Waldorf News

Nepal Waldorf Schools – Earthquake Report

Dear David,

This is Meyrav Mor, the founder of the Tashi Waldorf school. As it was Saturday the school was not in session. It is difficult to get people on the phone as the networks are very busy and collapse but I managed to speak on the phone to Rajen and Chandra who are teachers at the school and they said that all the teachers have not been hurt in the earthquake.

It is not possible to know at this moment in time whether any of the children are hurt as the phone list is at school and not all the children anyway have a phone. It’s not easy to travel to the school but those who live near the school said that only the brick wall the surrounds the school’s property collapsed. The building is ok.

As there is a state of emergency in the country all schools are closed for another week. There is no electricity and as a result people cannot pump water which means no water either. Everyone is sleeping outside by the side of the road as they are too scared to sleep inside.

Rajen said that he and his family are sleeping in a tent in another school ground (he lives about an hour drive away from the Tashi school) and that they have not managed to sleep as there have been many aftershocks during the night) he said that they were unable to cook any food and are managing to eat dry food.

He said that the situation outside of Kathmandu is worse and the number of dead people is very high and in one case one village has been completely destroyed. It is not very easy to get news as to what is happening outside Kathmandu due to communication. They do not have internet or TV at the moment as everything is down.

This big earthquake was something that we all knew was coming for a long time and it is watching our worst nightmare coming true. It is all very chaotic and it is hard to know at the moment whether all the children and their families are ok. My fear is that as most of the children come from very poor families they live in houses that are very poorly constructed.

Now more than ever we need the international Waldorf community to help the Tashi school as we have not began to realise the devastation the children are experiencing and the trauma that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

It is a very sad, worrying and terrifying time for the people in Nepal and they will need all the help and support to be able to recover from this terrible disaster.

Best,
Meyrav
Sent from my iPhone

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Tashi Waldorf School, Kathmandu

Tashi in Tibetan means “all that is good”. Tashi Waldorf School began its 14th school year in April 2014 with a nursery, two kindergartens and classes from one to four. There are 120 children studying in the school.

Nepal is home to a wide variety of ethnic and tribal groups. In recent years Kathmandu has become an urban melting pot, reflecting the rich diversity of the nation. In accordance with Tashi Waldorf School’s commitment to fostering an open and inclusive environment, its children and staff come from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds.

Though culturally diverse, the majority of the children attending Tashi Waldorf School come from disadvantaged homes. Their parents work as carpet weavers, construction labourers, and in other menial jobs. Many of the families have migrated from rural areas in search of a better life. Employment opportunities are scarce for those possessing little to no training or skills, and families are forced to live on the margins of society in poor conditions.

Tashi Waldorf School is committed to providing child-centered culturally relevant education for its children. In the colorful, stimulating, and safe environment of the kindergartens and early grades, the children receive a wonderful educational foundation. They are given the freedom to play, discover, and develop naturally without stress or pressure.

Tashi Waldorf School uses a curriculum which integrates the principles of Waldorf (Rudolf Steiner) education with the culture and traditions of the Himalayan region to create an educational experience that is meaningful and relevant for the children.

The kindergarten curriculum includes story time, circle time, action songs, rhymes, and traditional arts and crafts. The grade curriculum includes main lessons in Nepalese, math, form drawing, and nature studies. The rest of the day includes additional subjects such as painting, movement, handicrafts, physical education, music and singing, English as an additional language and Tibetan as a second language.

Each day the children receive a multivitamin supplement, nutritious snack and lunch, as well as medical, dental and vision care and clothing as needed.

Visit www.childrenofnepal.org

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Shanti Seva Griha, Kathmandu

Normal as well as physically challenged children go to schools and kindergarten at Shanti Sewa Griha. In 1999, a school was established at Budhanilkantha to assist those who could not afford to pay for their children’s education. Shanti Primary School offers classes from nursery till the 5th grade, with additional standards added annually.

The Disabled Children’s Center was initiated to provide proper care for disabled children. This center is a home to many mentally challenged and polio-affected children. Relentless endeavors are being made to help special children lead a relatively normal life.

