Santi School Project Annual Report 2011

8/2/2019 Santi School Project Annual Report 2011

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/santi-school-project-annual-report-2011 1/20



a n n

u a

l r e p o r

t 2 0 1 1

Recently, a prospective volunteer reminded me of what The Santi School Projectis doing right, and that we have so much to be proud of even though we are asmall organization operating within a modest budget.

"You've accomplished a lot," the volunteer grant writer told me after reading aboutour programs to rebuild schools and train teachers in Nepal. "You're well organized,and you've done so many things. You have a great story to tell.

It's always encouraging when new supporters discover us and are impressed withour work. What s even more gratifying is hearing from the people we serve that weare making a difference in their communities. Bijaya Shiwakoti, our program director in Nepal who compiled this report, spoke with principals at the schools we've helpedimprove. Their comments confirm our early success in fulfilling our mission to providequality education for girls and ethnic minorities.

Dev Narayan Nepal, the principal of Mahakali Lower Secondary School, where wehave provided teacher training in addition to renovating the school, told Bijaya thatThe standard of classroom teaching has improved and the students are learningbetter than in the past.

I'm happy to be able to share our success with you, our donors and supporters. Thisannual report is long overdue, not just because we owe it to all of you to keep your informed of our progress in Nepal, but also because we rarely take the time tocelebrate our accomplishments.

Santi School is a personal project for me, and I'm proud to say that I have met nearlyall of our donors, although that is slowly changing, with every online T-shirt sale inNorway (yes, it happened) and every Nepal Fest in Austria (which has happenedthree years in a row, now). That's a good sign, an indication that we are growing,but it doesn't change the fact that I want each of you to feel a personal connectionto our work in Nepal.

Because after all, personal connections are the foundation of the Santi SchoolProject. Our work is driven by a small group of very dedicated people in Kathmanduwho have been with us since the very beginning: Rabindra Maharjan, our tirelesschairman in Nepal and the man behind the Nepal Fests; Vidhan Rana, who movedback home a year ago after playing an instrumental role in the United Statescoordinating with our team in Nepal; Bijaya, a thoughtful and respected youngleader who we hope will be at the helm for a long time to come; and MabindraRegmi, who has single-handedly written a teacher training curriculum and has, for six months, given up his weekends to travel back and forth from Kathmandu to leadteacher training sessions at a rural school.Together with our team in the U.S.-where we have our own hardworking board anddevoted volunteers-we have made real, quantifiable improvements in the qualityof education for more than 850 primary school students in Nepal over the past four years. That includes our work conducting physical renovations, providing trainingfor teachers, installing proper classroom furniture, and distributing books and supplies.Not bad for an organization with an annual budget of less than $30,000.

June will mark the fifth anniversary of our inaugural fundraiser, a small gathering offriends at Catonsville Presbyterian Church. Since then, the Santi School family hasgrown to include supporters from around the world. The best example of this is themen and women from countries like Australia, Saudia Arabia, Austria and the UnitedStates who have volunteered in our schools. Clearly, we've come a long way. I'mlooking forward to what the next five years will bring.Thank you for your support.

Christopher HeunFounder & President

1www.santischool.org

MESSAGE FROM THEFOUNDER



Dear donors and well wishers,Namaste!

It is my pleasure to have the opportunity to share withyou our journey of 2011. It has been an exciting year for all of us here in Nepal.

Every time our team members and I visit any of theproject areas, we see the bright and lively faces of thechildren who have benefitted from our work. It is gratifyingfor us to see them reap benefits of the effort that all ofus have made together.

We are trying our best to expand our roles in these areasand reach a larger number of students and communities.We have been engaged with the schools to supporttheir building renovations and furnishings and teacher training to improve the classroom teaching environment.We have been doing this in coordination with the localgovernment.

We do all these works with the utmost emphasis on localparticipation and transparency. As you may have beenaware, we have publicized all relevant documentsrelated to our projects online so that everyone can seefor themselves where their money has gone. We willcontinue doing so and hope to receive your continuedsupport.

