Welcome to Karen and Rebecca

Karen Perpina from France and Rebecca Hagon from the UK are arriving in Nepal to volunteer with NEST, NEST would like to welcome both of them to Nepal. Karen will be working at Prajwal School and will be involved in environment project whereas Rebecca will share her teaching experience with teachers from Prjawal School. She will also do some creative writing project work with students from Prajwal School.

Review meeting with District Education Office held

Hetauda
The review meeting with District Education Office Makwanpur was held at the District Education Office hall on 19th August 2008. There were 30 participants in that program including, Resource Persons, School Supervisers, Deputy District Education Officer, Section officers and a VSO Education Adviser. Executive Director and Deputy Director of NEST also attended the program.
In that program , roles and responsibilities of Resource Persons, and School Supervisers to implement the library programme and ways to improve coordination with District Education Office were discussed.

The main objectives of the programme were:

• To discuss on program implementation and monitoring process.
• To share experience about library program running in schools.
• To discuss on phase out schools and roles and responsibilities of School Supervisors and Resource Person on that schools.
• To give the information about different registers and monitoring and evaluation format.
• To give the information about library management committee (LMC) formed in school.
• To give the information about various Libraries related activities in school.

The Resource persons and school supervisors were appreciated the initiative of NEST and Room to Read to involve them in the process of monitoring and evaluation of the programme. At the end of the programme, some Resource persons shared that they were more clear about their roles and responsibilities. The workshop was facilitated by NEST staff members.

NEST Child Clubs Management Workshop Held

NEST organised a two day Child club management workshop for child club memebers from six partner schools at Prajwal Shiksha Sadan English Lower Secondary School in Chaughada on 19-20 August 2008. 28 NEST child club members participated in the workshop. NEST has been running child clubs in six schools with financial support from ICFON, the Netherlands for last five years. The main purposes of child clubs are to develop democratic values in schools, raise child right awareness, reduce discrimination based on castes and involve children in community development process by organising different workshops. NEST organises children camps every year.

Laxmi and Nirajna attend ECD Training Course

Laxmi Shrestha and Nirjana Sapakota, teachers from Prajwal School came to Kathmandu to attend a course on Early Childhood Education. Nirjna had a week basic course on Early Childhood Education at ECEC Kathmandu. Laxmi will be doing the second level of the course.
Their course has been sponsored by Everest of Apples. Everest of Apples and NEST have prioritised teacher development for this year's plan.

" I learnt a lot within five days.I am so excited to go back to school and set up a new class and I would like to use all new skills with my children" says Laxmi. Laxmi feels that this training has made her realised that there are many new teaching methods which will help teachers to understand children's learning. Nirjana also agrees that this training along with regular professional development courses run by the school this year have increased her confidence to help children learn in joyful manner. I will work with Laxmi and share skills that I have learnt from the training with other teachers and I cannot wait to start my class after summer vacation. She says, " Although I am doing B.Ed , I felt that I have learnt nothing practically and I need to learn a lot of techniques to make my class interactive".

NEST likes to thank all EoA donors who have made it possible to support teachers of Prajwal School to attend this course.

No Petrol ? No Problem

Cycling Campaign becomes popular

Purna Kumar Shrestha , Founder of NEST started a cycling campaign on 5th June , on World Environment day by designing a t-shirt with a slogan " No Petrol ? No Problem ! Cycling keeps U fit. " When I travelled in Europe , I was amazed by people of the Netherlands in particular, how much they love cycling. Relatively, Dutch people are richer than the Nepalese people, but they prefer cycling, there is a different cycle track for cyclists. " says Purna. While the price of petrol is rising every day and people have to queue up for petrol at the petrol pumps for hours, people must think an alternative which is economic as well as healthy. There is great potential of cycling in Kathmandu. Sweesa, who is currently studying in the Netherlands, adds " If we want to reduce the air polution of Kathmandu, the government of Nepal must encourage people to use cycles, discourage people to buy private cars, in stead improve public transportation system as in Europe. Those who want to have private cars, must be charged high tax, and subsidise the cost of bicycles and electrical vechiles. Parking charge must be increased inside the town during the weekdays , which will also discourage people to us private vechicles. We have two choices - ACT now ! or REGRET."