Teaching Children to Ask Questions

In light of the fact that over half of the Nepali are illiterate, it was clear for Shanti from the beginning to found a school for children based on the Waldorf teaching method. Children shouldn’t be drilled with rote memorization, which is typical for Nepalese public schools, but should be allowed to develop their creativity in the artistic subjects.For this reason, lesson plans feature artistic activities like drawing, painting, working with sound, music, singing and dancing as well as sports, crafts and artisanry. A dedicated dance instructor teaches the children traditional Nepalese folk dances. Preserving the country’s culture and passing it on to the children is very important to Shanti.

In particular, they should be raised to think for themselves. One of the most important questions in this regard is “Why?”. To inquire, to question something, to express doubt – these are driving forces in shaping a democracy. At Shanti, children are encouraged to ask questions so that they learn to understand the meaning of life around them. Without asking why, development and thus progress are impossible.

Since Shanti learned that children in public schools are trained not to ask this question, the instructors place even more emphasis on encouraging the children to question.

105 children currently attend the all-day school in Budhanilkhanta, where they are taught by ten teachers, who regularly participate in continuing education courses in Waldorf pedagogy.

Children who live in Kathmandu are brought to Budhanilkhanta each day by school bus. This bus was purchased thanks to the donations from Hape Kerkeling, who won it on a celebrity special of the “Wer wird Millionär” TV game show.

Beginning in the first form, children are taught in Nepali as well as in English.

The school currently teaches forms 1 through 5. However, Shanti is working to receive consent from the authorities to teach up to 8th form and be able to prepare students for general school leaving certificates. Until then, children must attend the state schools after 5th form.

Everyone learns together

All of the classes at the Shanti school are integrated. Both physically-handicapped and non-handicapped children learn together. Visitors are repeatedly astounded by the numerous possibilities of how handicapped children can solve difficult tasks themselves.For example, ten-year-old Rukesh, who has only one arm, can clamp the knitting needles between his legs so skilfully that he is able to knit with the others. In this fashion, he knitted himself a scarf, which he now wears proudly.

Another example is 16-year-old Buddha. Due to brain damage during birth, he has spastic, contorted arms. With amazing dexterity, he uses his feet to keep his notes.

He is good at mathematics and can draw wonderfully. His colorful pictures are a marvel to all. In this way, he feels part of the community and is an extremely content individual.


Buddha writes and paints with his feet, which he expertly uses to get his own supplies from his rucksack, whether pencil or notebook.

Read more about the Shanti Seva Griha school here.

Kindergarten — Enjoying a sheltered youth

What is considered a given for those of us in Europe is a privilege and great exception in Nepal: being able to grow up with the shelter and care of a kindergarten. Many children must often help out with fieldwork or in the home, and they are frequently used as cheap labor in the factories.

If the parents have enough money to afford child care, the time for a carefree childhood is very short. At three years old, the children there are forced to learn reading and writing.

At Shanti, all of the children can be children and play until they are ready for school at 6 or 7 years old. Even then, the playful learning style at the school inspired by the Waldorf teaching method is key.

Shanti operates two kindergartens, one in Kathmandu-Tilganga and another in Budhanilkhanta. Twelve children each are warmly cared for there from 10 am to 5 pm while the mothers go to work or take part in an employment programme.

Nurturing Routine and HabitsA regular daily routine provides structure to the day and provides orientation for the children.

Before kindergarten, the little ones are rubbed with oil from head to toe. This not only nourishes the skin, but is also an effective guard against parasites. The eyes are surrounded with a special paste that protects against flies, which can carry extreme eye diseases (trachoma is a bacterial infection of the cornea that can lead to blindness).

The morning is devoted to free play time, where the children develop their own vibrant imaginations!

Afterwards, they all meet to dance and sing together before sitting down to eat. Meals are eaten together. The little ones are fed, while the older ones feed themselves. The nutritious mash of rice, legumes and vegetables contain all the important nutrients as well as minerals, vitamins and trace elements that are important for healthy children.

After lunch, they all lie down on the big, soft carpet and cuddle together for a nap under a warm blanket.

As in all Waldorf kindergartens, the children in Nepal also play only with dolls and figures they craft themselves and natural materials like wooden blocks, pine cones and all kinds of nuts. They don’t need any more toys – they can make anything out of these with their imagination. Many visitors continue to be amazed by the peaceful and happy atmosphere in these kindergartens.

