Jenny and Beedie's World Tour: Snowland school

We have experienced and learned an awful lot about Nepal in the last six weeks: its beauty and its scenery, it's crazy roads, the cramped busses, the gentle and kind attitude of the Nepali people, the fact that everyone toots their horns all the time, the dysfunctional government and about just how much the Nepali people care about their country and work hard to develop it. We couldn't have asked for a better experience with our volunteering and feel it has given us a unique opportunity to see past the surface and provided an insight into Nepali life. The stark contrasts to our society will never cease to amaze us. I've heard and witnessed a lot I will not forget and I know it has made me appreciate the opportunities I have had in my life more than ever before.

I am going to use this blog to talk about a project I had hoped to complete out here in sports development with Snowland School in Kathmandu...So slightly different from the usual holiday blog!

Nepal is a country of grave inequalities ranging from a prominent cast system, hugely different development rates throughout the country, no welfare system, absolute minimal gay rights (Nepals first LGBT group has just been founded) and gender inequalities where women are largely treated as secondary citizens to men.

Over the last five years as a professional who works with young people in sport and physical activity, gender equalities is something which I have developed a deep interest in and particularly when it comes to sport. I have no doubt it stems from my own experiences growing up as a girl who played a lot of sport and my desire to help positively change some of the challenges, which I experienced, for young girls now and in the future. But besides from my desire to work specifically in this field, I also believe in the power of sport to assist in positively shaping any young persons life and educating them about different cultures and societies.

Being exposed to, and participating regularly in sport can help to build resilience, confidence, self esteem, social skills, leadership, fairness and equality. Once someone steps onto a playing field race, gender, sexuality, religion and economic status are not and should not be important. Instead everyone is equal and abides by the same rules. Through this we mix with different cultures and learn to respect one another for their individual talent.

Some of my greatest role models and leaders come from within sport and this isn't necessarily for their talents, but for what they stand for and promote. At a local and international level sport can advocate for change and progression. For me this is evident in that despite watching Andy Murray winning an Olympic gold at the 2012 Olympics, an equally strong lasting memory will be of watching a lady from Afghanistan compete in the 100m and reading an article about her experience after. During her training in her country she experienced large groups of men, sometimes as many as 200 throwing stones at her, shouting and trying to force her to stop running as this isn't something they believe women should do. But she didn't stop and competed. Her time wasn't great, but the symbolism of this does so much more for gender equalities in her country it doesn't matter. Now millions of women in Afghanistan have a role model to look to and perhaps her bravery and strength will inspire more to fight for better rights for women in her country.

I am under no illusion that all sport played is picture perfect, but it's strength to promote equalities and positive personal qualities is a pretty good concept to work towards and it is something I wanted to share during my time at Snowland. This was even more embedded in my ambition when I met Fiona Campbell who set up a charity in Zambia called EduSport. She met a Zambian lady whilst she was there volunteering who was captain of her national football team, yet her husband didn't even know she played because it is so culturally suppressed for women to take part in sport. EduSport is a fantastic charity which uses sport to work with all people within local communities to help educate and develop them. Within EduSport Fiona set up a strand called Go Sisters. Every year the charity aims to get more and more countries around the world involved to host a female only sporting event and then blog about it. A simple, but brilliant idea. What better way to educate about different countries and promote female role models in sport.

My aim was to complete a sports leaders course, teacher training in games and a jump rope skipping programme. Within this I wanted to use these teachings to promote gender equalities and introduce Go Sisters to the school. If along the way I could inspire one or two girls to become a sports leader and to take their younger counterparts regularly in games and sport after we left, then I'd feel the eight days was a success.

Snowland school is a charity boarding school, supported by a group of French doctors and was built by a monk 12 years ago. It is for children who come from the remote Upper Western Himalayas. The children reach the school at a young age and do not return home until they have completed their education. Their journeys to get home range from 5 to 15 days due to the poor infrastructure. Most children write to their parents once every six months. Some told us that they were lucky as they got to speak to their parents on the phone a few times in a year too.

The school has no sports facilities and next to no equipment, (1 basketball. 1 egg shaped football, 2 badminton rackets and 4 hula hoops). Like the rural schools PE isn't on their curriculum and I understand why money is not dedicated to introducing this. The children have only been provided with new school uniform once in the last two years and their daily food budget for 150 children and staff is £30 a day. However, the building, attitude and ethos of the school is very different from the government schools in Katunge. Although ram shackled, the building is better and has a good sized piece of bumpy, but flat land for games. They have a 20 year old house master who is willing to learn new approaches to teaching and engagement in sport and games. Beyond this they have an excellent charity coordinator and principle teacher with a great bunch of young and enthusiastic staff.

With the money we fundraised before we left Scotland we supported the school to buy a new printer and plenty of new sports equipment. It was really fantastic taking this into the school and seeing the excited looks on the young people's faces. As the children do not leave the school grounds, and of course do not have electrical entertainment like we do, this added sports equipment really is invaluable to their entertainment. (Thanks again to everyone who supported with this).

