Michael Olaf Project—Kathmandu, Nepal

YouTube introduction to this School that many Montessorians and others are helping: video

 

In 2006 Susan Stephenson made her third trip to Nepal, as a guest of the Shree Mangal Dvip (SMD) Boarding School in Kathmandu. More pictures of this visit: 2006 PICTURES

Today 2 women from SMD are taking 3-6 AMI Montessori training in Chennai India and will return to teach. Students at SMD have come from the far-off villages of the Himalayas. If you ask a child how far is his or her home a typical answer is "1 day by bus and 5 (or more) days walking." These villages have no schools, roads, postal services, electricity, and often not even clean water. It is wonderful opportunity for the children to come to SMD where they can build a better life, while still keeping their traditional religion and values.

The school website: SMD
Susan at the Boudhanath Stupa
  At the Boudanath stupa near the school
typical SMD bedroom Washing hair and clothing
The sleeping quarters, as elsewhere, are very crowded, with many children out in the country just wishing they could come to this wonderful school.
 There is one shower for 300 children so they take turns, and this laundry area gives them another place to wash their hair (and of course their own clothing).
The older children at their early morning prayers

School texts in three languages

The older children begin each day praying in the temple room (before sunrise when I was there), while the younger ones are learning at the same time in small classrooms with their teachers.
The children learn their subjects in three languages at one time.
Here are their texts in English, Tibetan, and Sanskrit
Young Buddhist monks and nuns learn along with the other children.
An aerial view of the Abundant Stupa, the largest outside of Tibet. The school is 5 minutes walk from here.