Use this space for general discussion about the project

Dear Neighbours,

On behalf of Min and the local community, please help to welcome Gamauli's newest Facilitator, [url=http://www.nabuur.com/modules/userinfo/userinfo_aboutme.php?uid=15524]Jennifer Wells![/url]

Jennifer is an experienced Facilitator and brings with her a lot of knowledge and enthusiasm. We look forward to working with her.

And special thanks to Omar, who held the Facilitator's role until today. We hope to see you online soon, and again, thanks for your time and efforts put in at Gamauli :-)

Best,

Romina

Thanks Romina-

Hello everyone, I am very happy to be joining the Gamauli village as facilitator. I have received an update from Min on the current status of the school and hope to chat with him in the next few days about the most pressing needs to help get the project moving forward. I look forward to working with you all and hope to have the village pages updated as soon as possible.

Jennifer

I received the following update from Min regarding the current status of Shree Krishna Primary School earlier this week:

Brief report

Shree Krishna Primary School Gamauli

I visited Shree Krishna Primary School last week and I found the developing scenario of that school is as following;

Teachers and students: There are five teachers and 115 (Girls- 65 and Boys-50) students up to class 5. 5 students are receiving scholarship. Min is responsible to manage the scholarship. 21 students passed class five and enrolled in another secondary school. 26 children join class one from the neighboring village. 3 (2 boys) children failed in different class and 6 children (4 girls) dropped out during the last academic year. Two teachers are permanent or government paid, one is paid by VDC and two teachers are paid by Mr. Garry Miller (a nabuur volunteer). One of them is trained and others have not received training and Min has conducted several orientation and exposure meetings with them.

Physical facilities: School has 6 classrooms. Five rooms are occupied by different classes and there is office in a room. School has big play ground but it is not safe and it has not compound wall. Ground is sloppy and student cannot play different games easily. Classrooms are not safe during the summer session. Water falls directly in the classroom. School has managed furniture for class 2-5 and class one sit in floor.

Drinking water: Children are facing problem of drinking water. Some of the children bring water from their home and some of the students go to pond which is 20 minutes far from the school.

Toilet: School has small toilet building with two rooms and it is not sufficient for girls and boys.

Library and sport materials: School has started library with few books provided by room to read and other organizations. Students take books from library (office) and read in their classroom. Then they return to the teacher. Ms. Stacy Helmus has sent few sports materials and stationary in that school. These things are being useful for these children.

Changes:
Comparing with other community schools, it is cleaner and it has managed classroom. School time is increasing; Teachers open school before 30 minutes in the morning and close it after 4.00 o'clock PM.

School has formed School Management Committee (SMC), Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and Scholarship committee. These three committees are active to improve the facilities in their school. Scholarship committee is looking scholarship grant for this academic year.

Community is actively involved in improving physical facilities. Women group visit school and involved in sanitation.

Dear Min Bahadur, Jennifer and all the neighbours.
Namaste!

Today I was very happy to read the projrct of the Gamauli
Now I have been studying it.

I found it very interesting.

Thanks

Tejanath Pokharel

Khandbari

Hello neighbors,

Unfortunately, Min and I were not able to connect via chat this weekend. I hope within the next week we will be able to do so that we can discuss how our group here at Nabuur can best assist the local community to meet their objectives.

I would like to welcome Tejanath to the village and look forward to his insights and assistance here. Tejanath and I are working together currently in the Khandbari village. I am pleased that you have joined us here :)

I hope to have updates for the project steps/tasks very soon.

Kind regards-

Jennifer

Dear Jennifer

Thank you very much

Tejanath

Khandbari

Just a brief update to let you know that Min and I have been communicating via email this week and hope to chat about the project later this evening (my time). We have been having a difficult time connecting due to our 14+ hour time difference, but I hope that we've rectified that now. I hope to have project steps/tasks updated very soon.

Sincerely-

Jennifer

Last night I was able to meet with Min to discuss the current status of the Gamauli project. We discussed current priorities and they remain as follows:

1. Adding 2 rooms to the existing school building.
2. Clean drinking water for the children at the school.
3. Building a compound wall.

Plans have been drawn up for the two rooms and Min said he would send these to me so we can post here for review. He also plans to send me the project plan.

The local community and members of the school body will be responsible for building the additional rooms. Supplies are available for purchase in the nearest market. They have talked with a contractor within the last year and he was ready to proceed with the construction, but they did not have sufficient funding to provide for all of the needed construction materials. The school currently has no budget for 2008 for this project.

The school is also working on improving the education provided to the students, sanitation and parent outreach/education. They hope to be able to provide a room for reading, improve the library and overall sanitation as well. The teachers could benefit from teaching materials/resources as well.

Min has been able to visit the school 4 times in the past year. It is in a remote location outside of Kathmandu. Min must travel by air or by bus to get there. He tells me that this is a very needy area. Many of the people there are very disadvantaged and have had their lives dramatically impacted by the conflict that took place in the region.

