exciting changes and updates- library and art

Since it's a Saturday today (my only day off from teaching) I decided to use the day to do some reflection. I'm always conflicted about how to use my spare time in the village- go hike, meet people, and be as engaged as I can or use my precious downtime to refresh, listen to music, journal, read a book, or write a blog post...

After a quick morning hike up the mountain and back down to have milk tea and a "donut" (a round piece of stale bread with some sugar on top!) at my favorite tea shop, I'm sitting on the terrace of my homestay overlooking the snow-capped mountains around me. Every few minutes the pressure cooker in the kitchen emits long shrieking puffs of steam. The subtle scent of Marigolds from the fields and the loud aroma of masala spices from the kitchen creates a ripe smell in the brittle winter air.

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As promised, this post is an update on the library project at Shree Ganesh Basic School.

I had planned to collaborate in some capacity with Room to Read, an SF based INGO. I was hoping they could help the school build a proper library but it turns out they can only help schools set up libraries if they meet certain qualifications relating to study body size. Unfortunately, my school doesn't hit those requirements. But it's not the end of the world! Rather than having one large library as planned I've decided to just stick with library book corners in each classroom. With the collected funds (amounting to around USD $1,200) I bought English and Nepali storybooks as well as necessary art and office supplies that the school was lacking. After many hours roaming through large stationary and book outlets in Kathmandu a few weeks ago, I packed four large cardboard boxes filled with all the supplies and loaded them into the trunk of the dilapidated slow-moving local bus that goes to my village.

The boxes sat unopened in the school office for a few days as we drafted a plan with the teachers for how to make best use of the books and supplies. I was super excited to implement my ideas for a library system and an arts resource center at the school... I wanted to ensure that whatever system and procedure we devised it would be sustainable and really directly benefit students. As the days passed I realized that raising money and buying the books was super easy in comparison to the most daunting task ahead-actually implementing the idea.

In order to really get anything going and last sustainably you need to work with the intended beneficiaries. Therefore it was really important to me that I had conversations with the teachers and students to ensure they're a part of the designing and thought process as well as the maintenance of these new programs. I had many conversations with two coworker-turned- good friends about how to create a rotating library. Some teachers, however, didn't quite understand the point... "These kids don't know how to read. They'll never learn regardless of how much money you spend," "What's the point of these picture books? They should focus on understanding the textbook!," or "The kids will steal the books and vandalize them.... this project isn't going to work out" were frequent feedback.

I was frustrated by their counterproductive comments. I came to see how complex this would come to be... you really need full buy-in from everyone involved to actually make a change, especially at an institution like a school. Because of this the teachers who were on board with my project and I created a plan that would answer to the other teacher's worries rather than brush them off as ignorant (though they really bothered me it's better to work together rather than against one another!...) So finally after some staff meetings and school-wide assemblies, the teachers and I had created a whole framework to run the sustainable book initiative. Each class received a stack of books (a mix of different subjects, languages, and difficulties) which would be under the responsibility of two kids in each class. Through a check-out system students could take a book home for a few days. After a week the books in each class would rotate through to another class. The teachers would be as removed as possible from this process to ensure the kids have agency over the library. Every once in a while books in the classroom will be switched out with books in the office. There is of course a fee system if you loose a book or vandalize it. I've only used 45,000 NPR (roughly $400) so far... Over my next few trips to Kathmandu I will buy more books and ship them to the village school on the local bus. This way I hope to keep expanding the library and adding new titles! I'm planning on having some of the teachers come with me some times so they can add books they need for their classes. Finally, everything is coming together!

The library project has been running for a week now. It's been such a joy to see how it was received by the students. During snack and lunch breaks I often find kids in their classrooms huddled over an exciting picture book, mouthing the English and Nepali words and making lists of new words. Kids have been taking some books home too and return with drawings inspired by the text and questions about vocabulary. It's quite honestly really moving and has really highlighted to me the importance of reading. It also made the whole stressful logistic hassle feel worthwhile....Sometimes when I walk along the hallway and peek into the classrooms I see teachers using the books during lessons either to illustrate a point or to get the kids engaged. It's really exciting to see how this idea has taken shape and is truly being owned by the students and the teachers :) Thank you again for your generous contributions and help! I'm very pleased with what we have accomplished so far but I know there is lots of room to keep growing and adding to the existing system we've set up.

The other branch of this project was to a create an arts and office supplies resource center. I really wanted to do this for two main reasons- to create a designated shared space for supplies so teachers could easily plan lessons, grab materials, and go to class without the hassle of searching through the messy office, and the other was to have more art supplies on hand so I and other teachers could start infusing more creative learning methods into our lessons. With the help of the custodian, I cleared out a large cabinet, made labels for items, and started stacking and organizing supplies.

A few weeks back when I was in Kathmandu I met with the director of a Nepalese rural education arts organization called "Srijanalaya" (Nepali word for creativity). We talked about how to bring arts into rural village schools where academic success is the focus (this makes sense since village families want their kids to have academic tools so they can access greater economic mobility). Therefore, arts has to be presented as a complementary aspect that will deepen academic learning and not as an alternative that will "disrupt" learning... She helped me understand this key idea and together we came up with some lesson plans and ideas. Because of this and the new arts resource area I built in the village school office it is much easier now for me to plan art projects and tie them into the English curriculum. I don't want to force arts education down the other teachers' throats (especially since the Nepalese are a bit resistant to "alternative" types of pedagogy)... so I'm trying to "lead by example" by focusing on spreading art and creative learning to my classes and hoping other teachers will take notice and do the same. It's been really fun for me and for the kids to do this type of learning. A few days ago in an English class with the 4th grade we read a passage on elephants and then made origami elephants to complement the reading (photo below). Yesterday, we organized a school-wide arts competition. With the resources from the funds you donated we gave each group a set of supplies to create a desired piece. In the end we judged the winner!

It has been really exciting to see so many of my ideas come to life! I am deeply humbled though by the process of actually setting up a community project. You need all hands on deck, all voices to be heard, and you want to make sure you are working within the cultural norms and power structures of the school.... I am trying my hardest to make sure that the library and arts aspects of the school will remain strong and sustainable long after I am gone... I want to thank you all again for helping!

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Thank you as always for reading and staying in contact...

Happy New Years!

Manju