Back out in the field after two years

Returning to Nuwakot

We were thrilled to be able to get back out in the Nuwakot project area recently. Our Nepal team has had a two year wait of lockdowns, restrictions and school closures, but we are back to monitoring the Nuwakot region now.

Project Manager, Ranjana Giri travelled to Nuwakot with assistant manager, Sabina Tamang this month. Read on to hear about their journey and work in this remote part of rural Nepal.

A Twisty Road Journey

To reach our Nuwakot projects, Ranjana and Sabina had to leave their homes in Sindhupalchok early in the morning, head to Kathmandu and then continue to Nuwakot via the main east-west highway that climbs out of the Kathmandu valley heading for Pokhara.

Once over Thankot hill (anyone that has driven to Pokhara will remember the huge hill where trucks and buses queue to zig zag the twisty road), they turned off towards Nuwakot, a district north west of Kathmandu.

First Steps Himalaya works in Bidur Municipality which is located in the far west of the district. We literally travel to the end of the road!

Traffic hold ups are common place. Delays are inevitable.

The local roads are in poor condition.

Ranjana and Sabina based themselves in the small village of Deudi for the week. From here they embarked on daily journeys by hired pick up truck, to all the far flung villages that make up our project area.

Once you leave the main road (in truth, you could hardly classify this as a ‘main road’ but in comparative terms it is better than the rest), the journey continues on tracks connecting villages high up on the steep sided valley.

Small schools improving

We support nine remote schools in the Nuwakot valley. Ranjana and Sabina visited each, checking on progress and offering support to the teachers who have coped with so much over the last two years. It is important to see teachers in their own classrooms and work with them to find solutions to the challenges they are facing.

Srijansheel School which once had dark and dirty classrooms, now has brightly decorated welcoming classrooms. The ECD teacher is using what she has learnt at our training to provide nurturing child- friendly education.

Here Ranjana ia talking with teachers at at Srijansheel School, Nuwakot

Here Ranjana takes photographic evidence of the teaching for her report on the improvements made at Pragitsheel School. This classroom was build by First Steps Himalaya in March 2020 using earthbag building methods.

Pragitsheel School is also making great progress with neat and tidy classrooms that are well organised and welcoming. This is our earthbag built school which we just managed to complete literally hours before lock down in March 2020. The children are a joy at Kalyan School and Kanyadevi School continues to strive towards improved child friendly learning.

A kettle is used to pour water for handwashing at Shree Kalyan School, Nuwakot.

One of the most successful projects in Nuwakot, Shree Kanyadevi School.

Young adults making grass roots change

Ranjana and Sabina also caught up with our 16 Community Animators who are supporting the Community Resilience Programme in Nuwakot. Over the last few months we have been working with this group of enthusiastic young adults by supporting them to develop initiatives that can improve daily life for their communities.

The Community Animators visit schools to increase environmental awareness, health and hygiene. They have also developed and started performing a street drama to educate their audience about the importance of keeping girls in school, better nutrition, the role of parents in a child’s education and the dangers of human trafficking.

It is fantastic to see the commitment of these young people who are providing education on social issues to their rural communities in Nuwakot.

Community Animators gathered for training. First Steps have provided these young people with a suite of skills such as leadership training, presentation and group facilitation skills.

Introducing the street drama at Kagune village. Human trafficking is a real risk in remote regions of Nepal, particularly of women and girls. The Community Animators are passionate about warning their communities about the danger.

Street drama being performed at Ajhinghare School to students and parents.

Ranjana and the team talking to locals.

Finding out about the current situation on the ground.

Committed to our communities

Connecting with the schools, teachers and community members in Nuwakot is important to us and we are so delighted that we are now able to travel there again. Ranjana and Sabina plan to return to Nuwakot in May when they will conduct more teacher training to continue the improvement of these small but dedicated village schools.

To support or find out about our work, visit www.firststepshimalaya.org

Nepal Daily Life Part 2

This month we follow our Community Mobiliser, Ranju Neupane Dhungel (28) through her day.

Ranju lives in Jhapa, near the Indian border in the far east of Nepal. This region is known as the ‘Terai’, flat, fertile plains perched 600 metres above sea level. Read on as Ranju describes her busy daily life as a working woman in Nepal.

Hi, I am Ranju and I am 28 years old. I live in Jhapa with my husband’s parents. My husband, Mohan is working overseas at the moment. Our house is in the centre of a village.

A busy morning

Most mornings I wake up at 4:30am and have a shower. Then, I drink a cup of tea before working in the garden. I then plan my working day at school, cook food for the family and eat.

A restful cup of tea at the start of the day.

Ranju tending to her garden in the morning before work.

I work as a Community Mobiliser in Saraswati Secondary School in Mechinagar near Jhapa. It takes me 10 minutes walk or 5 minutes by bike to get to work. I normally work from 9.45am to 3pm from Sunday to Thursday and have a half day on Friday.

When I get home in the afternoon, I wash my hands and feet and drink tea. I then help my mother-in-law with the afternoon chores, tending the cows and goats and watering the garden.

Sometimes, I drink a natural remedy made of black sesame seeds which is very good for your health.

We make our own ghee too. Ghee, is a kind of clarified butter that is popular in Nepal. To make it, we pour milk into a long bamboo container called a Tolung. Then we churn it and the milk turns to butter.

Health-giving black sesame seed tea.

Making ghee with a tolung, a long bamboo churn.

Ranju with her home-made ghee, ready to use in cooking.

The family meal

Every day, I prepare the evening meal for the whole family. We eat around 5:30pm in winter and 7pm in summer. There are 5 family members in my household but my husband isn't here right now.

Getting water from the outdoor pump.

Ranju’s kitchen sink.

Preparing the evening meal.

Ranju serving her family members.

Dal bhat - a staple meal in Nepal of rice, dal (lentils) and vegetable curry. Ranju often serves yoghurt as an accompaniment.

In the evening

I am studying for a Master's degree in Education which I should complete next year. Most evenings, I study from 8:30 to 10:00pm. When I am not studying, I sometimes watch TV in the evening. I like to watch Discovery Channel, Nepali reality shows (singing and dancing competitions) and comedy serials. I usually go to bed around 10:30pm.

Reading for her university studies on her bed, Ranju hopes to complete her Masters degree in Education next year.

The weekend

At the weekends, I do the family laundry, clean the house and work on our land.         

Working in our fields.