Thanking you for your cooperation.

Rabindra MaharjanChairmanShanti Education Initiative Nepal

a n n u a

l r e p o r

t 2 0 1 1


MESSAGE FROM THECHAIRMAN



a n n

u a

l r e p o r

t 2 0 1 1

We promote quality education in rural Nepal forgirls and ethnic minorities,

who are often excluded fromschool. We build and repair

primary schools and providespecialized early childhoodteacher training, becausegovernment-sponsoredtraining is limited.


OUR MISSION



a n n

u a

l r e p o r

t 2 0 1 1

Our Office inKathmandu

Vishwamitra GaneshSecondary School,

Lubhu, Lalitpur

Project Areas inSindhupalchowk &

KavrepalanchowkDistricts

DhadkharkaPrimary School

Mahakali LowerSecondary School

Bhatte PrimarySchool

ShantiPrimarySchool


OUR PROJECTS INNEPAL



We were busier than ever during 2011. We completed the construction of one school building, gotstarted on another, dispatched furniture to a third school, continued to support teacher salaries attwo other schools, trained 34 teachers from nine schools, and prepared a teacher training program.

Together, those efforts touched the lives of more than 700 children in rural areas of Nepal, many of them girls and ethnic minorities-some of the most disadvantaged groups in one of the world s poorestcountries.

The year started with us registering in Nepal as the Shanti Education Initiative Nepal, setting upan official team that is dedicated and ambitious about serving the education sector in Nepal.

On the project side, we started the year with what we have done best school renovations:l A four room new building for Bhatte Primary School to replace a building beyond repair.l New construction of a building at Vishwamitra Ganesh Secondary School in a project partially

supported by the Department of Education. We have since provided additional funds to completethe ground floor so that it can open for classes when the new school year begins in April 2012.

We take on these projects because we believe in quality education in rural areas. Often, that can beas simple as providing a desk to write on or a mat to sit on. Making school a welcoming place forteachers and students is a first step.

The attendance rate has been close to 100 percent regularly and students up to grade two rarely goout of their classrooms after the provision of carpets and mats in their classrooms, reports BodhPrasad Gautam, a teacher at Dhadkharka Primary School. Students there had been studying on thefloor until we provided sets of furniture.

Training teachers is another cornerstone of our work. We have provided training focused on earlychildhood development to the teachers of Shanti Primary School and others from nearby schools inthat village. We monitored and evaluated the progress the teachers have made in implementing whatthey have learned, and we rewarded the best performers and their schools.

"The standard of classroom teaching has improved and the students are learning better than in the past," remarks Dev Narayan Nepal, the Principal of the Mahakali Lower Secondary School.

We also took a big step and developed our own teacher training program designed to help teachersgain the skills and confidence required to teach their students in a child friendly environment inEnglish. We have been piloting the training in Vishwamitra Ganesh Secondary School and we intendto expand the program in 2012.

Learning English is a critical skill, and international volunteers are an invaluable resource for ourschools in that regard. They also bring the world to our students. We were lucky in 2011 to have a

pair of special people share their lives with us.

Clem Yong, from Australia, describes it this way: This has been one of the most rewarding experiencesof my life and my only regret is that I didn t stay longer. In 2012, we are planning to expand our

volunteer program to include high school graduates from Nepal.

There s plenty more to read about in the following pages.

Most of all, thank you for your support to make it all possible. We hope it continues in 2012! a n n u a

l r e p o r

t 2 0 1 1


SUMMARY



Bhatte Primary School80 students up to grade 5Ramche VDC-9, Sindhupalchowk district

Our first renovation project of 2011 was asubstantial one. We built a new four-roombuilding for Bhatte Primary School. Theschool, established in 1984, consisted of twobuildings, one of which was not safe to beused for classrooms and was demolished.

Construction of the new building, completedin six months, included financial support from Youth for Nepal, based in the U.S. Theschool and the community contributedaround 20 percent of the estimated cost of $12,000, and the school provided new furniture.

