English Access Microscholarship Program, Gorkha, Nepal

Reflection on the Spring Camp

English Access Microsholarship Program, Nepal, organized a week-long Spring Camp from 15th to 20th April, 2012. The program was organized in Dhulikhel, a naturally spacious town of Kavre District, near the Capital of Nepal. All the students of its 1st Cohort who are studying at three different Access Centers (Gorkha, Bhairahawa and Kathmandu) in Nepal, took part in the camp. All the instructors of the 1st Cohort from these three locations were also present. During the camp, the students were exposed with different activities and trainings related to leadership development, cultural understanding, food and hygiene, educational trips and use of modern technology. There was presence of NELTA President; Regional English Language Officer, American Embassy, Kathmandu; Director, Department of Education, Ministry of Education; NELTA Executives; Camp Director from America, English Language Fellow for Nepal and so on. The program was a grand success. Regarding the effectiveness and success of the program, the students and teachers of Gorkha Center have made following reflections.

Access Students, Access Center, Gorkha

Sangita Rana

In the Spring Camp, I learned many new things. Most of them were related to develop our leadership skills and health. Among the activities, I liked yoga session. The instructor was very good. The session by Ganga Ram Gautam sir was also useful for us. The cultural program was also good for us. We also got the opportunity to visit new places. I am so lucky and thanks for the organizer, Access Nepal.

Srijana Shrestha

The Spring Camp was really good for us. We got the opportunity to visit new places. We came in contact with many new friends. We also attended many leadership activities. I myself sang and danced that was the golden chance for me. The cultural activities were good and encouraging for us. I liked the drawing competition most. I feel myself very lucky to be an access student.

Bindu Adhikari

In the Spring Camp, I liked the yoga session very much. I got the chance to meet new people and I made a number of friends. I liked the magic program most. I liked the session related to the voluntary in the community . Trips were really good for us.

Nabin Thapa

The Camp was very fruitful for me. I learnt how people worked for the society. Yes, Ganga Sir's session was very important for us. The activities that Mark Rowland involved us were also good. He always encouraged us. The hotel and the environment were very nice. I liked cultural program a lot and me too enjoyed. I would like to thank NELTA, Access Nepal, American Embassy and the hotel owners for their effort to teach us all these things.

Anil Thapa

I liked the food items and the serving there. The sessions of Motikala Dewan, Ganga Sir and Fife were so nice. They all were very useful for us. I would like to thank them a lot.

Aastha Shrestha

I liked cultural program and I also liked group competition. I liked yoga session very much. I got more knowledge from the educational trips. I found all the people cooperative and encouraging.

Sarita Baniya

In the Spring Camp, I liked the cultural program most. The group competition for making flags was very good for us. I found all people very helpful. Most of the teachers from different centers helped us without any biasness. Barbara kindly helped us.

Anusuya Khadka

In the Spring Camp, I got to learn so many things from every session. I liked everything and every session but I loved most was the session “How to develop self leadership?”. Voluntary community service, yoga and games were also very nice for us.

Anita Gurung

I am very much impressed with this Camp. I made many friends and learned a lot. Basically, Ganga Sir's session was very exciting for us because we learnt what to do and how to do community service. Everybody from NELTA and Access were helpful. Hotel Service was good and no comment. Fife taught us technology which was very useful for us. I am very lucky to be the part of Access Nepal.

Kamal Raj Devkota, Focal Person, Access Program, Gorkha

I would like to express my feelings and experience of the Spring Camp thematically.

Platform of interaction

The Spring Camp became the platform of interaction for our students. Our students and we got the chance to be introduced with new personalities and students from different locations of the country. No doubt, that has broadened the social horizon of our students. It got changed into the big family which could share the same kitchen. They got the chance to be acquainted with RELO Officer, Mr. Fife, Camp Director, Mark Rowland, NELTA President and other executives, representatives from the Ministry of Education, ELF Barbara, Access teachers and their own colleagues from other different Access Centers.

Platform of exhibiting and sharing talents

I found the Spring Camp the platform of exhibiting talents for our students. We found them presenting their talents without any hesitation. They felt encouraged and always became ready to show what they had. They danced, sang and cracked jokes which we teachers hadn’t imagined before. They were crazy about performing cultural activities. The session that the Magician took in one evening was highly acclaimed from their side.

Platform of social motivation

The Spring Camp was very much successful in this sense. Our students got the chances to be acquainted with the social work. The session of Immediate Past President of NELTA, Mr. Ganga Ram Gautam, was found very effective for that. His stories of social work made our children feel something for their society. The social issues that the students raised to be changed in their respective schools and communities were really nice. They, at that time, were full of enthusiasm and motivation for the social works.

Platform of Cultural Sharing and Learning

The Spring Camp became the platform of cultural sharing and learning. They got the chance to be acquainted with English and Nepali culture related to food, serving, buffet system and so on. They learnt a lot about standard hotel and the servings and facilities they provide. They learnt how to be well disciplined and encourage other to be like that. I remember, the ‘hand up’ that Mark Rowland taught was enough for controlling the huge noise of the hall. All students learnt that and maintained their attention for every activity wherever they were taken and asked to do. The trips were also very fruitful for the learners.