For more information on the work of First Steps Himalaya, visit www.firststepshimalaya.org

To donate click here

Nepal Daily Life Part I

Our blog this month follows a day in the life of Assistant Project Manager in Nepal, Sabina Tamang.

Sabina lives in the picturesque village of Mulkharka in Sindhupalchok. Her family have hosted many First Steps Himalaya volunteers, Beyond the Clouds tours and the NZ management team whilst in Nepal. Read on as Sabina describes her daily life in this beautiful part of Nepal.

The views from Sabina’s village are amazing!

I wake up early in the morning around 5:30am, brush my teeth and wash my face. Sometimes, there is a clear view of the mountains from our place in the morning. It is a wonderful view and a very peaceful place to live.

Sabina’s yard

My first chore of the day is to collect water from the tap for our household use. I fill bottles for the kitchen and buckets for other household chores. Then I have a light breakfast with my family.

Gathering water for the household

After that, I start cooking our morning meal (usually dal, rice, green vegetables, pickles and sometimes meat as a curry) for my family. We eat this meal around 8.30am. After that we are all busy at work, so we eat plenty to keep us going.

Sabina cooking a morning meal for her family

Dressed, ready for work

The steep slopes around Mulkharka village

Once I have eaten, I change and get ready for work. I walk uphill on our village road to reach the bus stop at Irkhu. This walk takes about 30 minutes. The bus arrives around 9.30am and I reach the office in Sangachok at 10am.

I leave work at 4pm and catch the bus back to Irkhu, returning downhill to our home. As soon as I get home, I change out of my work clothes to look after the animals and work in the kitchen garden. We grow most of our own vegetables.

Sabina and her family grow most of their vegetables themselves.

As the only daughter-in-law in the house, it is my duty to cook dinner for our family of five every night. I need to pick vegetables, wash them thoroughly and prepare all the ingredients.

Once my cooking is done, we all gather together in the kitchen to have dinner. When everyone has finished their meal, I wash the dishes and can finally relax.

I like reading, listening to music and watching TV in the evenings. I go to bed at 10pm most nights.

Hand washing clothes on Sabina’s day off work.

Saturday is my day off so I wash my clothes. We do this by hand in Nepal as we don’t have washing machines. It is nice to do this in the sun. I also work on our land at the weekend.

Looking back as well as to the future

2022 will be a pivotal year for First Steps Himalaya. We are excited about this turning point in the life of the organisation. Read on as we reflect on where we have come from and where we are heading in the future.

2022 sees the start of a five year institutional development programme which will take First Steps Himalaya’s local partner, First Steps Nepal to a point where it becomes more self-sustaining. This is very exciting as we work alongside our Nepal team to take over the reins of the work on the ground, running efficiently and effectively whilst generating income by offering our professional training services to other organisations. This will ensure the continuity of our work and provide an increasing number of beneficiaries for opportunities though learning.

Since 2009, we have been working with rural Nepali schools to adopt child friendly teaching methods that engage children in their learning, motivate them and encourage creativity.

Siranchour School back at the project start in 2018 ( above left) and more recently (above right). Teachers have attended training and received regular support. They have now adopted child friendly teaching methods. Rather than using traditional rote learning methods where the teacher points to a word on the board and the children repeat without understanding the meaning, Siranchour School teachers now read stories to the children, ask questions and get them thinking about what they are learning.

Evolution of teaching at Golma Devi School, Jitpur

Before, 2010

Classrooms now

There have been enormous changes over the years at Golma Devi School in Jitpur, Sindhupalchok (above). From what was a dirty, broken down school in 2010, the school now offers nurturing classrooms and child friendly teaching.

A Nuwakot school improves

Before

Before

Above: Shree Pragitsheel School in Nuwakot was operating out of a post earthquake temporary shelter when First Steps Himalaya were asked to help in 2018. We rebuilt the school using our earthbag building methods and have since fitted out the classrooms and trained and supported the teachers. The difference is amazing! Check out the improvements!

Shree Pragitsheel School now

Shree Pragitsheel School now

The biggest transformation has been at our first early childhood centre in Sangachok, where children who used to sit all day in dilapidated classrooms with little understanding of what they were supposed to be learning, now come to school curious and excited about what they might do each day. Not only do they make educational gains but there is a knock on effect on the whole family as parents begin to see the importance of playing with their children, giving them more nutritious food and keeping them clean and tidy.

Before

After

We welcome all that 2022 will bring and look forward to turning challenges into opportunities as the journey continues.

For more information visit www.firststepshimalaya.org

To donate click here

Winter in Nepal

Many people imagine that winter in Nepal must be very cold and snowy given that the country is home to many of the world’s highest mountains. Yes, there are cold places in Nepal but the country is certainly not a snowy white winter wonderland.

Here are 6 things you didn't know about winter in Nepal:

1) There are cold places in Nepal but snow rarely falls under 2,000 metres.

During winter, Nepal is not blanketed in snow. Most of the country does not receive snow-fall. The coldest days are generally cloudy and rainy.

However, high up in the Everest and Annapurna mountain ranges in December, temperatures plummet well below zero. Trekking routes can be blocked with snow and the locals huddle around the fire wearing traditional yak wool clothes.

Winter in the Everest region

2) In many areas, a light jacket is all you need to keep warm during the day.
In the mid hills, the days can be sunny and warm. Generally a cardigan or light jacket are enough to keep warm during the day. Snow rarely falls but the mountain views can be breath-taking at this time of year.

Mountain views from our project area in Sindhupalchok.

3) Air pollution during the winter makes Kathmandu unpleasant

Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal is situated in a bowl-shaped valley. During winter, the heavy, cold air traps pollution in the valley. The deteriorating air quality leads to an increase in respiratory problems for many of the one and a half million people living in the capital over winter. There is no central heating in homes. Some more affluent citizens have electric heaters, the majority rely on kerosene heaters emitting dangerous toxic fumes.

Thick smog hangs over Kathmandu in winter

4) Some high-altitude schools close during winter, because of the cold

Some of our project schools such as Talo Kumandang in Syangja, situated at higher altitudes often sit in the clouds, particularly in winter. Schools located at higher altitudes in Nepal close in winter for a long break as the classrooms are just too cold.

Talo Kumandang in Syangja spends most of the winter months wrapped in clouds

5) Buildings are often designed to keep cool in summer months, making them freezing in winter

Rooms and buildings often lack insulation, are drafty and dark. These indoor spaces are pleasant during the hot summer months, but become cold and inhospitable during winter.