The construction of the schoolbuilding has made it easier forinteracting with the students, saysRam Bahadur Tamang, a teacherat the school.

a n n u a

l r e p o r

t 2 0 1 1


Before renovation

After renovation

SCHOOL CONSTRUCTIONAND RENOVATION



Vishwamitra Ganesh Secondary School hadstarted construction of a building with financialassistance from the Department of Education.However, the funds were inadequate to completethe job. We agreed to contribute NRs. 200,000(about $3,000), so that the project couldcontinue. The school management committeeraised around twice the amount that we pledgedfrom the village and district development committees. They were able to erect support pillars and install a concrete roof.

Rabindra Maharjan, chairman of ShantiEducation Initiative Nepal, raised fundsfor this project at Nepal Fest at Muttekopfhuttein Imst, Austria, in the Austrian Alps.

Vishwamitra Ganesh Secondary School300+ students up to grade 10

Jyamirkot, Lubhu-8, Lalitpur district

Once the new building is completed,the school will be able to shift existing classrooms from a dark andcongested building that is ready tobe demolished.

a n n u

a l

r e p o r

t 2 0 1 1


Before our involvement

After the first phase of our involvement

SCHOOL CONSTRUCTIONAND RENOVATION



The students at Dhadkharka Primary Schooldon t have to sit on the floor anymore. Theschool was recently renovated, but the

government did not include funds for new furniture, so the children were sitting onconcrete floors. We provided:

PROVIDING FURNITUREDhadkharka Primary School120 students in kindergarten through 5th gradeDhuseni Shivalaya-8 of Kavreplanchok district

l 30 pairs of desks and benches (each paircan accommodate 3-5 students)

l 5 sets of large tables and chairsl 5 book racksl Carpeting for 2 classrooms and 60 mats

for students in kindergarten, first andsecond grade

l white boards with markers (instead of chalkboards and chalk)

The local community contributed labor,materials and money to the project. MaheshDahal, an alumnus of the school and aboard member of the Santi School Project,helped raise a significant portion of theproject cost.

After the provision of thefurniture, students attend schoolmore regularly and the truancy problem has been reduced. Wehave arranged for library booksto be kept in each classroomand the students have beenreading them and developing reading habits, remarked Bodh

Prasad Gautam, a teacher at theschool.

The attendance rate has beenclose to 100 percent regularly and students up to grade tworarely go out of their classroomsafter the provision of carpetsand mats in their classrooms,said Mr. Gautam.

a n n u a

l r e p o r

t 2 0 1 1


Before the provision of furniture

After the provision of furniture



We conducted two sets of teachertraining in 2011.

During the early part of the year, weprovided early childhooddevelopment training for 22 primary school teachers from eight different schools of Ramche and Maneswara

Village Develoment Committee(VDC) of Sindhupalchowk district.Experts from the Early ChildhoodEducation Center, a private agency in Lalitpur, trained the teachers onthe premises of Shanti Primary School in Ramche.

After completing two phases of the training, teachers were evaluated on how well they implemented their new skills in their classrooms. All eight of the participating schools receivededucational materials worth NRs.5000 (around $70) to get teachers started.

The evaluation of the program was conducted in January 2011. The judges were an officerof the government s District Education Office for Ramche VDC, and our project coordinator.

The school whose teachers performed the best overall was awarded educational and playing materials worth NRs.15,000 (around $200). The school whose teachers came second and third

were awarded educational materials worth NRs.10,000 ($150) and NRs.5,000 ($70) respectively.

The result of the evaluation was announced in April 2011 amidst a function at Santi Primary

School. In the competition, Shanti Primary School, Janajagriti Primary School, and Suryadaya

a n n u

a l

r e p o r

t 2 0 1 1

Primary School received the first,second, and third prize respectively.

Similarly, three teachers (Shiva PrasadNepal from Shanti Primary School,Bimala Dhakal from SuryadayaPrimary School and Lushi Shresthafrom Janajagriti Primary School) wereselected as outstanding performersand awarded cash prize of NRs.2,000(around $30) and certificates.


