, groceries, cooking stove, etc. We were so tired at the end of the day that we forgot it was our co-fellows’ birthday that day. We tried to make up for it later on.

Just another dinner time in Melamchi: When other fourth cohort fellows visited us. I could not find our first dinner picture.

  4. For school sports day, I saw a lot of girls who came out to play volleyball. I was so happy to see them compete and I was cheering them all the way.

Eventually, the girls’ team went on to the district matches for the Presidents' Running Shield, outshining other schools in the Melamchi area.

3. This one is my favorite. I taught these boys some dance steps which I had learnt through my life. I used to dance with my cousin dressed up as a boy and I could use some of those moves and help a few first time dancers of class seven. It helped build connection and also helped me understand what connecting to the students actually meant. More importantly, I could be myself while teaching them. I wasn’t afraid of how they would feel about me showing some dance moves and goofing around. I saw possibility in them and they followed that path. Another highlight of this day was me trying to put lipstick on the shy girls of class nine who were also performing a dance.

The dream team during the school’s 43^rd Annual Function

 2. During Baldiwas (Chindren’s Day), the school team worked together to have a literally sweet ceremony. Teachers cooked kheer or rice pudding and chana for the students. There was also class-wise musical chair. Even the teachers had their turn.

My naughty class seven students helping teachers getting the masala ready for kheer

 

1. I am really happy with my class nine. I am the class teacher and I was able to work with them in a number of ways. They understand the importance of doing homework now. They have become more tolerant and collaborative. Their reading has improved. They seem ready for class 10. Here’s a glimpse of when we had our secret Santa event. We will fondly remember that day as when Richa Miss let all the special gifts fall on the floor and get damaged because they were collected in a meek bag. Whoops…But I really appreciate them forgiving me.  I apologized profusely and offered to buy them gifts. However, they decided they will keep what they got from their friends. 

Class 9: They did not follow the idea of 'secret' though, everybody knew who their Santa was beforehand! Can you find the unfortunate bag the gifts fell from?