KEEP's annual Community Development Programme 2004/05 was recently concluded in Dandagaun, a small village north of the capital in partnership with Oz Quest: Young Australian Adventurers. The programme was held from December 29, 2004 – January 20, 2005 and was participated by twenty enthusiastic volunteers from Australia.

PROJECT SITE:

Dandagaun is a beautiful village located in the north of the capital. The village also lies within the buffer zone of the Shivapuri National Park and is dominated by Tamangs, an ethnic group of the mid-hills.

THE SCHOOL:

Bal Bikas Samaj Primary School was established in 1992 with assistance from the village and local government. But, due to the structural instability of the old school building, construction for a new school building began in 2001.

In 2002, KEEP got involved with the school through the International School Conservation Programme. Since then, KEEP has been actively involved in the construction of the new school building as well as provided financial assistance to it. Through the International School Conservation Programme, KEEP has been able to assist the villagers in their quest to construct a new school building with better infrastructure and facilities.

  
PROGRAMME ACTIVTIES:

Activity 1: Interaction Programme:

Prior to the beginning of the programme, a short interaction programme was held in Kathmandu on December 7, 2004. The objective of the interaction programme was to introduce the participants of the Oz Quest Nepal Programme about the different organizations involved as well as to give them opportunity to understand the type of work they would be involved in the coming months.


Activity 2: Painting of School Building:

Since the initial construction of the school, KEEP has been involved in the project. Over the past two years, students from UK under World Challenge auspices, and volunteers from US under Crooked Trails auspices have been involved in the construction of the school. The school is at its final phase of construction, i.e. painting before it can be officially inaugurated. The school still needed to be painted to make it look attractive as well as to preserve the wooden window and door frames.

  
The group was engaged in the white washing of the school as well as painting the window and doors frames. The volunteers also wrote English and Nepali alphabets as well as numbers on the wall of class one. All necessary materials and tools were provided to the volunteers.

Activity 3: Landscaping for playground construction:

The two groups were involved in converting a hill into a small playground. The volunteers were involved in hard labour work as digging, shovelling and clearing the soil. The villagers, school children, guardians and trekking staffs also joined in thus making their work fun and enjoyable.

Activity 4: Construction of Toilet:

The construction of a toilet was a priority for the school. Local builders were used for the construction of the toilet. The group was involved in the digging of the pothole (safety tank) for the toilet and assisting in its construction by carrying stones and rocks, which were dug up in the nearby field necessary to build the toilet wall.


Activity 5: Educational / Village Interaction Session:

This activity provided opportunity for volunteers to interact with the villagers and students of the school to teach and interact. The volunteers conducted classes to teach English, read stories, play games, raise awareness about the environment as well as a small clean-up was organized in the surrounding areas of the school.

The village interaction provided volunteers to interact with the locals. The villagers took it as an opportunity to practice their English while the volunteers saw it as an opportunity to learn Nepali language.

 


Activity 6: Cultural Exchange Programme:

The cultural exchange programme has been a key activity of both the International School Conservation Programme and Community Development Programme. During their stay, the participants were fortunate to witness many religious festivals of Nepal as well as taste Nepali delicacies.

 

The cultural programme was fantastic with both groups hugging the Nepali culture like their own. It was amazing to see participants (Oz Quest) dressed in Nepali costumes and dancing to Nepali tunes. Participants and villagers presented songs, short acts and dances alternately, which was being enjoyed by all present during the night of celebration.

On the same night, the groups presented gifts to the school, which was brought in by the volunteers from Australia. Similarly, each participant was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by KEEP and Oz Quest for his/her support, enthusiasm and hard work during their involvement in the programme.

  
Overall, the Community Development Programme 2004/05 was a enormous success. We achieved the objectives set forth at the beginning of the programme. It was incredible to witness the enthusiasm and commitment of all the volunteers involved in the project.

Finally, we extend our sincere appreciation to all volunteers, students and individuals who have been involved with this school under KEEP's International School Conservation Programme and Community Development Programme and applaud your effort, your enthusiasm and support for the school. In addition, we are grateful to Oz Quest(Australia), World Challenge (UK) and Crooked Trails (USA) for all your support and assistance towards the construction of this school.

 

© Kathmandu Environmental Education Project 2005