TEACHER TRAINING



The second set of training was conductedindependently, without the help of the Early Childhood Education Center, for the first time.

Mabindra Ragmi, a board member in Nepal who is earning his graduate degree ineducation, developed a teachers training manual in 2011 while leading training sessionsfor 12 teachers at Vishwamitra GaneshSecondary School. That training program,

which consisted of weekly meetings stretchedover nearly six months, will expand in 2012to include teachers from nearby schools.

The training focuses on building the capacity of the teachers to incorporate local customsinto an English-language curriculum, asmandated by the government of Nepal. Not only must teachers understand child-friendly techniques and apply them to their

TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL

classrooms, but they must conduct someclasses in English, which isn't easy. Englishskills among primary school teachers in ruralareas are at a premium.

The first phase of the training programincluded classes on teaching skills such as vocabulary, grammar, games, project work,and classroom management. Then teachers

were observed in their classrooms. The secondphase of the training focused on early childhood development.

This training has been very helpful to theteachers of the school. The impact of thetraining has been visible in their classroomperformance and on the performance of respective students, Thakur Upadhaya, theschool principal, said.

a n n u

a l

r e p o r

t 2 0 1 1




PrincipalMs. Solmu Sherpa (23) has been teaching inShanti Primary School since October 2008. She

was born in Barabise, the nearby town. She isfrom the Sherpa community. The Sherpa are oneof the disadvantaged groups excluded frommainstream Nepal. She is studying at the Bachelorlevel with a major in Education. She has received1- month full package of early childhooddevelopment (ECD) training from Early Childhood Education Centre (ECEC),Kathmandu. Solmu was selected for thegovernment teacher relief quota. She receives hersalary from District Education Office,Sindhupalchok Nepal.

TeacherMs. Subhadra Nepali (23) has been teaching in Shanti Primary School since July 2008. She wasborn in Ramche. She is from the Dalit (untouchable caste) community. She is studying at the Bachelor level with a major in Education.She has received 1- month full package of ECDtraining from Early Childhood Education Centre(ECEC), Kathmandu. Subhadra receives her salary from the Santi School Project (SSP).

Shanti Primary School80 students in kindergarten through 3 rd gradeRamche VDC 2, Sindpalchowk district

We continue to pay the salaries of three of the four teachers and a classroom helper at Shanti Primary School in Ramche; the government provides a stipend for the fourth teacher. Together, the monthly salary of the three teachers and helper is NRs.30,290 (about $400) per month.

TEACHER PROFILE

TeacherMr. Dipesh Tamang (22) has been teaching inShanti Primary School since March 2010. He wasborn in Ramche. He is from the Tamang community. The Tamang are one of thedisadvantaged groups excluded from mainstreamNepal. He has finished his higher education (12thgrade) in Education. He completed the one-month early childhood development training at the Early Childhood Education Centre (ECEC),Kathmandu. Dipesh receives his salary from SSP.

TeacherMr. Shiva Prasad Nepal (22) has been teaching in Shanti Primary School since June 2010. He isfrom Maneswara village, a neighboring village of Ramche. He has finished his higher education(12th grade) in Education and is currently doing his bachelors degree. He completed the one-month early childhood development training at the Early Childhood Education Centre (ECEC),Kathmandu. Shiva receives his salary from SSP.

HelperMrs. Chini Maya Tamang has been working as a helper in Shanti Primary School since October2008. She is from Ramche. She receives her salary from SSP.

Mahakali Lower Secondary School150 students in kindergarten through 8 th gradeManeshwora VDC of Sindhupalchok district

We have also provided annual support worth NRs. 75,000 (about $1,000), to the Mahakali LowerSecondary School, Maneshwora VDC of Sindhupalchok district, to help it meet a cash shortfallto provide teacher salaries. This annual pledge is supported by a specific grant from donors in Imst,

Austria. a n n u a

l r e p o r

t 2 0 1 1


FUNDING TEACHER SALARIES



We welcome volunteers from all over the world to visit our schools and share theirlives with our students and teachers.

