All posts by Storywriter

Children Sustainable Education, Literacy and Alertness Program (CSELAP) is a project gradually progressed starting from a concept that children must self-recognize the value of education in any situation like disaster may displaced them but they should seek to continue going to school.

Girls are learning to live their life independently creating their own because they have experienced that they are not valued by their own parents. When their brothers are studying in better school they are found fit helping their mother

There are families who are improving by taking opportunity seriously and working hard depending in their hard labour. But, there are cases that their life drowned because someone grabbed their opportunities or some they could not work hard because of decrease in health and physical ability.

Please be happy to see these children being happy because you have played a role to create environment for them and bring changes in their life. Console Mission thanks for showing compassion to them.

It is possible to bring impacting changes when we work together. There is a wise saying “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together”.

There are 3 types of interests group in an organisation where I am associated as Programme Executive. In this position I cannot ignore the members ideas to undertake but try to direct them together for the best of all. The fact is that both small or big project requires human resources that must play a role of managing human as well as non-human resources. #Health, #Education and #Human Resources Development are the three areas that the members are interested. I personally developed ideas that project that is initiated (#socialinitiationforchange) must focus on Prevention because it is linked with the sustainablty (#a_progressive_development).

Tailoring is a skill development training programme to empower females started by members especially female since 2019 targeting disadvantaged communities from both urban and rural areas of the capital city of Nepal developed by a team who are particularly knows that there are Nepali women who are not independent because they are illiterate and uneducated. The primary beneficiaries are the single women. The first badge was a success that trainee started earning by directly getting orders or through the contact with the tailoring shop that was created during the training. I have called it Skill & Business Development Programme/Tailoring and Sewing Skill or SBDP/TSS. While I have used TSS for this specific tailoring skill development programme but you might be curious about F&D. I have found it is a short form for Food and Dairy. But, it is not. When I interact with the trainees my job had/has been to find out about their future thought that how they will use their skill after they complete their course. And, to put knowledge about starting business is my primary responsibility.

However, it is a challenge to motivate the participants for business in a systematic way. Because tailoring is separated that only specific caste should do it in Nepal. Among them mostly do not know to manage their earned skill after completing. It could go together with selling cloths because customer may need to fix according to their size or they could be a trainer or they can get job in Fashion & Designing Companies or they could open their own Fashion stores. By giving examples of future possibilities, I have been successful to motivate trainees to continue. If there are 12 in starting after a month 1 or 2 discontinue because they either finds job or for a single woman with children they have responsibilities to handle, which is common reason that we have learned. At the end it is possible that about 15% – 20% discontinue.

All trainees are less motivated to be called Tailor. But, they are motivated to be called Fashion & Cloth Designer. And, it helps them to continue training as well as think more about developing skill in designing. To do this trainer, trainee and the advisory team works together.

During the training:

• Attendance is maintained
• Keeping notes and maintaining a Note Book is mandatory
• If anyone stops coming for 2 classes cannot continue except due reason but need to manage extra time to cover what is taught
• Trainee learn to come over the weaknesses and possible threats relation to their future plan
• If trainee cannot continue, they needs to fill up a form that includes the time she attended, the lesson that she learned and a proof of a valid reason for discontinuing is collected.
• Home visit of the trainee is mandatory that is carried on by Programme Assistant and a Volunteer.
• Trainer is focused on teaching and learning method that test are taken after the trainee learns new lessons

Individuals have their own choices. Both old and modern societies have their own cultures and traditions that help them to live their life smoothly. But the fact is that everyone can not stay in one place without going markets, visiting relatives and places like Government offices, hospitals etc.. Interaction is important and happens even if unwanted.

It is parents responsibilities to play a role of mentor to develop mental from early age

Interaction is purposeful therefore it is important that children from early age should get opportunities to develop their mind. And, games like Ludo helps. The other fact about this indoor game is that there are 4-players who plays together. Playing together or doing something together, following rules and accepting lost or appreciating win by other are some of the essentials that this games helps children to develop from their childhood. There are games that is managed at the Study Centre who gets to play in weekend. Such initiation are managed in the rural areas of one district where it is challenging to travel because roads are blocked by landslides.