Within two months of Cycling campaign, 30 people have bought tshirts and supported the campaign. The main purpose of the campaign is to encourage people to use bicycle as much as they can in their daily life and lobby for a cycle track in the valley.

On the occasion of international youth day, youth organisations are organising a cycling ralley around the ring road of Kathmandu and Purna will be taking part and will do campaign for cycling. No Petrol ? No Problem ! Cycling keeps you fit.

Julia to visit Prajwal School

Julia Allison Beale , out-going coordinator of Everest of Apples is visiting Prajwal School on 13 August 2008 for a week. She will be volunteer at the Prajwal School. She worked hard to raise funds for the school last year. NEST would like to thank her for her contribution.

While she is in Nepal, she will be awarded NEST Philanthropic Award of 2008 in recognition to her contribution to the education of children from disadvantaged families.

A former JET volunteers at Prajwal School

Rebbeca Hagon is a JET participant from the UK and she worked as a JET participant in Yamaguchi, Japan for two years. She is visiting Nepal in September and will be organising a teacher training workshop for teachers from Prajwal School.
NEST would like to welcome her to Nepal.

Students of Janpriya have excellent result

Janapriya Technical School had an excellent result

In the final examination of Junior Technician of Agriculture and Veterinary , 81% of students of Janapriya Technical School passed the exam. 4 students passed with distinction marks. Janapriya Technical School is a project financially supported with the donation from ICFON,the Netherlands.

From this academic session, the school is going to start a year course for those students who have passed SLC. The school is providing its technical services to local communities as a result many farmers have started growing vegetables and raising their lives through livestocks. The school provides technical advices and students of Janpriya raise awareness of farmers and teach them different mordern methods of farming.

NEST bids goodbye to Tessa

NEST and Prajwal School organised a farewell programme for Tessa last week. She volunteered with NEST for three months. NEST would like to thank for her hard work to develop a documentary on NEST project.
She visited different NEST projects , families and beneficiaries of the NEST projects.

Happy Village Project Concluded

32 students from Republic of Korea came to Nepal and exchanged culture and arts with their the Nepalese counterparts. NGO PUM, Nepal/ South Korea and CJ Foundation , Republic of Korea had managed to bring 32 Korean students to Nepal.

The students from Prajwal Shiksha Sadan English Lower Secondary School, a school promoted by NEST as a non-profit making school worked with Korean for four days. The exchange programme was organised from 24-27 January 2008.

The Nepalese children and Korean children were paired up and the Nepalese children took their Korean friends around the village and after visiting the village, they worked together and expressed their feelings and experience through different forms of arts : painting, poems, songs etc. Korean children had a night of home stay with Nepalese families.

Importantly, the children worked together to brighten up the children park of Hetuada which has not been maintained for many years. They painted a wall with their ideas to make a happy village. They worked together in pairs and desired for peace, food, play grounds, green plants, love, school and lovely environment to make a happy village.

The Chief District Officer of Makawanpur district, Mr. Shashi Shankar Shrestha, District Education Officer, Mr. Cholendra Pandit, Communication Officer of Makawanpur District Development Committee, Mr. Ram Krishna Thapa were present in that closing ceremony of the programme.

The artists of Happy Vibaration, Kathmandu, teachers of Prajwal School, NEST members and staff, volunteers and youth workers of NGO PUM and CJ Foundation had worked hard to make this programme a success.

The representative of CJ Foundation committed to donate US$ 5000 to the Children's park development committee to develop the park. She handed over a certificate to the Chairperson of the Committee.

Students exchanged dances on that occasion and at the end, a village party was organised to celebrate the success of the programme.

