ABBA in Kathmandu?

Realising Children’s dreams

From 1st to 15th November Peter (chairperson) and Maureen (Treasurer) visited our children in Nepal and we assisted with the School+Plus program for three days as a fun break from the project auditing and review meetings.

I wish everyone could see and share in the joy these children get from the creativity and support the program offers.

Day-by-day the children supported by IGWR-Nepal have a relatively good opportunity as they have the support of the IGWR-Nepal team; however even these children have a relentless school routine that is quite foreign to that experienced by children in Australia.

The quality of education/teachers is (at best) terrible, with rote learning, under-qualified teachers and some of the most boring lesson plans imaginable.

Some of the children head off for school at 6am in order to get extra tuition before school, some have extra tuition after school and then a one or two hour homework load. All of which lacks creativity and any encouragement for self-expression.

I have a dream, a song to sing, to help me cope with anything

We introduced this ABBA song to the children and asked one of the senior students (Unik as shown in the picture) to teach the song. When we returned three days later, all the children could sing the whole song, and Unik, plus two others on guitars and one more on a drum box had the musical accompaniment sorted.

Giving children a creative opportunity allows them to shine and that is one of the best things that’s being achieved through School+Plus. It is even more important in poorer communities where the daily routine is one of survival, and even those going to school have little opportunity to discover life’s joys.