Games that helps to develop self-attitude like working in team, accepting lost and appreciating win is important

Study Place or Study Centre is a project started since 2018 by participating the members of Console Mission, the individual supporters and the beneficiaries. The main objective of this initiation is that the children who are suffering to do their after school homework and prepare for test/exam because their parents are either busy or illiterate or low educated. To understand the impact, the Intern of Console Mission were sent to the schools and interviewed teachers and found that the children attending Study Place improving and doing well in their studies that is the achievement. Console Mission is looking forward for the opportunity to run this initiation effectively.

Learning by fully participating

A challenging task

The geography of Nepal consists of planes, hills and mountains. And, there are winter, rainy and hot seasons. Rainy season is challenging in hilly regions because road and livelihoods linked water supplies are affected. Children can’t walk to school, teacher and Government staff travelling by road don’t reach school or their work places in time or sometime can’t attend for a long time. Those responsible to repair and maintain road and assist smoothly pass vehicles and people are unreluctant to take challenges because stones and soil are frequently and unpredictably falling that is a risk of life.

Similarly, in last year i.e. 2019 many villages in the working areas of Console Mission was affected that communication, transportation and overall lives activities were stopped. After a long – about 2 and a half months when a team visited they walked half a way for about 2 hours to reach the villages. And, it is found that everything was devastated. People were managing to continue lives activities on their own what and how it was possible. Local Village Representative of Console Mission shared about the continuation of Study Centre because childrens were distracted continuation by landslides. Beside that, water tank was swept away by flood and the place was covered by landslide. 18 households of Bhattedanda village was seeking support to manage water supply necessary for livelihoods besides drinking water like for their domestic animals, fields and hygiene purposes.

Government of the local area cannot afford to construct quickly because there are similar situations in multiple places that local people manages to stay and wait for NGOs active in the area to get help. However, NGOs like Console Mission consults the Village Representative to organise need assessment meeting and write application followed by meeting minute.

The organisational process carried on and necessary tasks are conducted like field visit and finding the initiation of the responsible stakeholders. Coming to the point, after the required or some percentage of resources is available for the construction, a meeting is organised by the Village Representative in the direction of the organisation where it is informed to the beneficiaries to contribute their skill and time. But, it is challenging because they need motivation. In many cases snacks or food must be managed that is better comparison to manage labour. Though Nepali society still follows tradition to help each other called #Pharma but when NGO initiates project or long term programmes it is a different concept. Therfore, Console Mission #practices to involve beneficiaries from the project designing stages whether it is directly initiated or indirectly, participation of individual households is inevitable.

People participation is for the sustainability of what is initiated whether a small water tank construction or awareness program

Still the people of the working area of Console Mission needs to understand that life is challenging and what they contribute for the development matters for the progressive development. To come over these challenges, an NGO who identified, developed concept and tested it works should get resources to move ahead quickly.

When the water management project started with the support from an organisation that concerns the people affected by the disaster, it was informed in written (proposal) people participation was assured. People has skills, time and concerns. And, moreover Console Mission #initiates People Participation for the People Participation Organisation. It means that this organised team protects or continues what is started or initiated. Without the involvement of the beneficiaries, the continuation and progressive development or sustainability of the initiation is at risk.

Bulakhi Chawor (or, Nostril Garden) is a village that was found in 2015 by a grassroots level NGO in Nepal where there were 23 households. Now, since earthquake highly affected, their house where families were living together as joint family is separated busy in making earthquake protected house together. They learned to do it and it has been a practice that villagers work together. But, it is observed that to complete they lack fund, most of the houses are in an incomplete stage. The fund provided by the Government was not enough that locals took loan like Tilak who as an elder brother managed his and his brother’s family during the earthquake who was away as migrated worker abroad in middle east countries, after their house fall down, he searched for help and received required materials to manage temporary house for himself and his entire village. And, now when the road collapsed of heavy rauinfall, he is searching for support. As Console Mission’s Executive visits Bulakhi Chawor on September 27, 2019 (i.e. yesterday), to find a place to manage “Educational Coaching Class” for the children who are suffering not getting support from their parents who are illiterate and not capable to guide children to do their homework and prepare for test, Tilak told that after his room is complete it could be used for Children’s Educational Coaching.