Platform of accumulating information related to modern technology

The Spring Camp stood as the platform of learning about modern technology. The session, especially taken by RELO Officer, Mr. Fife, was very informative for students and teachers as well. Our students were very curious at that time and wanted to know a lot. Yes, it has added a challenge for the teachers and whole Access family. There is a computer lab in Kathmandu but not in Gorkha and Bhairahawa and I think in the locations where new cohort has been added. No doubt, our students had been able to grasp some knowledge about technology from that session. They will certainly utilize that in learning English and other different things in the days to come and we have to encourage them to do so.

Program of encouragement for the new buds to be bloomed

I found this program highly encouraging. Everybody was devoted for the development of leadership in the learners. NELTA President and other dignitaries made very encouraging remarks. They made the students realize they are leaders for their society. They all welcomed students to talk to them freely and without any difficulties. The students were behaved like friends not the junior colleagues. Mark Rowland was always busy with them, Barbara was busy them and all the Access teachers were busy with them for encouraging them to realize they are leaders and going to leaders in their communities in the future.

Platform of Collaboration not Competition

The activities in the camp were not for students’ competition. There were nobody winners and losers in the program. All the students were involved the collaborative works. All were busy to help others and to get help from others. The Yoga and other health related activities were really fruitful for them. Their creative production was teaching us the lesson ‘learners are full of potentialities and it the teachers who can bring or fail to bring their potentiality out’.

One week in the New World

The Spring Camp became the new world for us and our students. It was really the new world for learning, collaborating and sharing. No doubt there were some problems. But everybody took that easily. Teachers forgot their homely tension and the tension of their offices; NELTA Personalities postponed their important works and joined in the program, people of the hotel worked whole-heartedly for bringing the Access Camp successful, personalities from the Embassy and Department of Education gave space to our invitation. No student felt homesickness. Rather, it was really challenging for teachers to bring them back to respective centers because they wanted to be more with their friends. I myself sobbed when the students sobbed at the time of departure from the camp. Though we all worked, claimed to be credited, the major credit goes to Mr. Shyam Bahadur Pandey, the coordinator, Access Program, Nepal, whose quick decision and motivation to all made the Spring Camp a grand success.

Thank you.

English Access Program, Gorkha

The inauguration of English Access Microscholarship Program, 2^nd Cohort, took place in Access Center, Gorkha, on 27^th January, 2012. The program was organized by Nepal English Language Teachers’ Association (NELTA) and Access Program, Nepal. The program was chaired by NELTA President Mr. Hemanta Raj Dhahal. In the program, Fife Mac Duff, Regional English Language Officer (RELO), American Embassy, Kathmandu, was the chief guest. Chief District Officer (CDO), Gorkha, Mr. Kamal Prasad Bhattari; Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Gorkha, Mr. Basanta Kunwar; District Education Officer (DEO) Gorkha; Dr. Meg, from America; Mr. Damodar Regmi, Ministry of Education, Campus Chiefs, Gorkha Campus, Gorkha and Drabyashah Multiple Campus, Gorkha and Principals of the schools where Access Students have been selected from, were present as the special guests. The parents of the students who were selected for the second cohort were also present as the guests. Mr. Fife, the Chief Guest, inaugurated the program by lighting the oil lamp. In the program, NELTA, Gorkha Branch, Chair, Mrs. Hari Maya Sharma, welcomed Chief Guest, Special guests, media persons, parents and the Access students of 1^st cohort and 2^nd cohort. In his inauguration speech, Mr. Fife said that he had come as the messenger of the American people who have helped for Access Program. He further added that people thank him for such programs in Nepal and other five countries where he is working as RELO but it is not it is American people who are thankful because they have contributed more to uplift the academic excellence, cultural understanding and leadership in the learners of the countries like Nepal through Access Program. He also expressed that he including American people want to see the Access students today the future leaders in different sectors in this society tomorrow. In the program, Mr. Hemanta Raj Dahal said that Access Program has enhanced English Language teaching professionalism of the teachers involved in it. He also said that this program will certainly enhance English language, cultural understanding, and leadership in the students who are studying and will study in the Access program. Mr. Kamal Raj Devkota, instructor of the Access Program, Gorkha Center, 1^st Cohort, shared the Access activities and experience carried out for the last year. He said that this program is very much beneficial to students as well as teachers who are involved in it. He added that Access teachers have got a number of teacher trainings and exposure to enhance their professionalism. Access students, Mr. Santosh Neupane and Miss. Sonali Shrestha, expressed how lucky they are for being Access students. The Master of the program was Mr. Sanjaya Adhikari, Secretary, NELTA, Gorkha Branch, Gorkha. The newly appointed instructors of the 2^nd cohort, Mrs. Harimaya Sharma, Mr. Sanjaya Adhikari, Mr. Dilli Ram Pokharel, Mrs. Geeta Dhakal and the students of 2^nd cohort were given certificates in the program. The master of the program was Mr. Sanjaya Adhikari, Secretary, NELTA, Gorkha Branch.

Some Glimpse

Fife McDuff, RELO, American Embassy, Kathmandu and Chief Guest of the program (First row right)

Chief District Officer, Gorkha (First row middle), Dr. Meg, (first row left) Mr. Hemanta Raj Dahal (Second row Right)

Parents of the students

Access Students, 2nd Cohort

Guests (parents) and NELTA Executives ( First row)

Mr. Bom B. Thapa, Immediate Past Chair and present Executive Member, NELTA Branch, Gorkha and mrs. Hari Maya Sharma, Chair, offering garlands to the guests