Sindhupalchok teachers wrap up warm inside for their training

6) Power cuts and fuel shortages make winter very challenging

Power often goes off during winter, sometimes for several days. This makes life very difficult. It is important to have warm clothes and bedding at this time of year. Fuel shortages are also common. It is really hard to find gas bottles to use for cooking.

Yet despite all these challenges, Nepal remains a beautiful and special place during winter.

For more information about First Steps Himalaya or to donate visit www.firststepshimalay.org

Celebrating creativity in rural classrooms

Creativity is the ability to think in different ways and come up with unique solutions to problems.​ It is much more than just being a great artist or musician.

When the First Steps team train and mentor teachers in rural Nepali schools, we give them skills to nurture and develop creative thinking in their own classrooms.

Creative thinking is crucial for progress and survival.​

To nurture creativity, children need:​

• Lots of time​

• Interesting materials​

• Space to create​

• Feel that it is ok to make mistakes​

• Careful guidance from an adult​

Recognising and Valuing Creative Thinking

Young children being creative can often be termed ‘messy’. Paint, glue and mud goes everywhere, resources used in unusual ways and classroom furniture is moved about and rearranged.

We help our Early Years teachers understand that mess is ok and help them develop strategies which celebrate the creative process of the child while at the same time protecting the classroom environment and resources.

They learn simple, straight forward techniques, such as:

• Designating an area of the classroom for creative work which is easier to clean

• Laying an old sheet on the floor before a messy activity​

• Encouraging the children to tidy up after their creative activity​

Some children make unusual suggestions and surprising choices. Our teachers learn to recognise and praise unique thinking in their classroom.​

Creative Activities in the Classroom​

Children are naturally creative. They have vivid imaginations, lots of unusual ideas and love to play and experiment.​ A great early years classroom gives children lots of time and opportunities to play and be creative through:

• Music​

• Dance​

• Story telling​

• Pretend play​

• Drawing​

• Painting​

• Sculpting​

• Designing and building​

For more information visit www.firststepshimalaya.org

Making science fun for early years teachers in Nepal

Teaching science to young children does not need any special equipment or special training - but often early years teachers lack the confidence to introduce a science topic into their classroom.​

Teachers from rural village schools in Nepal are introduced to fun science concepts and experiments, when they attend First Steps Himalaya teacher training workshops. These ideas and experiments can be recreated in their own rural schools.

Early years teachers experimenting with mixing colours at a First Steps training workshop.

For many village teachers, the idea of teaching science to their young students seems strange and a bit scary. Science is perceived as a complicated topic, saved for older children sitting exams and taught by expert teachers. Therefore, the training begins with re-introducing the idea of science to the teachers and helping them realise that they use scientific thinking and knowledge everyday. 

Science in everyday life

Real-life science is a wonderful way to introduce the topic to small children. It is fun and doesn’t require any specialist equipment. Young children learn best when their senses are engaged and real life science can be very hands-on - think mixing paint or building the tallest block tower. The best real-life science topics for young children should be physical and reflect topics that already exist in the child’s world. 

Examples of fun, real-life science activities for young children include:

• Growing plants

• Mixing colours to create a rainbow

• Rolling balls down ramps

Introducing scientific thought

But creating a classroom where young children can mix dough or build ramps is only the start of teaching about science. Science is a way of thinking. 

Throughout the hands-on science workshop, our First Steps trainers continually model scientific thinking to our trainee teachers. Our training introduce the key scientific concepts:

• Asking questions

• Making predictions

• Making observations

• Making comparisons 

Simple physics

Our teachers practice with simple science experiments that they can reproduce in their own classrooms. One experiment is based around physics and the concept of making comparisons. Teachers build different ramps out of cardboard and roll balls or toy cars down them, observing what happens. The teachers are encouraged to make comparisons between the different ramps. For example, which car goes faster; the one on the steep ramp or the one on the low ramp? 

Predicting and observing

The simple experiment of “Will it Float or Sink” is a great way to introduce the scientific concepts of making predictions and making observations and it only needs a bowl of water and a handful of random small items.

By holding up each item in turn, such as a coin,  feather or an orange slice, the teacher can ask the children “Let’s make a prediction. Do you think this will float or will it sink?”

Then, once the coin has clinked on the bottom of the bowl, or the feather has rested on the surface, the teacher asks “Let’s observe what happened. Was our prediction correct?”  

Empowered to teach science

By the end of the First Steps Himalaya training, our rural village teachers learn that science is actually a topic they already know a lot about. They learn that experimenting is fun and they can be more confident in introducing science topics into their own classrooms.

First Steps Himalaya trains and supports rural teachers, so that they can adopt child friendly teaching methods encouraging a love of learning in their students.

For more information visit: www.firststepshimalaya.org

The importance of strong school leadership

The key to bringing long term change to a school community lies in the full commitment of the school leadership to embrace new ideas and methods.

However, in rural Nepal, head teachers and their school management committees are often reluctant to change. They cling to outdated classroom techniques such as rote learning that have been common in Nepali schools for the last 50 years. These school leaders are often very ‘hands off’ and hesitant to embrace modern child friendly teaching methods that could improve their schools.

A lack of training and understanding makes them nervous of exploring new ideas. As we all know, it is easier to stay where you are than to embrace change. When we finally take the first steps though, we wonder why we did not change earlier.

Poor leadership affects children

We at First Steps Himalaya, see all too often what happens when a school does not have effective leadership:

• Dilapidated, run down school buildings

• Disorganised classrooms

• Unmotivated teachers

• Poor attendance

• Poor academic results

• Lack of community support

• Poor reviews by school inspectors

• Potential for school closure

Positive, simple changes

However, great positive change can happen if the school has active, enthusiastic leaders who really get on board with our early years education projects. Where possible, we encourage school head teachers to attend our teacher training programmes with their staff to see for themselves the potential effects of simple changes.

Targeted Leadership Training

First Steps Himalaya offers leadership training designed to help Nepali head teachers and school management committees better manage their schools. During the training, we work with them to identify their own specific leadership style, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. We encourage school leaders to be more visible in their school and become a role model for their staff and the wider school community.

Pride strengthens the school

When head teachers encourage their team to have more pride in their school, teachers become more inspired and motivated, the children’s educational experience is improved and the school develops a stronger relationship with the wider community.