Min tells me that it is the beginning of the school year in Nepal. We hope to set an arranged time to meet to continue our discussions.

As a result of our discussion last night, I have opened up several of the tasks that the previous facilitator Omer had pending. I would like to see what we can accomplish in terms of help for building the two school rooms and then possibly turn our focus toward some of the other major priorities such as clean water to the school and improved sanitation. I have contacted some of the other facilitators who are working on similar project tasks for advice to help us as well. Once Min sends me the building plans and project plan, I will open up some of the additional tasks that Omer had waiting.

I look forward to input from all of our volunteers and hope that you will do what you can and offer any suggestions you have to help us. :-)

Min sent me the following update on the current status of our project:

"Dear Jennifer
Last evening, I became able to contact to local contractor (Bhote Sarke) and school management committee chair (Mr. Deependra Menal). They updated to me and they shared about school as well as the community that what they are doing and what they are thinking about the new project as well as the further partnership with Nabuur. They shared as following;
• Nabuur’ s support is being more effective and supportive for that community. Mr. Garry Miller is supporting salary for two teachers from last two years. These two female teachers are doing very well. These are Ms. Geeta Shahi and Miss Sona Shahi.
• They are not teaching only but they are working in community and conducting parent education in the catchment area. Since the number of students is increasing and the drop out is in decreasing rate. Parents visit school and participate in interaction program organized by teachers. Parents and community members involve in improving physical facilities in that school.
• Since, they are grateful to Nabuur and they hope continuity of further partnership and support for improving quality of education in that school.
• They have planned to complete compound wall, drinking water, furniture, library, nursery class and some other things in that school. These are series of their activities in their school. Recently they have planned to collect some local resource and labor the new building with two rooms. Since they are waiting support from nabuur. Here they are ready to support locally as following;
o Wood: Committee members and parents are committed to collect wood for the new building with Two rooms.
o Labor contribution: Parents are committed to contribute labor during the construction. Since they will involve in transportation and other things that they can do physically.
o They have collected Rs. 20,000.00 (USD 303.00) for that building.
• People of the Gamauli expect materials support as well as support for skilled manpower. They are waiting to nabuur in this purpose."

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Jennifer

Dear Jennifer,

Here I would like to special thanks to Jennifer for completing so many ctivities with in few days.

Thanks also to Mr. Teejnath for joining with us and I hope to be closer and success our project staeps.

I am seriously taking this issue at this time because the community is ready for their contribution at this time. Since I hope support and good wishes from all neighbiurs of this village Gamauli.

Sincerely your's
min/LR/Gamauli

Dear Mr. Min Bahadur

Namaste1

I woul like to expreess my best wishes to you projrect for success in the near future.

Tejanath

Khandbari

Hello all-

I wanted to update briefly on 3 things that are in the works for Gamauli village:

1. Several weeks ago, I was contacted by the Director of an Organization called the Mountain Fund. We have been maintaining correspondance and Min has made an attempt to visit their Volunteer Center in Kathmandu. He was not successful in meeting with anyone the day he met, but we have established email contact now with one of the women there and heard from her yesterday. She will be visiting China and when she returns will be setting up a meeting with Min to discuss the project and how volunteers from their center may be able to assist.

2. On June 25, I heard back from the director of another organization that I contacted about possible help with supplies for the school. The response was once again positive and she has promised to look over the information and get back to me. Their organization will be making a trip to India this summer so we are exploring the possibility of some collaboration in the future.

3. Yesterday, Pelle contacted Min and I about a school in the Netherlands who is interested in partnering with our project beginning in September, so we will be working with Pelle and the school to coordinate this effort.

One of the biggest issues with the building project at this time is fundraising. I am hopeful the Mountain Fund may be able to partner with us and provide some assistance in posting the project online to try and raise at least some of the necessary funding for the 2-room addition. Min and I will be discussing some fundraising options and see if we can get some of these efforts moving forward very soon.

I am thrilled that Tatjana and Rafael have joined us again and look forward to collaborating with you both as we move forward!

Warm regards-

Jennifer :-D

Dear Jinnefer, Tatjana, Rafael, Garry and Other neighbours who a joining heir hands with this community Gamauli,

Her I am discussing with local people and committee memebrs regularly. They are also trying to find budget at local level and looking for ways of collecting woods and stone as well as bricks. One of the local teacher as well as guardian is active for this purpose and leadig to the project.

At the same time KAth from Mountain fund and min has planned to meet coming week. Where min will share the project concept and about the nabuur.

I hope Tatjana nad Rafael will prepared design at firast then it would be easier to follow me as well as the other neighbours.

Dear Jennifer, I would like to express many apologies being unable to attend chat in regular. May be it is time differences. But I am trying to meet at 7.30 to 8.30 in the morning and 7.00 to 8.00 in the evening. In most of cases I would be online. At the same time I would like to request other neighbours try to meet at that time and be clear about your curiosities about the village gamauli.

Sincerely your's
min