The CJ Foundation also donated US$500 to the Prajwal School.

Give a fishing skill not a Fish !

NEST Distributes 16 goats to Dalit girls and poor students of Janapriya Higher Secondary School

30 January 2008, Hetauda.

In order to empower the girls from Dalit community, NEST with financial assitance from ICFON, the Netherlands ( www.icfon.nl) started " Give a fishing skill not a Fish" campaign. The main mission of this campaign is to increase income of the girl children's family so that they could support their daughters' education.

This programme has been running for three years. NEST distributes a goat to a Dalit girl of Grade 4-5 so that within a year, the girl will have income from the goat which could help her to continue her education after grade 5.

Two weeks ago, 11 goats were distributed to the Dalit students mainly girls from Bansha Gopal Higher Secondary School and Bal Jagriti Secondary School. 16 goats were distributed to the students of Janapriya Higher Secondary School.

The students who received NEST INVEST scholarship, will visit the families regularly to train the family in raising the goats healthy.

This was possible with the financial support of ICFON, therefore, NEST likes to thank you for their support.

Volleyball Tournament Held

10 January 2008, Hetauda.

Two years ago, when NEST launched a peace building initiative "Play for peace", only a few girls would take part in sports. Sports was chosen as a means to bring together students to build harmony and friendship in the schools at the time of conflict. Because of social situation, children were badly affected by conflict.

With the financial support from Sandra and Loes, two Dutch Sport teacher students through ICFON, the Netherlands, NEST launched sports project which supported local five schools in Hetuada Municipalities and Hatiya Village Development Committee of Makawanpur district. The main purpose of the project was to promote peace, tolerance and friendship among children through sports. The project mainly focused to empower girls. Girls in Nepal do not get equal opportunity like boys to take part in extra curricular activities because they are discriminated by the family.

When the Play for Peace project started, the girls were reluctant to take part in the sport. NEST had interaction with parents and teachers and finally girls attended volley ball coaching. None of the girls had taken part in any sports before this programme. After two weeks coach, they built their confident.

Last week, a tournament was organised by the NEST Child club of Dibyajyoti Lower Secondary School. Five NEST Child clubs of Prajwal Shiksha Sadan Lower Secondary School, Janpriya Higher Secondary School, Baljagriti Secondary School, Bansha Gopal Higher Secondary School and Dibyajyoti Lower Secondary School participated in the tournament.

NEST Child club of Dibyajyoti Lower Secondary School won the first prize and the NEST child club team of Janapriya Higher Secondary School, Hatiya won the second prize. The the first winner team received a volley ball and a volleyball net and the second winner got a volleyball.

This project is financed by ICFON, the Netherlands.

NEST representatives attened a Planning workshop of District Development Committee

Mr. Ganesh Kumar Shrestha, Executive Director of NEST and Mr. Achyut Subedi, Programme Coordinator of NEST attended a planning workshop organised by the District Development Committee, Makawanpur. The planning workshop was organised to prioritise development activities for the new fiscal year and improve coordination among the government agencies and non-government organisations. The District Development Committee is the main government institution which implements government's programme in the district.


नेस्ट्ले जिल्ला बिकास समितिको योजना निर्माण कार्यशाला सहभागी भयो
हेटौडा, २५ पौष २०६४

जिल्ला बिकास समितिले आयोजना गरेको को आगामी बर्षको योजना तर्जुमा कार्यशालामा नेस्ट का तर्फबाट कार्यकारी निर्देशक गणेश कुमार श्रेष्ठ र कार्यक्रम संयोजक अच्युत सुबेदी ले भाग लिनुभयो । हरेक बर्ष बजेट तैयार गर्नु भन्दा अघी यस किसिम को कार्यशाला को आयोजना जिल्ला बिकास समितिले गर्ने गरेको छ। कार्यक्रम्मा बिभिन्न गैर सरकारी सस्था हरुको सहभागिता थियो ।