VIN conducted a Primary Teacher Training for 23 teachers of 9 different schools. The training was very practical and was based on local reality. After the training, we distributed the classroom resources for schools. We hope to conduct the regular training and follow up. All schools have what they were taught to use and they are also encouraged to use locally resources.

 

VIN: Teacher Development
Diann and Jessica initially traveled to Nepal with the idea that they would be teaching English to Buddhist monks. However, Bhupi persuaded them to use their experience in education to develop teacher trainings to benefit the community of Jitpur.  Diann has worked in education for 31 years and is currently a teacher trainer in California, USA.  Jessica currently teaches at the secondary level in Washington, DC, USA and recently finished her masters in International Education. During the first week of the project, Diann and Jessica observed teachers in the community schools to evaluate their needs and to assist in the development of trainings to improve their teaching.  Many teachers tend to use the “Chalk and Talk” method, relying on repetition and rote memorization to facilitate student learning. In addition, it was observed that teachers struggled to utilize resources such as the Room to Read books or other materials from their own community.

 

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Diann and Jessica presented two trainings; a two-day training for Early Childhood Development teachers, and, a one-day training for Primary Teachers. The goal for each training was to give teachers ideas on how they can integrate creativity and excitement in their teaching.  Trainings emphasized the need for higher order questioning and differentiated teaching based on research.  Diann and Jessica presented many examples of how teachers can engage students in active learning through the implementation of meaningful and enjoyable activities.  Teachers practiced strategies such as singing fun children’s songs, playing simple musical instruments, reading books aloud, making flashcards, brainstorming and others.   In addition, Diann and Jessica demonstrated how to use the Room to Read books in the classroom.

 

The following week, Diann and Jessica followed up their trainings by visiting each of the schools.  They observed the teachers implementing the techniques that they had learned in the training.  Diann and Jessica demonstrated teaching methods with the children and gave feedback to the teachers. The teachers were excited about their new strategies and were very receptive to the suggestions offered.  Overall, the teacher development was a great success for all involved!

VIN organised an educational tour to 55 Jitpur community women to Kavre. They mainely visited and observed the organic vegetable farming at Kavre. They had practical experience of how organic vegetable farming affects the farmers' lives of Kavre. They talked to the real farmers and gained experienced from them. This a very good learning experiences for them. The women are very excited to involve in the organic farming. VIN will contineausly conduct these visits and trainings for women to empower them. If you wish to support them please contact VIN. Your small contribution will help them to make a difference in their lives.

VIN conducted early childhood teacher (ECD) teacher training to its 10 catchments schools of Jitpur community. on 11 and 12 July 2008. There were over 20 trainee teachers. All enjoyed the child friendly and child centered approached training. The training was cunducted by two experienced teacher trainers of the USA and Bhupi. First, the trainirs observed the trainee teachers classroom behavors and teachers' need were assessed. then they were trained for 2 days. The trainers will monitor and support the teachers in comming days so that the training skills are transfered in the classroom. VIN will also conduct training for primary and secondary teacher in coming days. If you are interested to support VIN's programmes, please contact us.

VIN organized a blood danation program at Gongabu Manohar Secondary School on 5th July. Over 100 people actively participated in the program and 55 people donated the blood. "Give Blood, Save Life" This program was part of "on Youth Hands" program where our local youths led these social activities. VIN's planning to organize blood donation once in 3 nonths regularly. Please contact us if you wish to sponsor our program.

VIN organized a-week long organic vegetable farming training for 45 disadvantaged women at Tinpiple, Jitpur (Kathmand). The women have developed confidence in producing organic farming. The training was very practical. The women were given some vegetable seeds. They will soon initiate seasonal and unseasonal vegetable farming. VIN will provide the seed funding to start their work. If you are interested to help women be independent then please contact VIN at info@volunteeringnepal.org

Thank you in advance

VIN local and international volunteers celebrated June 5, Environment Day by organising clean up and plantation programmes. Community people, local youths and army men had given thier hands for the programmes. We planted over 200 trees of different species around Jitpur school and the environment clean up camp was organised after an awareness program for the local people. The local people were very happy with the program and have committed not to through garbage around them and will manage a garbage bin locally.