When you have a motivated head teacher and a great school management committee, the change can be incredible!

Some of our most successful school projects are overseen by head teachers who are willing to change and bring their team together to make improvements happen. They support their teachers and listen to expert advice. Then we start to see well-organised classrooms, teachers who are respected and liked by their students and a school environment which is clean and tidy.

“It is not rocket science, just a willingness to change and step out of their comfort zones,’ says Director of Operations, Durga Aran. “Once school leaders embrace modern contemporary teaching methods and become more organised and efficient, the children really benefit.”

First Steps Himalaya has been running early years education projects in rural Nepal since 2009. For more information and to donate: Visit www.firstepshimalaya.org

Teaching respectful relationships

Real change in early years education comes when the teacher builds good relationships with the children.

Children learn best when they are surrounded by quality relationships and respectful interactions. First Steps teacher training starts from the basics - the importance of the teacher-child relationship.

Feeling overwhelmed

Sadly, in rural Nepali village classrooms, many early years teacher just do not know where to start. Faced with a classroom of restless, bored young children, few resources and poor training, it is no surprise that these teachers feel frustrated and overwhelmed. It is normal to witness early years teachers raising their voice and constantly shouting and even hitting young children.

On the other extreme, some teachers completely disengage with the chaos of their classroom. We have observed situations where the teacher almost entirely ignores the young children, escaping mentally by spending time on their phone or actually physically escaping the classroom entirely, leaving the children unattended for hours.

These types of classrooms have poor teacher-child relationships and are not enjoyable environments for neither the teacher nor the child.

Start with good relationships

‘Teachers must value the importance of having good relationships with the children, if they don’t, they will have a lot of problems with behaviour later” explains First Steps Senior Trainer, Ranjana Giri. Traditional teacher training methods in Nepal focus on how to teach academic subjects but often do not provide guidance on how to build strong, trusting relationships with the children in the classroom.

First Steps teacher training starts with a course on relationship building because developing quality of student-teacher interactions is so important. “Learning really improves when the teacher invests time in building strong relationships first” says Ranjana.

Feeling safe improves learning

Building relationships is really important in an early years classroom. Young children need to feel safe and trust their teacher before their brains will relax and allow them to learn. When a teacher creates warm, nurturing relationships with children they pay more attention, their behaviour improves and the children develop a love of learning. Happy, relaxed children are more likely to step out of their comfort zone with their learning and extend themselves.

Building friendships

A warm, caring attitude from the teacher also spreads to the entire classroom. Children work together as a team towards common goals. Aggressive behaviours and negative attitudes decrease and there is an overall improvement in the classroom climate.

Teachers and parents notice children using kind words with each other. “Parents tell me that as soon as their child gets up in the morning, they want to come to school.” says Founding Director, Durga Aran. “So many parents come to us, telling us how their child’s behaviour has improved dramatically and as a result the whole family learns to be more respectful to one another. The knock on effect is fantastic!” says Durga.

Simple changes make huge differences

First Steps teachers learn how much their attitude affects the atmosphere of the classroom. From the moment the young child arrives at school they should be greeted by a happy, friendly teacher who gets down to their level, smiles and uses kind respectful language.

Teachers learns about positive ways to influence child behaviour such as different types of praise and how to use these effectively. They learn about behaviour modelling and the importance of the teacher demonstrating the behaviour she wants to see in the children.

First Steps teachers are also encouraged to build respectful relationships with the parents, colleagues and the wider community. They invite parents into the classroom, show them their children’s work on the walls and send work home.

In this way, rural Nepali parents begin to understand the need for education. This encourages them to support their children’s learning at home and instills a love of learning in the family. Children are then less likely to drop out of school later. These children will go on to become better educated parents, themselves.

Creating Team Spirit

Similarly when teachers feel supported by their colleagues, it is easier to share ideas, practice new activities and develop their professional skills. Team spirit encourages creativity and teachers feel more rewarded in their job.

Our First Steps teachers learn to thrive by developing strong, positive relationships with their young students. This creates a virtuous cycle of happy, enthusiastic children and happy, enthusiastic early years teachers.

Respectful, kind relationships are the first steps towards creating warm, nurturing learning environments for rural Nepali children.

To donate to the work of First Steps Himalaya click here. www.firststepshimalaya.org

Parents are a child’s first teacher

The parent is the most influential person in the child’s life, responsible not only for the child’s basic needs but also to nurture their growing sense of self. Parents are a child’s first teacher and serve as a role model for the developing child.

Nepali children spend around 65% of their waking hours at home and only 35% at school. Yet, few Nepali parents understand their vitally important role as parent educators for their children. Traditionally parents in Nepal assume that their child will learn everything at school and take very little responsibility for their child’s educational outcomes.

Engaging parents with their child’s learning

Through our Parent Education workshops, First Steps Himalaya aims to teach rural Nepali parents the importance of spending time with their children. This investment of time can ensure far greater educational outcomes than expressing their love by giving sweets to their children.

"Parents need to take some responsibility for their children’s education.” says Founding Director, Durga Aran, “They don’t need to be educated themselves. Simple activities like cooking together can be used to teach their children basic literacy, numeracy as well as good manners.” By providing a nurturing home environment, parents can start to see a huge difference in the progress of their children.

Nepal’s lengthy lockdown has highlighted the need for parents to help their children learn whilst schools remain closed. When parents see the difference in their children who have attended child friendly classes, they cannot believe the strong love of learning the children develop.

First Steps Himalaya now hopes to see parents take the next step in supporting their children’s education by taking an active role in learning at home. “When parents engage with their children more and take an active interest in their learning, they can motivate their children to learn more.” continues Durga Aran. “Even when children cannot go to school during lockdown, they can learn at home with their family. There are lots of ways parents can help their child learn without specialist knowledge or learning materials.”

Simple, household learning resources

Children naturally want to have fun and are happy playing with virtually anything they find around the home. A piece of fabric can suddenly become a cloak or a flag, a shoe can become a car or a bridge. Sticks and stones are great learning materials. Dhanu in Syangja said that she taught her daughter about shapes using sticks outside the family home. Pabitra in Sindhupalchok encouraged her children write their names using corn kernels. Songs and rhymes are a great way for children to learn their letters and numbers. Children love teaching these to their parents so the whole family can sing together.

