NEST NEWS

Prajwal School starts Literacy class

2009-04-01T03:25:00.000-07:00

Prajwal School has started literacy classes for parents and people of Chaughada community. Hari Rai, the care taker of the Prajwal School who is illiterate, has also joined the class. This initiative from the Prajwal School has come to implement the school vision to provide education opportunity for all.

Students of the Prajwal School are encouraging their parents and relatives to join the classes.

Sandra presents " Play for Peace" in the Netherlands

2009-03-08T20:38:00.000-07:00

Sandra did a presentation on " Play for Peace" project at the Sportacademy of Amsterdam, the capital city of the Netherlands. There were 10 students to listen to the stories about the project.
Loes Meulenbroeks and Sandra Rutten, then students of Sports teacher had provided funding through International Council for Nepal ( ICFON) the Netherlands.
Last December Sandra visited the projects after three years with her parents and friends.
The project was successful in peace building and empowering girls in sports. Read more about Play for Peace Play for Peace

NEST welcomes to Alana

2009-03-08T20:21:00.001-07:00

NEST is very pleased to welcome Alana who will be volunteer with NEST for five months as a project adviser. She left Canada to live overseas, first as a traveler, then as an English teacher, and most recently as a volunteer with VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas). She has been living mostly in South East Asia, but has spent the last two years working with VSO in Cameroon, West Africa. She is keen on learning the language, the customs, meeting people. She says " Becoming a part of the community is very important to me".

Maths Teacher Training in Hetauda

2008-11-10T04:30:00.000-08:00

With financial support from ICFON, the Netherlands and in collaboration with Mathematics Education Council, a professional organisation of Maths teachers in Nepal , NEST is going to organise two day Maths Teachers workshop from 28 to 29 October 2009 in Hetauda.

Mr. Tikaram Pokharel, Asst. Professor of School of Education, Kathmandu University and Mr. Krishna Pokharel, General Secretary of the Mathematics Education Council and Senior Maths trainer will conduct the training.
Please contact NEST office in Rapti Road for registration.
Registration. NRs 100 for two days

NEST supports three girls with different abilities

2008-11-10T04:11:00.000-08:00

Hetauda

Pabitra Thing is 26 years old. She lives in a village near to Hetauda Municipality. She wants to become a professional teacher therefore, she is doing B.Ed in a college in Hetauda. But she is worried if her dream to become a teacher will be fulfilled as her parents' economic condition is not very good. She has many dreams- she wants to stop girl trafficking. Every year, many girls from her village are trafficked to India, some end up working in Indian Brothel and others work in Circus. She wants to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS in her community and wants to serve in the local school. She is physically challenged as she lost her left leg because of cancer. But she is committed to struggle in life and be an example for many girls in her community who do not complete primary education.

Similalry, Shanti Maya Muktan (24) comes from the same village of Pabitra. She also wants to be a teacher. She is currently studying in I.Ed. Because of her parents' poor financial conditions, she is worried if she could finish her study. She has got two artificial legs. She wants to run a tailoring shop to support her study. She wants to be self-reliant.

Jamuna Tithung also has similar story. She wants to continue her study but she does not have money. She is currently doing her 10+2 in Hetauda.

They all approached NEST for financial support after hearing about NEST support programme. With the financial support from ICFON, the Netherlands, NEST has been supporting children and youths with different abilities , Dalit and ethnic communities to their education. In stead of sponsoring the children, NEST provides loans to the children and they also receive skills and training to run micro business.

NEST has also supported Umesh Raut who is visually impaired to start a food shop in Hetauda.

NEST Sports Club Formed

2008-09-11T17:46:00.000-07:00

10 September 2008

NEST started "Play for Peace" sport project two years ago. This programme was funded by Sandra and Loes through ICFON,the Netherlands. Six local schools got grants to build table tennis courts, and they also received sport gears and materials.
This programme was very successful in establishing harmony and friendship among children who were affected by conflict. Moreover, last year NEST organised a month long Football coaching during the summer school holidays. As a result of this coaching, three girls were selected for District Football Team and they also took part in a national level football tournament.
Part of the project, a basket ball court was built at Prajwal School, it is the only basket ball court in this community. A sport club has been formed under the leadership of Pratik , Prajwal, Pratit and Prashanta who are working as NEST volunteers and coaching students and youths of the community.
30 children and local youths have already joined the NEST sport club. The members of the club practise basket ball at weekends.

