Sunday, October 2, 2011

Naya Bazar Club of Kirtipur

Naya Bazar Club (NBC), founded in the year 2037 BS (1980 AD), is a non-governmental, not-for-profit making community based organization (CBO) dedicated to help society through mobilization of youth and create an active regional network of community based organisations across the south region of Kathmandu valley. It is one of the popular organisations and occupies decent position in tongue-tip of dwellers of Kirtipur and suburb area. The motto of club”Let’s aware youth” is an inspiring sentence to form a common forum for social benefits. NBC is an equal opportunity provider for all free from discrimination on the basis of race, cast, tribe and any social and religious categories. NBC is rolling with the time and situations accommodating social demands and helping disadvantages.
Till late 80s, NBC was less active in events associated with social benefits. Presence of NBC in sporting activities in Kirtipur needs not to be exaggerated. Involvement of NBC products taking major responsibilities of games and sports in many leading private boarding schools are the reflection of its achievement in the sport activities.
Although Kirtipur and suburb areas are some couples of kilometers away from the capital city, Kathmandu, it still possesses typical rural characteristics. Lack of decent health facilities inspired us to initiate operating an ambulance for the purpose of providing quickest health facilities for the needy one. Over the past 25 years, NBC has achieved an overwhelming attention in the situation of southern sector of Kathmandu valley associating with the most popular public health activity, the Kirtipur Ambulance. Being one of the potential members of blood donors club, contribution of the NBC is process of blood collection was appreciated by Nepal Red Cross Society. Hundreds of patients seeking for blood to be transfusion from Kirtipur as well as from outside were timely benefited. In academic sector, NBC has set number of pioneer breakthrough to inspire students achieve quality education. As a responsible local institution sister relationship and organizational connection with many organizations provides us common forum for effectual result in common vocation.
Wide-ranging objectives of the organization are to mobilize youth to help society in all possible sectors through suitable activities. Furthermore NBC maintains grave concerns over issues like health, education, sports, environment, social crisis, etc. and develop proper ways to tackle associated problems.
Pride of Naya Bazar Club
NBC in fact, keeps its traditions of pioneering in majority of activities in the society.
  • NBC has been established 25 years ago aiming specially of taking part in the sporting activities. There were large numbers of examples that Nayabazar Club had actively took part in many sporting events in the locality and won many of them. Established as sporting club, however with increase in dimension in society, accepted social responsibilities were also added on top of it. As expected, NBC was compelled to fulfill its social burden.
  • Many events and programs in different sectors were initiated by NBC. Such pioneer events and programs, which has been continuing by many contemporary institutions till date.
  • Organization of sporting activities like basket ball, foot ball, table tennis, and volley ball competition were part of the regular programs. Among them basket ball is being taken as identity of the club. NBC had for the first time successfully organized interschool basket ball tournament in Kathmandu, perhaps in whole Nepal.
  • Organization of national level open Basketball Tournament for the first time in Nepal by NBC was a grand success. Although it is authorized National Basketball tournament, because of some of the obstacles in the Sport act of kingdom of Nepal, we were deprived of naming it as National game. It is our pleasure that Nepal Basketball Association affiliated to National Sport Council had come in effect due to the restless and selfless efforts paid by NBC members. The founder president Dr Shree Krishna Sherestha, was founder advisor of NBC.
  • Health sector is one of the heavily highlighted sectors of NBC. Successful running of public ambulance makes us feel contented. It is one of the prides of the NBC. Furthermore, it is unstated introduction to NBC in south region of Kathmandu. NBC for the first time took responsibility of running public ambulance for the benefit of people in southern sector of Kathmandu valley, which includes 8 former VDCs. It is not an easy task to raise fund from each of the individual household within all of these 8 VDCs to buy public ambulance.
  • Blood donation program is a regular calendar program of NBC for more than a decade. We were once awarded from blood transfusion centre for the highest amount of blood donation. One of our members had won prize in slogan competition organized by Blood transfusion center, this let somebody see the creativity of club members.
  • Eye camp organized jointly with Tilganga Eye Center in Kirtipur is an effort aiming to provide quality health service to the people at door step.
  • Help, support and inspiration in academic sector given out by club members are really exemplarily. Direct free-ship (scholarship) to the student possesses high academic ability but poor economic background was able to raise appreciation from many academicians in Kirtipur and suburb areas. Such assistanceship was made available to the students of governmental schools only like Kirtipur M. V, Jana Sewa M. V, etc.
  • Spelling contest, Quiz contest, Essay writing competition among school children were also motivated towards help lifting academic level up to standards.
§         NBC had actively been involved in generation of Environmental awareness among local dwellers. Anti pollution activities and demonstrations had been supported by prominent international environmentalist ‘Mr. Sundar Lal Bahuguna’. This was happened when NBC was actively initiated and involved in programs preventing establishment of pollution prone brick factory in Kirtipur locality.
§         Helping nation during national crisis by taking responsibility of distributing kerosene oil (fuel) to the local inhabitant in quota system was also selfless effort..
 