 

VIN conducted "A Vitit to Okhaldhunga with Overseas Volunteers". There were 9 trekkers including Drew and Marina fron the US, Boz (UK), Marie and Romi (Gernay) and 4 Nepali people. Okhaldhunga is bellow to Mount Everest region and you can see Mt Everest clearly from Okhaldhunga. It was a week tour and all volunteers enjoyed the landscape of Okhaldhunga. Some of them have promissed to go back once in their life time since they were very inspired of its people and geography. VIN's next working will be Okhaldhunga which is a very backwarded place. It takes 3 days to reach there; two days by bus and one whole day walk! Be ready to take a challange to be there and I hope you will also enjoy its beauty and people!

VIN has selected Nepali Youths for "On Youths Hand" Project. There will be 8 faciliators and 15 direct beneficiaries aged between 18-25 for the programme. Nepali youths will prepare different activities to participate in the "On Youths Hands" Porject. There will be about 25 EU youths and 23 Nepali youths participating in the programmes durion July and August. The they will receive career development trainings nonformally and about two weeks for volunteering and sports and cultural programmes. If you would like to participate or donate for the programmes please visit our website and donate using the PayPal service. Thank you in advance for reading about us and helping us to deliver this programmes. We welcome all youths focused organizations and individuals to involve in the programmes.

The network has started to function from December 2007, once with the initiation of the “On Youth Hands” project that was created following cooperation, educational and social purposes. The first phase of programme will last till November but we hope to continue in the future. This programme is funded by European Eunion. In the 1st meeting in Poland has shared the activities to be done in in its partner countries and programmes countries - Nepal and Cape Vert. The youths will go and volunteer in Cape Vert July and Nepal in August. Please visit www.onyouthhands.eu for more details.

 -It promotes intercontinental cooperation and support between three continents: Europe, Africa and Asia.

-It assumes experience exchanges between countries

-It is orientated towards developing countries, such as Nepal and Cape Vert

-Shared and promoted values are:

· active citizenship

· social inclusion

· tolerance

· best practice

· social responsibility

· non-violence

· new millennium development goals – accent upon achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women,  ensuring environmental sustainability, developing a global partnership for development

 The members of the network are the following:

-APoWeR - Association for the Promotion of Women in Romania (coordinator),

- “Politehnica” University of Timisoara (Romania),

- CKU - Centre for Continuing Education

- Youth Centre in Sopot (Poland)

- DSP Center - Center for Developing of Social Programs and Social Entrepreneurship (Slovenia)

-INDE – Intercooperation and Development CRL (Portugal)

-ABC – Association Friends of a Common Cradle (Cape Vert)

-VIN - Volunteers Initiative Nepal

VIN, in its catchments have started Community Garbage management System with the awareness programs and campaign. We would like to thank Romi Buhner who initiated this project on the behalf of VIN. Chilkdren's clubs, women's groups, and other community people actively involved in the programs. They are committed to make their village a plastic free VILLAGE! 

VIN took 14 community people (women, community leader, teacher, children's clubs representatives and VIN volunteers) for a community visit to Kavre for observing Forage Development sites. Our purpose is to make them feel that how improved  forage can make their life easy and how they can start it. They are now all exicited to plant the improved forage to their community.

VIN has been supporting an orphanage centre ( Children Women Walfare Organization) at Kapan, Kathmandu. We had a Medical Check-up of  27 children the orphanage centre. One doctor and a nurse was hired for the purpose. Then the medication was provided according to their prescription. The Amrican volunteers Andrew and Marina raised th funds for the purpose. We would like to thank them. We have more package to support the orphans with.

Over 20 VIN's national and International Volunteers actively participated in the RALLEY organized by volunteering organizations in Kathmandu on 5th of December. Our volunteers went around the city with provoking slogans: Volunteers, the Real Actor; Volunteerism for community development.

They also donated blood on the occasion. We would like to thank our volunteers who participated the Ralley. Join and make a difference!

VIN conducted a women's interaction program on 18th September, 2007. There were over 75 women from different groups and villages. They shared the skills they have learnt and problems they have faced during their activities. The local volunteers have performed a drama to inspire other women to join the groups. The groups had also brought their products for the exihibitions. They had expressed their experiences through folk songs. The most women said- VIN's women's empowerment program has helped them a lot to develop improve their effeciency of the work and could generate more income for the family. Lets help these women to be more independent. Contact us at info@volunteeringnepal.org for the support.

On the occasion of World Literacy and National Education Day, VIN also participated with its productions collectively from its stakeholders, e.g. women, children. Over 20  national and international organizations participated with their publications and production related to women and children.

Newly literate women groups, children, their facilitators, organization representatives and the Education Minister, Pradip Nepal  with his high level officials have met on the 5th September at an INTERACTION PROGRAMME at VS Niketan, Kathmandu.