Keeping active

Children need to learn how things grow, the importance of protecting the environment and having respectful relationships within their community. Activities that support this are a great way to relieve boredom and stress in young children during lockdown too.

Traditionally, Nepali parents don’t encourage active movement in babies and toddlers. They often leave their baby for hours in a hanging basket while working in their fields, but it would be better to take the baby along where possible. Parents don’t realise that hopping, skipping and jumping is a vital step towards gaining gross motor skills before their bodies can master the fine motor skills used in writing.

Sharing the importance of parents

The First Steps team disseminate parent education tips through their locally employed mobilisers, social media pages and community-based parent education sessions. In many ways the lockdown in Nepal has highlighted the need for more parental involvement in a child’s education. “Parents can talk and sing to their babies and encourage movement rather than leaving the baby for hours in a basket” says Nepal Project Manager, Ranjana Giri. “They can do simple things like putting dry rice or beans inside an empty bottle to make a home-made rattle for their baby.”

First Steps Himalaya believes that with a bit of support and growing confidence, rural Nepali parents could become great parent educators supporting their child’s love of learning.

For more information visit: www.firststepshimalaya.org

Click here to donate

Thinking outside the box!

As an education charity working in rural Nepal, we have faced numerous challenges over the years but none so great as the current situation in Nepal. What seemed normal in the past is now almost impossible. Bizarrely, what seemed impossible is now becoming possible!

If someone had told our Director Of Operations, Durga Aran a few years ago, that he would not be able to travel to Nepal to oversee the early education projects and that our young Nepal team would need to take the reins, he would have not believed them. Unable to travel to Nepal, Durga now conducts training, meetings and even staff interviews via Zoom from his home in New Zealand. There are huge advantages to this new situation. Firstly, Durga no longer needs to be away from his family for long periods of time, working in Nepal. Secondly, there is an enormous cost saving to the organisation. In the past Durga travelled across Nepal, to reach all the projects. However, this week, Durga has held productive meetings in four different parts of Nepal without leaving the office.

Durga now oversees the projects from his home in New Zealand through regular zoom meetings.

Durga previously spent 5-6 months per year overseeing the projects in Nepal.

Teacher Training Evolves

Just as we were getting our teacher training courses down to a fine art, we were no longer able to gather groups of teachers for training. At the start of the pandemic we doubted whether our Early Years Teacher training courses could possibly work via distance. The workshops focused so strongly on hands-on, practical activities. But we were forced to rethink and give it a go. The results have been amazing!

Teachers will be trained by distance using highly interactive and motivational training workshops.

Online training will be delivered in baskets or dokos like these.

Our original one week training courses have been divided up into baskets of knowledge (or dokos as they are called in Nepali). Each online course focuses on a particular theme regarding Early Years teaching such as developing strong relationships with children, teaching literacy and creating child-friendly classrooms.

We have worked hard to make the online training experience as interactive as possible. Soon, teachers at our rural project schools will be able to broaden their knowledge of child friendly teaching and develop a whole raft of activities that they can use to supplement the school curriculum. These new training dokos have turned out to be so much better than we could have ever imagined. We now plan to incorporate them into our face to face training when it is able to resume! Who would have known!

Creating teaching resources is an important part of our Early Years teacher training.

Teachers learn colour mixing and the importance of art in Early Years education.

Staff stepping up

Capacity building of our local supervisors and the Nepal management team has always been high on the agenda but when this becomes essential, it is amazing the level of change that can be made. In the past, pre-Covid, Nuwakot Supervisor, Binda Adhikhari once struggled on her own as the only staff member in her area; but now she is online regularly with the rest of the Nepal and NZ teams. Binda’s English is improving in leaps and bounds and she has impressed us with her hard work and sheer determination to gather data, even if it means hanging out of a window to take a photo! Binda is very resourceful and she has found that the best way to tune into Zoom training is by wedging her phone inside a giant roll of sellotape. It is an absolute pleasure working remotely with our dedicated Nepal team.

Nuwakot’s Community Resilience Programme

Originally our Community Resilience Programme was designed to educate communities about a number of social issues through street theatre and community film showings. However, the programme has had to be rethought quite drastically as the pandemic worsened and villagers could not gather in groups. Instead of conducting a house-to-house baseline survey, this is now being done by phone and over the internet. We have also created a Community Resilience Facebook page for the Nuwakot community which shares positive stories and tips for getting through the current situation. This is a great way of disseminating ideas to remote communities. The emphasis of the Community Resilience Programme now is on helping each other overcome fear, stress and anxiety as well as looking after health and immunity.

View of a yard near Binda’s home in Nuwakot. Not the pretty picture we normally see in Nepal, but the harsh reality of daily life for many.

Evidence of plastic rubbish amongst growing corn. One of the issues to be targeted in the Community Resilience Programme.

We aim to reach out to all members of the community to overcome stress, anxiety and fear during these challenging times.

The Community Resilience Programme encourages families to grow their own crops using sustainable farming methods.

Developing new income streams

Fundraising has had to be completely rethought too with the sudden halt of income from the charity’s successful social enterprise, Beyond The Clouds Travel. We used to organise treks and tours for people across the Himalayan region, with profits funding the charity. “Although the loss of income has hit the charity hard, it has freed up more time to devote to the programme, with fantastic results” says Founding Director, Fionna Heiton. When travel does become possible again, Beyond The Clouds will be back but quite probably more streamlined and easy to manage.

In the meantime, First Steps Himalaya is developing other streams of income to support the ongoing costs of its work. This includes e-Cards, wedding favours, bequests and the vital Friends of First Steps Himalaya programme. Recently, a choir in Nelson raised over $3,200 from an afternoon of songs from around the world. It is wonderful to have supporters across the world who understand the need for First Steps Himalaya’s work in rural Nepal.

To find out more about becoming a Friend of First Steps Himalaya click here

To donate click here

More information: www.firststepshimalaya.org

How we train teachers in Nepal

Many people believe that building a modern school in an impoverished area will change the community – but simply creating a building does not necessarily improve the educational outcomes for the children. The real key to creating positive change is the quality of the teaching that happens inside.

Enthusiastic, well-trained teachers can improve their young students lives with far-reaching positive consequences. That’s why First Steps Himalaya, working in rural Nepal, developed a practical, hands-on teacher training curriculum designed specifically for early years teachers at rural village schools.