Volunteers live with a local family in the

same village as the school, and pay a minimalfee for their food and lodging, half of whichgoes to their host family.

This year, we have been fortunate to haveseveral volunteers spend time at ShantiPrimary School and Vishwamitra GaneshSecondary School. Here's what they had tosay:

This has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and my only regret is that I didn t stay longer.Clem Yong, Australia

Whatever the plan, the students will surely carry themselves with enthusiasm,incomparable cheerfulness, and goodnature.Sarah Kim, United States

VOLUNTEERS

a n n u a

l r e p o r

t 2 0 1 1




We re run entirely by two teams of dedicated volunteers, in Nepal andthe United States.

The Santi School Project is a 501(c)(3) U.S. non-profit organization. We are registered in Nepal with the District Administration Officeand the Social Welfare Council of Nepal as Shanti Education InitiativeNepal. Both groups have separate boards of directors.

NepalShanti Education Initiative Nepal, our team in Nepal, held its annualgeneral meeting in its office in Bagbazar, Kathmandu in July 2011 toelect a new executive committee:

Rabindra Maharjan Chairman Vidhan Rana Vice chairmanBijaya Babu Shiwakoti TreasurerRosy Lama Member

Ishan Pokharel Member Trina Tamrakar MemberRajan Raj Subedi Member-Secretary

The meeting also passed the annual progress report and financialreports tabled by the member secretary and the treasurer, respectively.

United StatesOur board of directors meets once a year:

Christopher Heun President & Treasurer Jenifer Hunter Secretary Mahesh Dahal DirectorRobert Gruber Director

Jennifer Kelleher Director Aaron Koos Director Jacqueline M. Lesh DirectorMichael S. McNamara DirectorLaura E. Parkhurst Director

a n n u a

l r e p o r

t 2 0 1 1


OUR TEAM



We relaunched our website, www.santischool.org, to makeit more interactive and easier

to access information about our work. We also added tothe volunteer informationsection so that prospective

volunteers can hear about theexperiences of others.

You can also follow ourprogress on Facebook,

YouTube, and Twitter. Like us

on Facebook if you haven t already!

VISIT US ONLINE

a n n u

a l

r e p o r

t 2 0 1 1


www.santischool.org

facebook.com/santischool

youtube.com/santischool

twitter.com/santischool



The Santi School Project used to be the sole fund-raiser for the activities we conduct in Nepal. In orderto diversify our funding sources, we have plannedto raise funds in Nepal and outside the US. Ourorganization has received funds from donors in

Austria through Muttekopfhutte in Imst. We havepartnered with Austrian Mountaineering Association,Imst Oberland Branch, who support us throughtheir Friends of Shanti Project.

Rabindra Maharjan, our chairman in Nepal, travelsto Austria every summer as part of a government program to educate Nepalis about mountain tourism.He works at the Muttekopfhutte, which hosts theannual Nepal Fest fundraiser. This year, for theannual NepalFest, Raby and Sarah Tanzer, who

volunteered with us in Nepal in 2010, gave a video

presentation about our work to more than 200attendees.

FUND RAISING

Similarly, we organized a rafting activity in the Trishuli River inNepal to raise awareness about

the programs of SEI Nepal. We will be sending proposals toindividuals and organizations tohelp us implement our projectsin Nepal.

a n n u

a l

r e p o r

t 2 0 1 1


Rabindra Maharjan, Shanti Education Initative Nepal

chairman, during the annual NepalFest in Austria



Our big event every year is a silent art auction inBaltimore, and 2011 was no different. This year featuredlive music by Telesma and plenty of jewelry, clothing and crafts from Nepal. This is the one night we have

to come together and share our success, and we werehappy that more than 120 people came out to St. JohnsChurch to celebrate with us.