At Nostril Garden, half population of the households lives down part and other half at top. When, Study Center was started, it was in School located down. But, the collapse of road is risky for children from top to reach. Tilak house is located at top. He allowed his daughter in law to teach children at School but now when it is stopped because of the road situation, Tilak shared even his house is incomplete, class can run. It looks floor is fine for children to sit and wall to stick white board, but as winter is arriving and at top of the hill it is cold 12 months, children needs warm. Therefore, if this grassroots level NGO could help to manage window, door and what is necessary, children will get a place free of charge.

Walking path is dangerously affecting lives that children are at risk that there parents stopped sending for educational coaching

Every year School Leaving Certificate (SLC) or, School Elementary Examination (SEE) completed students of public school gets opportunity to apply for educational scholarship. This year students linked with the NGO where I am associated went through the process and appeared for the scholarship examination. During the process, student were charged about Rs. 1000. And, submitted document with the voucher that was deposited in the account that was provided. It was not surprising to see a private bank handling the payments by operating bank inside the Government premises. I think, it was the contract or the bank provided service to the Government. However, the receiving transaction must be many that such facilities is available inside the premises.

Many students from all the districts of Nepal arrived the location located within th capital city, after the announcement of the application, process to apply and the deadline to apply for it.

Since, this writing concentrates self-sufficiency to manage the scholarship, I would like to reflect some simple calculations: if there were 100,000 students, out of the charge Rs. 1000, the total amount collected/paid by the student will be Rs. 1,00,000,000. According, to the scholarship payment student gets Rs. 5000 per month. The students that I am linked planned 3-years course. Then, such student gets Rs. 5000 × 12 months × 3 years equals (=) Rs. 180,000. Based on this budget, per student 555.55 (~556) numbers of students can get scholarship.

I haven’t gone through the details like:

• What are the numbers or the available seat for scholarship?
• What is the exact scholarship amount?
• Targeted group for scholarship based on the ethnicity or socially backwardness?
• The fact about this current year scholarship?

In conclusion, not reflecting the hardships that students has to go through, it is a self-sufficiency and self-efficent way to manage scholarship program for the Government.

Have you walked to school everyday for more than an hour? During my school I used to walk 30 minutes after completing grade 5 before then after 15 minutes walk I used to reach school. From grade 6 and above, school was located at some other place, so 30 minutes was minimum time, I start 9:25 am and reached before assembly or exactly that I manage to keep my bag in assembly area.

I grew up in a town, the headquarter of a district in western Nepal. Now, my school has their own bus. And, for those who are from outside of the town, residential facilities was available and it is still continued. Since Tansen is the town with facilities of education, health and business, many from within the district and even outside of the district used to come and go and many lived in rented room. There are 3 – 4 popular with capacity of 800 – 1000 student schools are still running where student from the surrounding used to walk for more than an hour to reach school and many discontinued after difficulties in studying i.e. doing assignments or getting fail mark test. I think they gave reason to their unknown parents about education that they could not walk anymore. Or, for some who continued even after they failed in final examination felt ashamed and later changed school and some passed and some failed again and started to help parents in field or did nothing than roaming or hanging around. At that time, I did not know about girls who ran away (married) or guys who brought wife at young age before completing school education because I did not really care about it. I become more aware when I learned that Nepal lacks quality human resources during my Master’s research.

It is disadvantage for Nepal and for the global world.

These girls who grew up in village have similar stories. They walked a long way about 2 and 1/2 hours to reach their school after passing grade 5 because the nearby school had until grade 5 only. Now, seeing them preparing for course that will equip them for professional job that helps in earning and, advantage for their community and locality where they lack qualified people gives happiness. There are 7 from different villages of the rural areas of the Lalitpur district preparing for college of which 6 are girls. 3 of them are living in Console Mission’s rented house. They go for preparation class early in the morning and after returning practices.

Children from the areas that Console Mission is focusing

Family in front of their house made after earthquake 2015

There are children who are in need of uniform, educational materials and educational coaching.

There is one case who hold for a year from running away at the age of 14 because she was getting educational materials and involving in annual get-togethers. Talking to her mother it is learned that after girls have menstruation it is culturally unlikely that they stay with parents.

[wpvideo v8M6CYYA data-temp-aztec-id=”5c07528a-b614-4f0f-b3cf-aceca449f8a1″]