For the last five years, village teachers across Nepal have attended a series of lively, educational workshops to learn modern professional teaching methods. The First Steps Teacher training takes teachers through a learning journey that lasts at least 3 years. Every six months, teachers gather to attend a week-long training workshop with each level building on the learning from the previous course.

Training centre

A team of trained Nepali early-childhood teachers facilitate the workshops which are held either at the First Steps Teacher Training Centre in the village of Sangachok, three hours drive from the capital, Kathmandu; or at schools across rural Nepal. Groups of schools participate with each school sending about three teachers.

The training takes teachers from a very introductory level on the first week right through to classes at the professional development level. By the end of the eight First Steps workshops,  teachers will be able to practice self reflection, effectively model learning for students and develop learning frameworks for children that cover more than one curriculum area.

In essence, the training shares contemporary practice in early-childhood teaching and learning with teachers who have had little or no exposure to modern, professional teaching methods. Teacher training, as we know it in the West is in its infancy in Nepal where, until recently, anyone could leave school and become a teacher without any formal training. The teachers are only familiar with the way they themselves were taught, which often involved a lot of rote learning and discipline.

Focus areas

Along with the basics of numeracy and literacy, First Steps training focuses strongly on kind behaviour management strategies, creative classroom lay-out and the importance of play. In the early workshops, the training deals with very basic classroom skills and concepts such as how to organise mat and circle time, how to create and care for resources and simple behaviour management techniques like using a calm voice instead of shouting.

Over time, our rural Nepali teachers develop into confident, professional teachers, able to deliver effective, innovative and contemporary learning outcomes for the children in their classrooms. Through the First Steps training, teachers are empowered with the skills to create a warm, nurturing learning environment for their young students.

Challenging cultural norms about early childhood

Sadly, a common belief in rural Nepal is that the developmental stage of early childhood is not important. Child-rearing practices in Nepal traditionally do not involve much stimulation or play-based learning.  Babies and toddlers are left hanging in baskets while their mothers work in the fields, while children over two in rural villages are often left by themselves during the day without much adult input, to either wander the streets or be locked inside.

Three-year olds attend the local village school but are generally allocated the worst room and spend their days in dirty, empty spaces with little teacher interaction. Traditional rote learning methods are so ingrained in school culture that any classroom learning takes this form. The value of play and child-led learning is not recognised or respected.

Learning to play and experiment

The biggest and most profound shift in the teachers who undertake First Steps training is learning to appreciate the positive attributes of play-based learning in early childhood development. This idea was uncommon during their own childhood and schooling, so as adults the teachers themselves must learn to express and trust their own creativity and playfulness. To help with this process, the workshops are designed to be fun, creative and hands-on. There are lots of crayons, paints, cutting and gluing, singing and game playing as the teachers learn techniques they can take back to their own classrooms.

Interestingly, even the concept of colour-mixing is unfamiliar to most teachers, who, for the first time, experience the excitement of mixing blue and yellow to make green during the training.

Being resourceful with resources

Many of the teachers and their schools have very few resources to draw on. The villages are remote, most parents are subsistence farmers and town infrastructure is severely lacking.

Therefore, one of the main thrusts of the First Steps training is self-sufficiency. Teachers learn to create their own classroom resources from things they can find in their village. They create painted stones for counting, hand-made flashcards, letters cut from sandpaper and hand-drawn posters and charts.

A local teacher from Shree Talo Kumundung School, Punam said “I learnt so much from the training. Now, I create my own [resources] from local material. The children love the changes.”

Ongoing School Support

Long-term success for the trained teachers and their schools is important. The First Steps team regularly visit each classroom to record improvements, give feedback and provide support to teachers and the wider school community.

To track changes, they have a standardized system to record the state of classrooms and the quality of teaching being observed. “This monitoring is crucial” says Director of Operations Durga Aran. “It allows us to accurately track specific improvements and areas in need of further work in each classroom over time.”

Transformation

Across Nepal, teachers on the First Steps learning journey are transforming their classrooms from dreary and uninspiring rooms to colourful and nurturing classrooms, where children delight in exploring at their own pace. Step by step, early years education in rural Nepal is improving, classroom by classroom thanks for these innovative, yet simple training workshops. By focusing on training, empowering and supporting teachers, First Steps Himalaya has created an economical, effective and sustainable way to improve educational outcomes for rural Nepali children.

To find out more about First Steps Himalaya, click here

Article reproduced with the kind permission of International Teacher Magazine (Consilium Education)

The importance of child led learning

This little girl in a Nepali village classroom is monotonously and repetitively reciting words.

Rote Learning vs Child-led learning

Traditionally in Nepal, schools have used ‘rote learning’ or the memorisation of information as the main teaching method in classrooms. This involves teachers pointing to letters or numbers on a wall and the children reciting them, often at deafening volumes and in accents that can often be unintelligible.

So what’s wrong with memorizing information? Whilst there is a place for children memorizing multiplication tables and some songs, rote learning doesn’t encourage creativity in children or develop their problem solving skills.

The problem is that most teachers in Nepal know nothing else. They grew up with rote learning themselves and have never seen child-friendly, creative teaching in progress. It is always easier to do what you know rather than trying something new.

Day in day out, all over Nepal teachers who lack training and professional support roll out the same lesson style. When they get fed up of pointing to the board or a spot on the wall, they hand over to one of the children to continue reciting more words.

Here is an example of rote learning in action, a standard teaching technique in Nepali schools. This teacher is calling out numbers in English which are then repeated back by all the small children in the class. Can you image how boring this would be for everybody?

However, teaching doesn’t need to be so dreary, boring and unproductive. When the First Steps team transform schools with simple equipment, train the teachers and provide ongoing support, the results can be spectacular!

A little child, directionless and ill-at-ease, so typical of children we see in rural schools before we start working with the teachers.

A focused child in a well resourced, creative and nurturing classroom environment.

So often, when we first visit classrooms in rural Nepali villages we are met by children like the one above in the red sweater. These little ones have not received any play-based learning. They lack direction, enthusiasm and the normal joy that you would expect from children of this age. In contrast, the second image shows one of the children at our established early childhood centre in Sangachok, deeply engaged in quality learning. She is very focused on her puzzle and whilst she is doing so is learning persistence, problem solving skills and fine motor skills.

What is Child-led Learning

In essence, child-led learning uses the child’s own natural curiosity to drive their learning. The child is responsible for deciding what and how to learn and can choose how long to participate in their chosen activity.