We were delighted when we arrived and realised the children had a very good understanding of English. Each day we worked with grade 9 for 2 and a half hours (aged 14-16) and took them through a sports leaders course. The children absolutely loved it. There was 18 young people who took part with 8 girls and 10 boys. We spent time in the classroom discussing theory and of course a constant emphasise on leadership and equalities. At the end of the week I asked the young people to complete a task about their dreams for their future. They had to answer what their dream was for Nepal. Their own personal dream and how sports leaders (i.e. their leadership in general) could help them achieve these things. The depth of their answers was incredible and so far removed from what I am sure most young people of their age would say in the UK. It was very moving. I don't think a description by me would do these does justice so I have included a few below.

We were so pleased by grade 9's attitudes and participation all week we wanted to do something so their parents could see how hard they work at school. We took pictures of them individually, provided them with stamps and envelopes and asked them to 'post their dreams' home with a letter to tell their parents about their sports leaders course. It was such little cost on our part, but the sense of reward from seeing them get their pictures was priceless! They informed us their parents won't have seen a picture of them for about one year.

Outside of the classroom I led the children through a Tops activity course, which basically teaches playground type and basic movement skilled games with limited equipment. Perfectly suited to the school. We also led them through a series of skipping games and skills. Quite unbelievably the children had not played one of these before and it was great to also teach the teachers different games throughout our time there.

The class also spent time organising a mini Snowland Games event which they were going to run on the last day. This was to qualify for this Go Sisters trophy which I specified girls had to co-lead and take part in. As well, the mini event aimed to allow grade 9 to practice their newly learnt skills as young leaders. However, unfortunately Nepal did a bit of a Scotland on us and rained, so the event was unable to go ahead! Regardless of this, I had carried the trophy all the way here, the class and school completely endorse gender equalities and so the class were awarded it on the last day anyway. The principle teacher also welcomed the task of hosting a girls only sporting event each year and to stay engaged with the Go Sisters programme.

I spent time discussing with the principle teacher and 20 year old house master how he could support grade 9 to set up an extra curricular games and sports programme so they could teach the younger ones and thus help them to become confident young leaders. He has promised to email me a copy of the timetable...!

Grade 9 were very sweet and gave us thank you notes and a poster.

The boys loved Beeds and the opportunity to jump as high as they could in a picture with him!

With the rest of the classes we taught lots of skipping and Scottish country dancing. I was delighted when we turned up at 7am one morning and the older children where teaching the younger ones a game we had played the day before - exactly my aim! The whole concept of dancing with a boy and girl, whereby you have to hold hands, was very alien to the children and was even more difficult than trying to get self conscious 12/13 year olds in Scotland to do this! However they quickly got over it and loved the dancing. All the classes asked us everyday to do it, so we are now an experts at demonstrating the Gay Gordon's and Military Two Step!

On our last day at the school the children and staff gave us the most amazing send off. Lots of traditional and modern hip hop dancing and they sang '100 miles away from home', which cracked me and I cried! It's incredible that we were only there for 8 days. I never thought I could fall so in love with a place in such a short time, but this is credit to the children and their huge hearts and welcoming natures.

All the children are wonderful. They look after another like a big family. They have to. One day I saw one of the five year olds howling and an older student hugging him until he stopped, it was such a sad, but beautiful image. The 5 year old will only have been at the school for a few months, away from his home, his family and any familiar surroundings. He of course must miss home, but having older students which such maturity and thoughtfulness must make the transition easier for them. It is exactly this which makes me confident that grade 9 will teach the younger one's their newly learned games and that if I was to return I would see them playing 'keep the kettle boiling' with the skipping ropes!

After our time at the school we spent a relaxing 4 days in a beautiful city called Pokhara. Wow, what a contrast to Kathmandu! You could walk on the pavements, there was no pollution, it was clean and they even had RECYCLING! Yippee! We did some beautiful walks, got some proper heavy, no gear bikes for £1.20 and cycled to a Tibetan refugee settlement.

We enjoyed our last night with Prabha, the amazing lady who coordinates Snowland, amongst other projects, with the sole aim of developing her beautiful Nepal and it's people. I discussed a volunteering project idea for making a sustainable income for Snowland school, which to my delight she liked and I am going to be sending her a proposal...I might be back on holiday in Nepal sooner than I anticipated if it works!

Well, better go for now as this blog is already too long. But before I do, if you are interested in learning a bit more about the lives of women who live in the Humla region (where some of the Snowland children are from) please read the below. It's a shocking but informative read.

http://www.foundation-nepal.org/women’s-lives

If you wanted to support Snowland by sponsoring a child, it costs just £9 a month to send them to school, please let me know.

The website for EduSport - www.friendofedusport.org

And some more pictures....

This wee boy was soooo cute and loved Scottish Country dancing! I have never seen a child smile so much.

Two of the lovely teachers at the school.

This little girl's hair made Beeds and I smile a lot.

The principle teacher giving us good luck scarfs and a lovely framed certificate at our leaving ceremony.

We made origami with grade 4! Beeds taught this one and I needed a lot of help from the 'Beeds Sir'!

The children did their Buddhist prayers every morning, as well as signing the national anthem. At the end of each day they gave thanks for everything they had.