The real highlight of the evening, for the secondconsecutive year, was drawings by our students. Thisyear, to promote art at our schools, we sponsored acontest among five schools in Lalitpur District andawarded first, second and third place prizes for studentsin grades 1-3, 4-6 and 7-9. About one-third of thenearly 150 entries were available for sale at our auctionin Baltimore.

At an award ceremony at Vishwamitra GaneshSecondary School, special guest Ram Krishna Chitrakar,a member of Nepal s Constitutional Assembly, handedout prizes.

Silent Auction featuring art work by our students

a n n u

a l

r e p o r

t 2 0 1 1


OUR ANNUAL EVENT

Annual art auction 2011, Baltimore, USA

Winners of the art competition



Our plans for 2012

We are partnering with different individualsand organizations (domestic andinternational) to improve school physicalinfrastructure and to enhance the capacity

of the teachers to provide quality educationat community schools across Nepal.

Here are some of the projects and activitiesthat have already been planned for 2012:

l Completing the ground floor of the Vishwamitra Ganesh Secondary School so that classes can be heldthere when the next academic yearbegins in May 2012.

l Conducting teacher training in fivedifferent public schools in our project areas.

a n n u

a l

r e p o r

t 2 0 1 1


THE YEAR AHEAD

l Helping at least 5 other schools to renovateand rebuild their physical infrastructure by mobilizing our existing donors, and the non-resident Nepalese living abroad, to invest intheir home towns and villages.

l Mobilizing international and domestic volunteers to teach in the schools we support.

Vishwamitra Ganesh Secondary School

We have already started work in early 2012 on Gupteshwor Secondary School,Nallu, Lalitpur District.



a n n u

a l

r e p o r

t 2 0 1 1


2011 FINANCIAL SUMMARY

InvestmentsDetails of Investments NRs. US$Fixed Fund at Nepal Credit & CommerceBank Ltd. Kathmandu, Nepal 600,000.00 8175.78

Fund ReceivedFund received During the period NRs. US$Santi School Project, US 2,201,625.00 30,000.00Youth for Nepal, US 354,750.00 5,000.00Friends of Shanti, Imst, Austria 955,172.34 12,735.63Received as office rent 69,000.00 920.00Board member donation 58,926.00 785.68Nationwide Scholarship Program (NSP) 40,800.00 544.00Volunteer Fee 47,105.00 628.07From Organization Membership 8,800.00 117.33Contribution from Dhadkharka Primary School 35,000.00 466.67Others 10,120.00 134.93Registration 4,000.00 53.33Interest earned in Nepal 62,057.13 827.43

Total 3,847,355.47 52,213.07

Administrative ExpensesExpenses Heading NRs. US$Furniture for new office 125,671.00 1,675.61Office Rent 187,000.00 2,493.33Communication and Internet Expenses 35,508.79 473.45Water & electricity expenses 500.00 6.67Printing & Stationery expenses 24,158.00 322.11Office expenses including laptops 142,072.20 1,897.29Transportation expenses 3,035.49 40.47

Audit fee 27,000.00 360.00Web design 5,000.00 66.67

Total Administrative Expenses 549,945.48 7,335.60

Program Expenses

Details of Program NRs. US$Salary to Project Coordinator 150,110.00 2,001.47Field Visit expenses 21,888.80 291.85Teacher Training 140,351.80 1,871.36Salary to teachers Santi Pr. School 456,011.38 6,080.15Salary to teachers Mahakali L.S. School 50,000.00 666.67Bhatte Renovation 400,950.00 5,346.00Construction Vishwamitra Ganesh Sec. School 308,000.00 4,106.67Providing Furniture to Dhadkharka Primary School 266,410.00 3,552.13Scholarship provided by Uttam Sharma 9,500.00 126.67Volunteers expenses (Food & Accommodation) 36,365.00 484.87Taxes Paid 14,425.50 192.34Total Program Expenses 1,854,012.48 24,720.18



a n n u a

l r e p o r

t 2 0 1 1

19

BREAKDOWN OF EXPENSES FOR 2011

Santi School Project Annual Report 2011

Documents

Transcript of Santi School Project Annual Report 2011