Our third week In Nepal

Sunday August 24th
We have been here for three weeks now and are beginning to find our way around the neighbourhood and our work places. We have also had nearly all of our language training and can now speak a little Nepali but we understand and read somewhat more, but it is better than we managed in Amharic over two years so not too bad.

Our home is a hostel rented by KISC (Kathmandu International Study Centre) for short term volunteers, like us, and also for folks who need somewhere temporary whilst waiting for visas etc. Therefore it is busy and interesting as we meet a variety of mission workers. The mornings were noisy in Ethiopia, wailing priests and cars beeping their horns, but here is something else. We have a school outside one of our windows, that means bells and anthems etc. However, that is nothing compared to the other side where there is a zoo! I am not joking, we wake to the sound of chimpanzees (Colin said he saw an arm coming over the wall but I don’t believe him) and a tiger who has obviously got a very bad stomach problem as the noises that he makes are very alarming. Added to that we are under the flight path for Kathmandu International airport and during the night the aeroplanes are accompanied by packs of howling dogs. It is rather surreal. Put all this together with the torrential rain and you will understand that a lie in at the weekend is impossible.

Work is underway for us both now. Colin was received with open arms by the department that do outreach work in schools. Some of them have computers without appropriate software and many have computers in need of maintenance and support. He is linked to two schools, one Government school nicknamed “Leech “ School as it is a bus ride away, followed by a climb up a hill with leeches. He starts there at the end of this week. The other is a school called Good Shepherd which is run by an Indian man and his wife who rely completely on donations to fund it. The rest of Colin’s week involves working in KISC to train the staff in using the computers there.
My work is much more boring though I do escape for one day a week to work in a small local school training the kindergarten and Grade one teachers in how to teach through play and activities. The teachers and children are really grateful for this so I feel it is very worthwhile even though I have very little experience with this age range. I am hoping to be able to buy some educational toys here as they have very little and I have already found a man who makes and sells them very reasonably. The rest of my week is spent in the KISC Primary School where I am putting in a structure to the school for curriculum and assessment. I have been put onto the Senior Management Team for the Primary and Secondary Schools and will be standing in for the Head of the Primary School when she is on leave in October and for a month in January when she goes home and the original Head returns from her leave. The non Nepali staff at KISC are all volunteers and therefore unpaid so I have to rely so much on their goodwill and need to be very sensitive to their needs and feelings in my role here.
We are about to go off to Church now, it is very international and is held at Kisc. This will be our second time. We are also in a House Group that meets on Tuesdays in different houses so are feeling part of things here. Thanks for all your emails, we love to hear from you.

Ellen and Colin