The women supported by VIN had an opportunity to share about their experiences. To quote Maiya Devkota- I have developed a lot of personal and behavioural skills from my literacy education with VIN. I can now read simple books, news, letters and write letters and do some simple maths. It has made my life easier. Thank you VIN.

VIN facilitators (Dipika and kabita) and women representatives stated that the non-formal learning courses should not be made limited for 6 months or a year. It should rather be designed to the need of target groups. Then more people can benifit out of the programmes. They also addressed the need of networking and partnerships of District Education Office and Non-formal Education Centre with other grassroot level organizations. The close monitoring and follow up will assure the high achievements of the programmes.

The minister then advised his team to designand implement the pragrammes as suggested by the participants. He further addressed that the need based programmes will help improve life standards of the people.

 

As VIN has been in the National Network of Non-formal Education Board, we have also got opportunity to be in the Management Committee of World Literacy Day - September 8 Celebration. Nepal government has decided to celibrate Literacy Day and Education Day at the same time i.e. September 8 (Bhadra 22). Some activities will be conducted collectively and some in different way on the occasion.The committee has decided to conduct different activities, e.g.Interaction amongst literate, iliterate and other professional people, Award for the Best Community Learning Center (CLC), exihibition of the best materials produced by the newly litereate groups, Poster and Pamphlets publication. The government and non-government organizations working for non-formal education will help the target groups bring together to celebrate the occsion on the 8th Sept.
2007.

VIN conducted a-two-day Ancoring/MC (Master of Ceremoney) training at Jitpur on 24-25 Aug, 2007. There were 24 representatives from 7 children's clubs. The training was very practical where children could practise their ancoring skills. The contents covered in the workshop were: fundamentals of ancoring, program design, factors affecting MC, TIPS for improving the ancoring skills. The participant students said - the training was very helpful to develop confedence. Next training for children's clubs will be DRAMA performance. The training will be conducted for a week. We need some funds for this. If anybody interested to support the children's clubs, then use our online donation button and help children to explore their innate talents.

VIN has conducted one day Art Training for FSP Children at Gongabu on 29th july, 2007. Our VIN International volunteer, Ann-Marie from Canada facilitated the workshop. There were 25 participants altogether including children, class facilitator, Educational volunteers and VIN staff. The participants at the training said- it was really an interesting way of making children's learning more joyful and creative. VIN is replicating these ideas to other children's clubs as well. Thank you Ann-Marie for helping us conducting such an useful training!

VIN conducated school health camp on 29th July at Mahadevsthan Primary School, Jitpur Kathmandu. The children's club of Mahadevsthan received the MEDICAL TEAM with flower buquet. The camp was conducted in partnership with Social Action Volunteer (SAV). There were15 people in the team from SAV,  including 5 doctors, 7 nurses and 3 GAA personel. VIN volunteers, children club and school teachers played active role during the programme.

 

More then 300 people benifitted from the program. Out of them 170 were the school children and 130 plus were the community people. Most people who were deprived of medical check up get checked and received the medicine. The community people participated the program with happiness. We would like to thank SAV for working in partnership with VIN.VIN will continue the school health camp for all of its working schools and communities.
Anybody interested to support school health program can contact VIN.

VIN conducted a one-day workshop for teachers of English on 17th July at Jitpur, 15 km away from downtown. There were 15 participant teachers from 6 schools: Jitpur HSS, Thulagaun SS, Kalikasaran PS, Khadawalkot PS, Mahadevesthan PS and Saraswoti PS.

The theme of the workshop was USING ART WORK for JOUFUL LEARNING. The facilitators of the workshop were Ann-Marie from CANADA and Bhupendra Ghimire. All teachers were very excited to the ideas. They said they enjoyed the training a lot. This is something teachers can use in their class and can make their lessons more joyful and ultimately can be more productive.

Playing with English words using colours is really a fun activity for children.
We are planning to supply some materials to these schools.Thinking that whether
teachers can encourage children to use these ideas in their learning! We need some funds for this. If you have any ideas for collecting funds, please let us know.
With just $70 we can furnish with materials!

We are planning to conduct one training programmes for teachers of English
in September. The theme of the training will be STARTING ENGLISH LESSONS USING JOYFUL APPROACH.