International Literacy Day and National Education Day observed

2008-09-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

Hetauda, 8 September 2008 .
On the occasion of International Literacy Day and National Education Day NEST organised a street library exhibition at Traffic Chok, Hetauda. Various libraries related activities such as drawing,story writing, poem writing and essay writing competitions were organised. The Chief guest of the programme was the District Education Officer Mr. Cholendra Kumar Pandit. Executive Director of NEST Mr. Ganesh Kumar Shrestha, Special guest from Room to Read, Mr.Sushil Adhikari, NEST Volunteer from France, Ms Karien Parpime, and all NEST members were present in the programme. 46 students from 12 partner schools where NEST in collaboration with Room to Read has established school libraries,took part in the competitions.
This is the second year that NEST has organised street library exhibition in Hetauda to observe international literacy day.Mr. Ganesh Kumar Shrestha, the Executive Director told that the main purpose of the programme was to raise awareness about the importance of libraries, encourage children to read and develop their reading habits.Mr. Pandit, the DEO of Makwanpur district appreciated NEST's contribution to the development of quality education in community schools of Makawanpur district. Shambhu Bartaula, a teacher from Rastriya Lower Secondary School said " Such Exhibition and activities really motivate students, teachers and other public to read books and use library".At the end of the programme, winners of Story writing, Peom writing, Essay writing and drawing competition received prizes.

Welcome to Karen and Rebecca

2008-09-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-22T19:53:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-09T19:53:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-09T11:15:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-09T10:34:00.001-07:00

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

2008-08-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-02-01T15:04:00.000-08:00

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.

2008-01-30T14:34:00.000-08:00

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.

2008-01-16T12:16:00.000-08:00

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.

2008-01-16T11:41:00.001-08:00

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 ।

2008-01-04T13:54:00.000-08:00

NEST to support to build Student Hostel

Wilko Verbakel, Treasurer of ICFON, the Netherlands visited Janapriya Technical School on 15 December 2007. Wilko met school management committee members, teachers and students. Janapriya Schol has been supported by NEST with the financial support from ICFON since 2006. Now, the school has a welequipped lab, agriculture equipments.

NEST also provides INVEST ( Initiative of NEST for Vocational Education and Scholarship for Technical Training) scholarship for Dalit, girls and students from disadvantaged groups. As the school does not have a hostel facility, girls from other districts could not find good accommodation, therefore, NEST is supporting the school to build a hostel which will house 10 students.

Students who receive INVEST scholarship, will have to volunteer 2 days a month in their own communities. They share their technical knowlege to the community for example helping the community to grow organic vegetables, animal husbandary etc.

2007-11-24T16:26:00.000-08:00

Four girls got selected to join a local football team

Four girls from NEST Child clubs who took part in the football coach in Summer, got selected to join the District football.
With the financial support of ICFON, the Netherlands, NEST had strated a play for peace, a peace building initiative in 2006 and part of this project, two month football coach was organised in July-August 2007. The girls who have been selected had never took part in the sports before they joined the NEST sports.

Sandra and Loes, who sponsored the project on behalf of NEST deserve our appreciation !

Bravo girls !

2007-11-24T15:53:00.000-08:00

NEST welcomes Cristian Trefault and Lisa Brady

Lisa Brady, second year student at the University of Denver, recieving degree in International Human Rights and Conflict Resolution is doing her internship with NEST. She will be working with NEST for five weeks. She will mainly work with NEST child clubs, children from the Prajwal School. She will help NEST with documentation of NEST's projects.

Similarly, Cristian Trefault, an ex- JET volunteer from Akita, Japan is going to volunteer with NEST from the first week of December 2007. He used to teach English in Japan. After he completed his work in Japan, he travelled on his bycycle and came to Nepal by cycling via Tibet.

NEST would like to welcome Lisa and Cristian to Nepal. NEST organises internship and volunteer placements. If you are also interested, please contact NEST for further information. info@nestworld.org

2007-11-23T14:40:00.000-08:00

NGO-PUM and NEST to organise a Student Exchange Visit

24 November 2007, Hetauda :

Ms. Lee Bora, the representative of NGO-PUM, an NGO based in the South Korea visited the Prajwal School, a community based school promoted by NEST in collaboration with the Everest of Apples, Japan and others yesterday. NGO-PUM has been working in Nepal in the field of education particularly in cultre and arts.

In January 2008 , 30 Korean students will visit Hetauda to learn about education, community, cultre and arts of Nepal. They will spend three days in Hetauda visiting villages .

NGO-PUM had also supported to organise Summer Camp by providing some stationeries. NEST looks forward to working with NGO-PUM.

2007-11-04T11:15:00.000-08:00

NEST's new executive committee formed

For the next three years, NEST's new executive committee was formed in the presence of Mr. Purna Kumar Shrestha, founder in Hetauda. The committee has been formed under the chairpersonship of Mr. Ganesh Kumar Shrestha, Executive Director, Mr. Pramod Bidari, Deputy Director, Mr. Sanjay Sigdel, General Secretary, Ms. Laxmi Shrestha, Secretary, Mr. Rajesh Shrestha, Treasurer, Mr. Bhim Kumar Shrestha, Member, Ms. Rupa Gorkhali, Member, Mr. Rabindra Shrestha, Member. Ms. Pratistha Shrestha , Secretary.