Read more about the kindergarten at Shanti Seva Griha here.

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Ankuran Kindergarten, Kathmandu

Our kindergarten provides high quality, meaningful education to children who need it most. Many of the children come from families who are impoverished, so they need only provide a small fee in order for their child to go to school. In desperate cases, the foundation provides full financial support for families who cannot afford the cost of the child’s education.

Currently, there are plans to extend the reach of the kindergarten program to the Kokhana leprosy community, located 40 minutes away. By advocating early social development with those living in leprosy affected communities, it is our hope that, in time, the social barriers that stand against full acceptance of the disease will be weakened.

Ankuran Kindergarten is opened with the vision of supporting the women from the village so that they can go to work and also children from the leprosy colony and can get chance to go to school and get better knowledge.

www.krmef.org

Read the latest KRMEF newsletter here:
www.krmef.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/KRMEF-Spring-newsletter-2015.pdf

The Kevin Rohan Memorial Eco Foundation (KRMEF) was established in 2008 near Khokana, in the southwest of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. KRMEF is trying to save the local environment by using local manpower, local waste, and educating the local population about the benefits of protecting the environment. The project periodically runs free health and dental camps in a local school and looks forward to opening a free clinic very soon.

KRMEF has begun a pilot project focused on recycling waste found in and around the city of Kathmandu and utilizing the waste to produce sustainable fuel in the form of bio-briquettes and bio-gas. Waste bottles have also been collected and made into walls and windows. This ecological architecture will soon be implemented in the new clinic. These processes give work to many jobless, helpless and disabled individuals.

Presently KRMEF is sponsoring schooling for underprivileged children, has an eco-guest house, a volunteer program, a working organic/biodynamic garden, and is working to implement Waldorf techniques in a village school. We look forward to further developing our network to include treatments and education for physically handicapped children and to take care of the old, among many other activities.

The KRMEF garden helps to promote biodynamic farming methods in Nepal. We provide training to anyone who wants to volunteer on the farm and the bee farm where we produce our own organic honey.

Learn more about biodynamic agriculture at KRMEF at the Biodynamic Association blog.

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Maitreya Pathshala Waldorf Inspired School, Pokhara

Maitreya Pathshala Waldorf Inspired School opened its doors in April 2014 in Pokhara, which is considered to be the queen city of Nepal. The goal of the school was to provide quality education focused on the needs of the child and through a deeper understanding of those needs.

The school follows the Steiner-Waldorf philosophy which is an alternative approach to the current education system in Nepal. It is the first Steiner-Waldorf school in Pokhara city.  Recognising the spirituality inherent in each human being is the core for the development of education of the children.

The school started with twelve children and two teachers, accommodated in the two kindergarten classes with a capacity of 30 children in each classroom.

The school was founded by a team comprising Babita Kayastha, Ritman Gurung, Bishnu Sherchan, Pema Gurung, Asha Dura and Sofiya Sherchan. The school is fortunate in having Sarita Sanghai, Waldorf Kindergarten teacher from Hyderabad, India commit to making twice yearly to the school. She has already trained our teachers, helped to set-up and develop the school.

The team built the school building, together with the seminar hall and the guest house. They started the volunteer program which helps to contribute to the school’s finances by offering affordable accommodation in the guest house.

Worldganic farm was established two years before the school, in April 2012. The farm was started in order to practice the biodynamic methods of agriculture. The main goal of the farm is to produce healthy soil, healthy food and healthy life forms within the soil through biodynamic farming.

Rudolf Steiner has mentioned that Maitreya means “future Buddha” who is going to come in this world to save the world. Maitreya Buddha is waiting for the right time, right place and right people to lead and propagate the spiritual rule in the world in the future. So Maitreya Waldorf School is opened in Pokhara to make the right people and right place during right time for Maitreya Buddha.

With the end of the school year but a couple of months away, we begin to focus our thoughts on the second year of the Maitreya Pathshala Waldorf Inspired School.
We thank everyone for the tremendous support, encouragement and love which has streamed towards us during this our first year. Please continue to journey with us!

Read more about the Maitreya Pathshala Waldorf Inspired School here.