SIS returns to Nepal

It was February 2020 when the previous group of SIS students returned from Nepal. SIS was the last school group to visit Kathmandu through our hosts, Himalayan Voluntourism and now, post-COVID, we are the first to return. 

It is through this annual visit that we as a community in Stockholm maintain a connection to Shree Shila Devi Normal School, just outside Kathmandu. 

Ten students and two staff members travelled to Nepal on Saturday the 11th of February and after two short days of cultural immersion bussed to the next valley to start work at the school. It was by chance that an SIS alumni and member of the very first trip to Nepal, Iiris Tuohimaa, was in Kathmandu at the same time and managed to join the group for the first day of teaching at the school. Iiris continually commented on how incredible the change in the school was from when she had visited – this is all because of the ongoing contributions and help from SIS.

The aim of the annual school visit is primarily to expose the students and teachers at Shila Devi to an alternative way of teaching and learning. To demonstrate alternative methods and approaches to education that we are priveleged to have as a standard at SIS.

The Nepal Project is entirely student led and all of the lesson plans and scheduling are designed by the students under the guidance of the project coordinators – and the lessons were amazing: from teaching primary colours to kindergartners (top left), to sentence structure with grade 4’s (top right), to multiplying fractions with Grade 7’s (below).

All of the students shone and grew both as individuals and as a group. They themselves chose to switch-up teaching partners and teaching grades each day, constantly extending their understanding of a comfort zone. They have all returned with a new understanding of just how important an education is and how influential the method of that education can be. At SIS we often take for granted just how good we have it – SIS is a place where we can really experience learning, not just remember it for the test. This is what our students hope to have left in Nepal – an understanding that education is about developing an intrinsic want to improve and develop. 

The trip is traditionally concluded with a 2 day trek and this year, the challenge lay waiting: a 21km hike, followed by a night in a microscopic village called Chisapani, an hour climbing jungle stairs and finally a steep 8km decent back into Kathmandu. 

It was tough – really tough.

I sat listening to the comments of a few of our kids over the course of the trip. These are a few which stuck with me:

‘’This is not about doing easy stuff…challenge yourself.’’

‘’I can’t believe we are actually here. It seems surreal.’’

‘’Everyone in Nepal is so happy to see you.’’

‘’I’m really gonna miss those kids. They have basically nothing and they are so happy.’’

‘‘This is the first trip where I’m not sure I want to leave…’’

‘’I can’t believe it’s over.’’ 

‘’Mr Roets, can we go on the trip more than once?’’

Mr Brad Roets is stepping down as Nepal Project co-ordinator after this year’s trip. His energy and enthusiasm has been instrumental in making the Project such a success. He was accompanied on this trip by Ms Lucy Barrow and together they provided our students with insights into a different cultural and economic experience. Thank you, Brad!