Mitrataa's Opportunity Box

One of Mitrataa’s core responsibilities is to fill the opportunity gap for our students – research globally shows that one of the core challenges of the poverty trap is the missed opportunities to expand their knowledge and skills. One of the biggest indicators of the learning gap tends to be what happens in school holidays - students from wealthier families tend to visit new places, go to museums and experience other educational enhancement activities while students from less advantaged families tend to stay home not doing much in the holidays. Part of our role is to fill this gap for our students.

The Opportunity Box expands on and underpins in-class education, increasing the range of skills and knowledge of the students and giving them a richer tapestry on which to build.

The National Trust in the UK prepared a list of activities that they recommend all children experience before they finish school. Drawing on this list and localising it for the Nepali context, we have prepared our own Opportunity Box: a list of 15 things which we want all of our students to have experienced before they finish class 10:

1. Visit a museum
2. Visit an art gallery
3. Visit the 7 UNESCO Heritage Sites in Kathmandu Valley
4. Visit a factory
5. Hike for a day
6. Visit a farm and learn where food comes from
7. Visit Kathmandu
8. Make a speech
9. Do something that benefits something else
10. Teach a class on a topic of their choice (run a workshop)
11. Eat in a restaurant
12. Make momos
13. Take a visitor on a tour of something in their local area
14. Learn to swim
15. Go shopping for a new set of clothes they can choose themselves

This week was the annual Panauti Jatra, a 3 day chariot festival. As we have a number of students in Panauti, we decided to celebrate the Jatra with them by combining No.15 from the Opportunity Box with our Financial Literacy Project. Each of the students were given Rs 500 (around A$6.50) to spend at the festival market. They had to buy at least one practical/useful item that they need and the rest of the money could be spent however they chose but they had to plan carefully and make sure they got everything they wanted within their budget. Then they had to come back and show us the calculations for what they bought, the total they spent, and how much money they had remaining. For some of the students, they had never had money to spend themselves before and they had so much fun choosing things. 

We were really impressed with how practical they all are and how good they are at bargaining! For example, Swostika bought an umbrella and raincoat as monsoon season starts this week, Rithika bought a kurtha and some sunglasses, Ashalal bought some underwear, a wallet. some socks and a t-shirt, Uma bought a bra, a t-shirt and a doll keyring. Megha and her sister bought some clothes and then some bubbles which they used to entertain us all for the afternoon! 

Cultural Tours of Nepal's UNESCO Heritage Sites

Students in Nepal learn about the 7 UNESCO Heritage Sites in Kathmandu Valley in Social Studies at school. Despite being able to list these sites, very few students have visited them, especially students from outside of Kathmandu. 

As a reward for all their hard work this last year and as a networking opportunity for students across our different projects, our Panchkal group as well as several of our Nuwakot students travelled to Kathmandu for a 2 day cultural tour during their school holidays. Several of our Kathmandu students took turns being their guides as they visited 5 of the 7 sites - Boudha, Swoyambhu, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square and Pashupatinath. 

The students were exhausted but had a great time and now they can relate to these places when they study them at school. 

Thanks to Saraswoti and the team for organising and hosting them all and to the Kathmandu students for being such great tour guides. 

We're back! Learn about our Saptari Women Entrepreneurs Art Project

After a few years of posting our updates on Facebook and other media, we are bringing our blog back to life as well to share some of the lessons we are learning through our work in Nepal. 

We'd like to introduce you to a project we have been working on for the last year in Saptari.

In a nutshell

To develop a sustainable business with 10 women from Saptari business using their Mithila art skills.

The need

Saptari is commonly referred to as one of the most underdeveloped districts of Nepal. It lies in the Terai area of Nepal on the border with India.

A few statistics from the 2011 Census set the scene for Saptari’s challenges:

·       59% of households rely on cow dung for cooking fuel

·       34% of households rely on wood for cooking fuel

·       94% of households rely on tube wells or handpumps for water

·       55% of households rely on kerosene for lighting (v 42% who have electricity)

·       80% of households do not have a toilet

·       42% of the population of Saptari cannot read or write (28% of women and 15% of men)

·       Of the literate population of Saptari, 40% just finished up to class 5. Only 21% have completed their SLC or higher education (only 16% for females)

Saptari was also the scene of many riots in relation to the 2015 constitutional debates and bore the brunt of many issues at the centre of the blockade at the end of that year.

The majority of the population is dependent on agriculture for income, including those who sell the products in the market and the itinerant seasonal labour force. Ever year, the region suffers from floods which combined with the infertile soil causes many challenges for the people to sustain their households.

There are many discrimination issues in Saptari amongst the lower caste people, particularly against women of these castes. Daughters cost their families a higher dowry (despite this being illegal) and so families do not invest in an education for their daughters and often arrange marriages for them early to dispel their responsibility to them. The risk of violence against women is significant with over 25 women reported killed as a result of gender-based violence last year. 

Madhesi communities use art as a form of worship and communication. They paint their houses in bright colours for weddings and other ceremonies. This art, known as Mithila art is becoming known around the world as creative and it is increasingly being commercialised in India amongst Madhesi communities there as well as in Janakpur in Nepal. As yet, little commercialisation has occurred in Saptari of Mithila art, providing a great opportunity for entrepreneurial, artistic women in Saptari.

The plan

A group of 10 low caste Madhesi women were selected who have a proven interest in art. Prior training in art is not a pre-requisite and there is no age preference.

How does it work?

The women have been having some art lessons, history lessons and Mithila art lessons as well as some classes to learn skills to help them commercialise their new art skills for the last 5 months. This training will finish in March.

The women will start a business, owned and run by the women with all profits going to the women who work in the business. The women will be asked to contribute 10% of the profits into a fund to support other women to receive literacy training in Saptari. This fund will be managed by the women with support from us as required.

What challenges have we faced?

It has been challenging with the local culture as women are not permitted to work and all household responsibilities fall on them. When this requires handwashing clothes, planting and harvesting crops, cooking all meals for extended families, all by hand, this is time consuming work and families often complain if the women are not available for this work whenever they demand it. We have been working with the local community to try to encourage them to allow women to work when they want to.

Learning to paint has also been a challenge as some of the women had never held a paintbrush before the project but were keen to learn. They have practised a lot to develop their skills.