By creating a warm, nurturing classroom environment with age appropriate resources, children can choose their activities and develop their own earning style.

Here are more examples of children who are really engaged in their play at our Sangachok ECD centre. Teachers are encouraged to practice child-led learning. The children have chosen their own activity and they are working away to complete their self-devised task, being creative and learning at the same time.

The problem is huge, the solution is simple. When children are engaged in their learning, they are far more likely to complete their education. To find out more about our education projects click here

Measuring success in our ECD classes

We are really proud of all the teachers at our early childhood centres around Nepal as they transform their classrooms from dreary and uninspiring rooms to colourful and nurturing classrooms, where children delight in exploring at their own pace. To measure this success we have developed our own simple and easy to use monitoring system that allows us to rate classrooms, whether they are in far Eastern Nepal or closer to home in Sindhupalchok.

The First Steps classroom monitoring system is a simple, effective way to easily record and track the changes in our project schools. “Because, we regularly record different elements in each classroom in a systematic and standardized way, we are able to accurately track specific improvements in each classroom over time. We are working in almost 100 classrooms across Nepal, so having a standardised system is crucial” says Director of Operations Durga Aran.

Our supervisory team monitor classrooms on a regular basis.

The top score in the monitoring system is 5 which is equivalent to a good pre-school in many parts of the world. “Often schools just starting our programme are a zero initially before becoming a one.” explains Durga. “ The hardest leap is between the 3 and 4 scores, when teachers really need to develop their teaching skills, classroom management and allow the children to direct their own learning.”

Below are images of schools who have and consistently achieving a score of 4 or above

First Steps Nepal ECD centre in Sangachok

Golma Devi School ECD, Jitpur

Aadarsa School ECD, Mulkharka

Jana Jyoti School ECD, Dyali

Kalidevi School ECD, Kadambas

A huge congratulations to all of those excellent ECDs!

We are transforming early years education in rural Nepal classroom by classroom!. Our methods are simple, economical, effective and sustainable. Help us bring change to many more schools by becoming a Friend of First Steps Himalaya. For as little as $40 a month, your donation helps us support rural schools with teacher training, classroom refurbishment, supervision and monitoring. Be part of the change. Find out more here.

Changing lives one classroom at a time

Tucked away in rolling, lush, green hillsides is Irkhu Pokhare, a pretty little village home to approximately 1,100 people. This rural village in Sindhupalchok Nepal is nestled among terraced fields growing rice, corn, millet and wheat..

Yet, despite these picturesque surroundings, when we visited the village school in 2011 we found a sad sight, so common in rural Nepali schools. The youngest children at the school had been allocated the worst room and obviously very little care was going into their learning and well-being.

The room was bare, filthy and thick with dust. Little children were sitting listlessly in the dark, windowless room. I remember gasping with shock as I entered the classroom because dust was pluming around my feet. A small boy jumped up and started sweeping, perhaps out of embarrassment. It brought tears to my eyes. There seemed to be very little supervision, there were no teachers around and these tiny 3 to 5 year olds were sitting on their own.

Sadly, our experience at Irkhu Pokhare village school is not unique. It is a common belief in rural Nepal that early childhood is not important. Little children across the country are relegated to dirty, empty rooms with little teacher interaction.

But happily, things are vastly improved now at Irkhu Pokhare. Just look at the difference! First Steps Himalaya refurbished the spaces for the early childhood classrooms with fresh carpet, bright, clean walls and quality classroom furniture and learning resources.

The early childhood teachers had very little training in how to manage, let alone inspire small children. But now that has changed. After attending First Steps Himalaya training workshops, the village teachers are developing into confident, professionals, able to deliver effective and innovative lessons. They receive regular fortnightly mentoring and support from our team of trained Early Childhood monitors.

It might seem hard to change the world but step by step First Steps Himalaya is getting there.

Help us change the lives of more children in rural Nepal. For just $1 a day, you can become a Friend of First Steps Himalaya ensuring long term support of schools like this. Click here to find out more

Back to school in the new norm

Back to School finally

After 8 months at home, schools are slowly reopening across rural Nepal. For many children, this will be the first time they have learnt anything for eight months. Whilst children in more developed countries have adapted to learning online and have lessons delivered to a device, most children in rural Nepal have had no form of teaching at all since March!

Back in the classroom: Young children from the village of Sangachok finally return to their Early Learning Centre after 8 months at home.

Re-establishing Routines

Our Project Manager in Nepal, Ranjana Giri says that she was shocked on the first day back to see that the children seemed to have forgotten everything that they had learnt including their manners.

‘It was like starting all over again with most of them’ she said. Many of the children are experiencing feelings of intense fear and dread. Younger children are less likely to fully understand news reports and this can cause a sense of panic.

Socialising at a distance: Circle time is an important way for children and their teacher to reconnect with each other after so many months apart.

It is really important to get these young children back into a sense of routine and understanding of how to be resilient. This includes fun hand washing songs, social distance games and learning about healthy food.

New rules for a new normal

First Steps Himalaya has developed strict protocols for opening our early childhood centres in rural Nepal, combined with the Nepal Government school reopening advice. These new rules and routines are in place to reduce risk to staff, children and their families. Most of us now are familiar with these measures, such as social distancing where possible, wearing masks and staying home if unwell.

Hand hygiene without running water: Many rural Nepali schools must rely of water canisters for hand washing. Clean hands are a fundamental part of keeping our teachers and young students safe.

While Nepal battles on with suppressing Covid-19 in the community, we are so pleased and excited to be able to offer our young students a safe and nourishing place to learn and play.

Social distancing at play: Only learning materials that can be washed or cleaned easily are available in the classroom for one child each day. This avoids multiple sets of hands touching the same materials.

If you would like to find out more about the work First Steps Himalaya does in rural Nepal, improving teaching and classrooms, or to support our work, click here.

Transforming educational outcomes

The Syangja District

It’s not difficult to get off the beaten track in Nepal. Before the global pandemic shut down most of the world’s travel opportunities, the road to the Peace Pagoda near Nepal’s lakeside resort of Pokhara was plied by taxis taking tourists to this hill-top monument to peace. However, after the turn off to the busy car park, the number of vehicles falls away. The road twists and turns to a little visited part of Nepal.

For those who did venture there, they were delighted to find the Nepal of times gone by. Pretty roadside villages surrounded by rolling tree-covered hills, the Syangja district is inhabited by farming families producing vegetables and crops for nearby Pokhara.