VIN has been conducting various activities to support the government to help achieve the goal of "Education for All" by 2015. VIN has set up a Flexible Schooling Programme Class (FSP) at Gangabu, Kathmandu for thechildren
 aged 8-14 with no access of formal schooling. This programme has been implemented in partnerships with CASP/JICA and DEO. There are 22 children benefitting from the programme. All of these children  are either victims of conflicts or orphans or house workers. They have to work hard to survive. They
 come to the class with no textbooks or any stationaries and uniforms. The class has been very supportive for them since they can come to the class in their own time (now afternoon 1:30-5:30) for 4 hours. This programme is for 3 years and after they complete 3 years, they will be admitted to gradeVI in a public school (mother school) nearby.

 

VIN has been conducting different activities (mass communication, drama, door to door visit, children's club, youth development) to mobilize the community so that they would be aware on the importance of education and nobody would miss education. VIN has some finincial constraints to support these children for uniforms and stationary.

 

If you are interested to support these children, then you can make donations either using our website DONATION BUTTON or mailing at donate@volunteeringnepal.org.

Thank you for your time and contributions!

VIN has set up Child Development Centre (CDC) at Panchmane Community, Kathmandu We have 20 children, aged between 4-5 have been benifitting from the programme. The Centre will have to be equipped with child friendly furniture and the materials for the children. This centre has been implementing in partnership with District Education Office (DEO).

VIN also supports 6 CDCs based on 6 schools. At least we need 350 US dallors for each centre to be well equipped. 

Any individual or organization interested to support anyway for this purpose is welcome. you can send us your donations at: donate@volunteeringnepal.org or use our DONATE button.

We aim to promote litaracy rate in the community and our volunteers now have been running literacy classes for women. There are 20-25 women in one class. We have been running this programme with the technical support of DEO, Kathmandu. The women have been very encouraged to learn basic mathematics and nepali alphabets reading.

We have mobilized the local volunteers for the purpose but we can not afford even substance allawances. So if you want to support our local volunteers to promote their work, please contact at: info@vinnepal.org

Thank you for reading and understanding us.

VIN has formend 9 groups of women at Jitpur for Income Generation Programme. We have been running this programme in association with District Education Office (DEO) Kathmandu. DEO will provede the technical support and VIN will do the rest. For the purpose, each group has to raise 10,000 Rupees ($150) and we will have to match the funds i.e. VIN will add 10,000 rupees to their funds. Our volunteers team have been conducting different activities to prepare for the programme.

The women have to be busy only in their household chores and they do not have any sources of income. They have to be dependent on their husband. Their husbands also do not have any good source of income and spend their time all day gambling. Their children do not have education materials they need and do not attend school regularly. VIN therefore aims to promote women's skills for generating income providing essential skills, e.g. mushroom producation, candiles making, insence making, bee keeping, goat keeping.

The difficulties of the programme is that the women are finincially so poor and they have said they can not collect that much money. VIN therefore request individuals or organizations to support on the endeavour. Your small contribution will help the women in the community to develop their skills for income generation and can initiate their small business on their own and can support their children education.

If you are interested, please contact VIN.

VIN runs its programmes only after the research in the site and projects are developed based on the research reports. Now our local and international volunteers are collecting data from the community involving the community people. We collect data using the PLA tools. Community Mapping, Focus Group Discussions, Interviews, Problem Tree, Participats Observations have been some of the tools for our staffs and volunteers to use. This picture shows one of the events in the commuity mapping. Community representatives have been involved in the process so that they know the process and can continue later ever after the projects are over. Our team will finish the first phase of data collection by March and we will have detail project planning in April gathering all possible community stakeholders, e.g. leaders, teachers, students, Head teachers, parents, women and local government in the new site.

We provide most opportunities for local people and youths. If we need experts then we recruit the outsiders otherwise only the locals. This has proven the good records for sustainable thoughts of development. 

Come and give your hands for developing the marginalized communities.

Volunteer Initiative Nepal (VIN) conducted a  week long Local Youth Development workshop for the youths of Jitpur Village Development Committee from 7th Feb to 14th Feb, 2007. There were 20 youths, 19 females and one male. One of them was the international volunteer from the US.

The Theme of the workshop was: Youth Volunteers for Community Development. The contents of the workshop were: Volunteerism, Making Change Happen, Facilitation Skills, Community Mobilization skills, Communication and Feedback skills, Child Rights and Participation.

 

The participants were very happy with the contents and techniques covered in the workshop. VIN aims to conduct workshops for teachers, children, Head teachers, Schools Management Groups, Community people in different area shortly.

We are not funded by any organization. If individual or organization is interested to help in these training programmes, we would be greatful and the marginalized groups of people would be advantaged. 

 

Thanks for reading and understanding us.