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Education for Freedom – Tenth update
The update to OD covers a long period of three months from first
of March until beginning of June 2005. Many activities have taken
place in these months and we have been regularly in the field
visiting both formal and non formal schools and early childhood
centres (CBCDC), much more than usual.
EFP in progress
In the last update, the general situation in Bardiya was described
as critical according to the Maoists interruption of BASE
Bardiya’s activities. The Maoists has from time to time restricted
BASE Bardiya to enter in the field. In March, the Maoists had
called for a nationwide bandh affecting all transportation and the
schools. Schools were closed during many weeks especially the
private schools. In Bardiya, it is said that schools in average
have been closed 3 months in a whole school year, caused by bandhs
and blockades. Now again the Maoists has called for an educational
strike affecting the schools but only in the Headquarter of
Gulariya. In the villages the schools are open.
The situation is still critical, and during the last 3 weeks the
Maoists have intensified their presence in Bardiya, mainly in the
bigger villages surrounding Gulariya. Typically they are around
400 armed Maoists checking people when coming and going to
Gulariya. BASE Bardiya is also from time to time been denying to
entering in the field carrying out observation and monitoring.
However, BASE Bardiya is still managing and running the EFP with a
stronger presence in the field than previous months. The EFP is
being implemented with some disturbance. But construction of new
classrooms is taken place, teacher training are provided and BASE
Bardiya organises and join in many meetings with teachers,
facilitators and SMC’s. BASE Bardiya had the last 2 months been
quite present in the different VDC’s, and in the last 3 weeks
almost daily.
However access in 2 VDC are denied by Maoists
BASE Bardiya needs always before going to the field to inform the
local communities beforehand for acceptance from Maoists side.
When Maoists are running their program in the villages, we are
normally restricted from going. All other time we can normally go
around quite easily either on bicycles, bus or car. When the
security forces are in the villages for searching for Maoists, we
are also told not to come to the villages. These conditions make
planning difficult and our monitoring and visits are based on a
daily planning in which BASE Bardiya needs to be very flexible.
In 2 VDC’s BASE Bardiya have no possibility to monitor regularly,
because the Maoists are strongly present there running their
programmes. These 2 VDC’s are positioned lonely and isolated from
the HQ, and just since the start of the EFP, these VDC’s have been
vulnerable. The VDC are “Baniyabhar” and “Dhadhawar”. In
Baniyabhar VDC, BASE are running 5 flexible classes, 3 CBCDC
centres and reflect class, one model education centre (a primary
and lower secondary school) and one formal primary school provided
support for construction of classrooms and teacher training. In
Dhadhawar VDC, 5 flexible classes are running, 3 CBCDC centres and
1 Model School, and 3 general supported schools with construction
of classrooms and teacher training.
In these VDC´s, BASE Bardiya is depending only on BASE’s social
mobilisers living in the communities and also on the regularly
meetings held in BASE office in Gulariya with teachers and
community members from the local areas.
Campaign for enrolment in schools
BASE Bardiya has taken active part in the enrolment campaign,
which has been running for 2 weeks ending on 25 May. Activities
were organised in close cooperation with the DEO who coordinated
with other NGO’s also. Activities like daily radio programme
announced by the FM radio, door to door visit to each family
organised by the SMC, pamphlets, posters and banners made by BASE
Bardiya, and especially rallies were organised. The campaign ended
21 May, and it seems that much more students this year will be
enrolled in schools, but the difficulty for
Construction of class rooms
BASE Bardiya’s Architect has provided guidance and estimations to
the school construction committees for the construction of
classrooms in five schools. Five government schools will have 2
new class rooms made very soon. 6 schools will be provided
drinking water, and 2 schools separate toilets for girls and boys.
The process is running fast, as the local communities soon will be
unable to provide labour work as they will be planting rice in the
fields.
Experiences from tour to BASE Kailali
A small team from BASE Bardiya´s Education and Monitoring sections
went to BASE Kailali to study their programme financed by Save the
Children US. Their programme involved now 31 early childhood
centres and 54 child clubs. The purpose of the trip was to learn
from their experiences as they have run the programme during the
last 9 years. The 2 districts have agreed to share in future best
practices as the 2 neighbouring districts seem to have a lot to
learn from each other. Especially BASE Bardiya can learn from
their early childhood centres which are focused on child care and
learning through play.
MS Nepal in BASE Bardiya
MS Nepal has during the last months been frequently in BASE
Bardiya. First of all during the AOR, that took place in mid May
with the PO from MS CO. Secondly, several trips have been
organised with MS Nepal, both the financial controller,
administrator, DW journalist from Info-Unit etc. Also an important
visit took place in the end of May with three country directors
from MS Nepal: Nina Ellinger (present Country Director of MS
Nepal), Henning Kjær (former Country Director of MS Nepal) and
Philomen Jaz (present Country Director of MS Zimbabwe). They met
different types of schools, and meetings were held in schools and
in the villages themselves with SMC, PTA and community members.
Teachers get intensive training
Reflect classes have had their training in Gulariya for 8 days.
The training was organised by an external consultant from
Kathmandu. The approach of these classes has now changed from
focusing on “Literacy” to focus only on “Empowerment”. The
students of the reflect classes have been very non- motivated
because of this change of approach. Actually the challenge for the
facilitators has been to provide an integrated approach in which
literacy is introduced in line with relevant topics related to
life skills empowering the adults.
BASE Bardiya has decided to improve the teacher training in the
Model Schools by choosing a well known and respected school in
Kathmandu to carry out an intensive teacher training program for 7
teachers and the coordinator from BASE Bardiya responsible of the
Model Schools. 7 committed teachers and the coordinator are now
following almost 3 months intensive training in Kathmandu. The
teachers will afterwards have the responsibility in cooperation
with BASE Bardiya of sharing their experiences to all the formal
school teachers in the EFP.
Child Clubs
4 child clubs are now established in different local communities.
The process of setting up 10 new child clubs is under serious
consideration. What was experienced from BASE Bardiya’s visit in
Dhangadhi visiting child clubs is actually that the children being
members of these child clubs might be brought in risk from
Maoists. When the children are gathering together in the local
communities they are in a risk and their activities are in a risk
of being hampered.
Improving relation with DEO
BASE Bardiya has now taken up a closer relationship with DEO in
Bardiya that was agreed upon at the last BEAB meeting. The DW for
Monitoring and Education has since this meeting increased the
cooperation with the DEO and BASE Bardiya have also had joint
monitoring visits in the field with DEO. But although this was
agreed at the BEAB to have more joint monitoring meetings this
might not be possible. It is too risky for the DEO to enter in the
field these days.
BASE Central in action
BASE Bardiya has experienced a recently intensive coordination and
planning with BASE Central as BASE Central now seems to be a lot
more careful and concerned about the organisations development
during the conflict. 3 days meeting were held in Kanchanpur
district for all BASE staff members. Everyone shows satisfaction
about the meeting, because BASE Central in practice try to set up
a better coordination among the districts, developing common
policies and understandings of the different programmes, and
having an overall security policy including accidents assurance
for staffs.
In the coming 3 days BASE will be having their General Assembly in
Nepalgunj. 5000 participants from Bardiy' are expected to join.
BASE Bardiya has organised a large rally for all tomorrow morning
arriving on bicycles from Maina Pokhar.
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