From the town of Walling, a steep, seemingly insignificant tractor track rises up into the mountains. By four-wheel drive vehicle, this rough track in fact leads to innumerable mountain villages, some nestled above the clouds.

To the visitor it is a Himalayan idyll, but life is not easy. Educational opportunities, the key to sustainable, locally led improvements in living standards, are limited. Teacher training, as we know it in the West is in its infancy in Nepal where, until recently anyone could leave school and become a teacher without any formal training. The effect has left hundreds of thousands of rural children without the education they deserve.

First Steps Himalaya is a grassroots organisation working in disadvantaged rural communities in Nepal and is committed to raising local teaching standards as one of the most important factors for improving life opportunities. For the last two years teachers at many of the schools in Syangia have been supported by First Steps Himalaya’s Early Years Programme. Classrooms have been refurbished and teachers trained in contemporary teaching methods suited to the cultural backdrop of rural Nepal.

Himali School

One remote school in Syangia set on a rocky riverbank, draws children from a wide area. Like many rural schools throughout Nepal, Himali School appears very basic and downtrodden, but led by an enthusiastic head teacher, the staff are open to change and keen to learn new methods, supported by First Steps.

Vhawana Khanal has been teaching at the school for the last five years. When she attended the first of a series of eight teacher training workshops, she quickly realised that teaching could be so much more fulfilling and enjoyable if the children were happy. She had never thought about supplementing the national curriculum with fun activities and her own classroom resources. Something sparked in her and she lapped up all the new ideas on offer with great enthusiasm.

Though she was excited about introducing some of the activities that she learnt there were to be challenges ahead. The traditional rote learning methods were so ingrained in the school that parents were shocked to see their children having fun and playing games when they felt they should be writing and doing arithmetic. Nevertheless, her persistence and the support she received from First Steps started to bring about change.

“Community education is part of our programme” explains First Steps Director of Operations, Durga Aran, a Nepali who is passionate about making a difference in his own country. “Once the community saw the remarkable changes taking place in the children’s learning, behaviour and development, they became more inquisitive about what was happening in the school”.

Regular support

Vhawana received regular visits from a First Steps Himalaya supervisor, to assess progress and support her in her professional development. At the next training course, she learnt more about teaching literacy and numeracy using child friendly methods. She started using big books and number cubes as well as introducing learning games in circle time. She created her own posters to decorate the classroom and put up children’s artwork on the walls. Her classroom has become a nurturing environment that children were eager to learn in.

Lockdown challenges

But nothing is easy in Nepal and Vhawana sadly lost her husband just prior to the COVID- 19 pandemic. She is now a single mother with two young children of her own to support. The school has been shut since lockdown began in Nepal in March. Children in Nepal are now likely to miss out on at least a year’s education. Many girls will not return unless there is a concerted effort to reinforce the importance of education in these rural communities.

First Steps Himalaya continues to operate in these tumultuous times, running remote leadership workshops for head teachers and community leaders in rural Nepal. All children deserve quality early education, and we will continue to strive to make this simple goal a reality.

How you can help

This Christmas, you can help us transform the lives of thousands of children and their teachers in rural Nepal by giving a Christmas or New year card that gives back. Supporting the work of First Steps Himalaya by sending a charity gift card to your loved ones is easy, environmentally friendly and will make a real difference to the lives of rural Nepali children! https://www.firststepshimalaya.org/buy-a-gift

Article reproduced with the kind permission of International Teacher Magazine

Eat Teach Love

Fionna Heiton could be Christchurch’s very own Julia Roberts. From getting over a relationship breakup by leaving her job in New Zealand and travelling to the Himalayas, to finding her future partner and starting her own international charity in Nepal: It feels like Eat. Pray. Love got a Kiwi revamp.

Our main character came to a crossroads in her life and, having always loved exploring the Port Hills, wanted to escape and explore the world’s most famous mountainous region: The Himalayas. So, in 1998 the English as a Second Language teacher packed up her rental cottage on Kilmore Street and set off for Nepal.

It was there in Kathmandu, within a few days of arriving, that she met her love interest, Durga Aran, while working for British charity Water Aid. Fast-forward to 2001, the pair were raising their twin toddlers – Rhona and Jamie – when the parents became troubled to learn about the Nepali school system.

In 2001, the mean years of schooling for the country’s 24 million people was just 2.5, according to UN data. In comparison, the mean years of schooling for New Zealanders was 11.5.

“Hundreds of thousands of children across Nepal spend their days in dark, dirty, empty classrooms, taught by poorly trained and demotivated teachers,” says Fionna.

This was the motive that brings us to the climax of the story – the first steps. The family travelled to the village area where Durga was raised, in between Kathmandu and the Tibet border, with the goal of creating a quality early childhood centre.

“We borrowed a jeep and drove up to the remote hillside village each day. Our days were long, hot and dusty,” remembers Fionna.

“But the need was so clear and we knew that simple activities and changes could make a world of difference for the children.”

Thus, First Steps Himalaya was founded, a charity that has been making a difference in transforming lives and working on the ground in Nepal for over 10 years.

“With the help of generous donors, classrooms are developed from dirt floors to carpet. Rooms are cleaned and painted. Wooden pallets for seating are replaced with low tables suited to young children. Most rural Nepali early childhood classrooms start with only a single chalkboard, but after being refurbished by the charity, the children have access to crayons, paper, books and quality, culturally appropriate learning resources.”

Having built a teacher-training centre in 2015, the team now run effective, hands-on teacher training courses across Nepal, empowering rural teachers to create simple, engaging lessons.

After learning how to make resources from things they can find in their village, teachers can then transform their own classrooms into safe and stimulating learning environments.

“We strongly believe the key to bringing about positive change in rural Nepali schools is the quality of the teaching,” says Fionna.

Recently returning to Christchurch, after a period in Nelson, reruns of the past came flooding back to our protagonist.

“I am so grateful for all the support we have had from friends in Christchurch, the rest of New Zealand and around the world. There is such a massive need in Nepal, and we are only just scratching the surface. First Steps Himalaya will be there for the long haul.”

So, what’s next for Fionna Julia Roberts Heiton? We would not be surprised if Hollywood came knocking on her door with a story like that.

For more information or to donate visit the charity’s website. www.firststepshimalaya.org

Reproduced with the kind permission of Metropol Magazine, Christchurch