Strength and capabilities
One of the main treasures of the NBC is the trust of the people not only from core Kirtipur but almost all south regional sector of the Kathmandu valley. This would be one of the major sources of inspiration to tighten social attachment. From all perspectives NBC has been viewed as an ideal organization with full of innovativeness. Eagerness to help people in any difficult situations had already been felt in number of instances.
NBC has its own office ideally located in Naya Bazar town of Kirtipur Municipality. This definitely makes us relief from the problem of frequent location shifting and financial burden of paying rent, however, we have opportunity to generate income by lending our land and building for others to hire.
We are today proud of our dedicated members who are qualified in different professional capacities. A big hoard of the our members involved in key positions from governmental organization, non-governmental organization to free lancer contributing equally to help NBC achieving noble goal. NBC members are found to be champion on following sectors
Sectors
Capacity possessed by NBC Members
Health :
Medical Doctors
                 
Health Assistants
 
Nurses
Sports :
Sport teachers in leading schools from Kathmandu
 
Athletics coach 
Environment :
Environmentalists
 
Agriculturist / horticulturist
 
Nature conservationist
Academic :
Professors / Academicians
 
Professional teaching personalities
Research and development :
Research professionals                                 
 
NGO managers 
Art and Culture :
Celluloid film artist (Actor, actresses)
 
Performing art managers
Professional Photographers
Strategies and Planning
The forthcoming period of the NBC will have further burdens to be generated through the social responsibilities. Unconditional volunteering at present scenario could hardly help achieving defined goal of an organization. Therefore overall organizational setup of NBC will be separated in following well defined department. Each department will be headed by a coordinator accompanied by 3 to 5 members. Individual department will be given autonomy in terms of work and setup. Division of the section within department will be done taking working area and work load into consideration. Appointment of paid worker/s will be made by President upon request from the coordinator of each department. In forthcoming period NBC will be running under inspiring slogan, Local Initiative for Social Benefit (LISoB).
Organizational structure of NBC shows a central office established in Kirtipur, and upon need, department will be established in concerned locations. Total set up of NBC has been adjusted in following wide departments.
1. Department of Health and Sports
 This department will be divided into three broad sections
Health : Carry out regular health activities like blood donation and so on. The section will work in consultation with sister national and international organization to make prepare volunteer necessary for inevitable situation. Effective operation of Ambulance service will be taken care by this section.
Sport :Takes care of regular sporting activities. Section further look for promotion  of the education and culture through sporting events.
Culture : It makes connections with the local cultural groups for cultural promotion. Work to help preservation of archeological ancient monuments especially Kirtipur by working collaboratively with governmental bodies and social groups.
 
2. Department of Education and Human Resource
One of the important department of NBC which delimit all the schools, backward societies and redundancy population. This department will planning have only three sections, namely
Education: Help promote quality education to school kids making sound connections with school and concern authority. Will run many activities to benefit school children.
Human resources: Appropriate management of human resource seeking working opportunity. Development of paid volunteer culture is also one of the motto of NBC
Human rights: Human right culture and living skills, appropriate
3. Department of Environment and Agriculture
This department will more responsible in terms of public response. However this department has much wider arena to work with. Work will be in global context but response will always from local level. Organic agriculture in these days needs to develop as culture help promotes use of local resources and also preserve environmental impact. NBC has made planning of making only two departments
Environment: Think globally act locally, is main inspiring sentence. This section will have to work with close connection with other department for effective results. Constant lobbing towards safer environment is always happening.
Agriculture: Increasing productivity for income generation with minimum environmental impact. Land protection awareness needs to be disseminated among farmers.
4. Department of Research and Development
This is an umbrella department to convert plan into action which has been setup by different department. Manpower within this department, most of them will be paid volunteers. Aim of this department is to make use of the human resources who is in search for the forum through which s/he can contribute to the society. Income generation, poverty alleviation, social and demographic research, local resource mobilization are to be carried out with collaboration with academic and research institutions like TU, RONAST, NARC, etc provided there should be funding source available. Research wing and development wing will be separated upon consultation with president when it seems extremely necessary.
Expectation for coming decade
From local to national level situation has changed. Role of the social organizations has grown to further wider dimension. We believe on making involvement of almost all aspect of the society to play accepted role. We are looking forward to work towards bringing change in awareness at political level, elevation in educational standards, improvement in social and economic status of the people within decade. In this changed scenario, we believe to invade society with more beneficial programs which will aim to raise awareness and expected to see development. The entire departments are aiming to set out annual programs to contribute for the social transformation.
We are in process of developing ‘sandwich’ program to enhance of smooth running of the club to achieve it noble goal. Generating fund from donor for the research and development and making use of the young and energetic professionals for its implementation. More manpower with local origin will be involved and women and disadvantages groups are given priority.

Pictures from daily life of "our" children of the Primary Education Program Kirtipur

At home:

The family of Raj

Rujina - good at languages - is
living here together with her mother

Sailu's is unemployed due to
a serious illness.

Asmita's mother is earning money
by doing laundry for other families.

Leeja's mother is daily wage labourer
on construction sites

Asmita: living together with sick brother
and parents in one room

Jesan's family

Here poor Sangita is living, ....

. . . left alone with a terrible
burn at her foot!

Bunu's mother is sharing the right part of this building  with a second family

10 sqm for three sisters with mother.

Traditionally the elder sisters are responsible to care for their younger brothers and sisters

Also Prashant is living with mother, job-less father and little sister in one single room of the house depicted left.
 
Puja was met by her mother and her little brother after classes.

At school:

Many children from remote villages have a long way to school

A call for common morning exercises
is usual at many schools!

First Primary class at Bal Kumari school

First Primary Class at Indrayani-
Primary School

After the breaks they have to line up
before classes are continued!

Sports tournaments are very very
welcomed at the schools!




After school in front of Kirtipur
Secondary School

Tables are not common in traditional families, home work . . .

. . . has to be done on the floor or
even in the court of the house
     
Playing around:


The toys are very modest, yet
the children are happy!!
 

Serious business:

Despite hard work in the brick factory
these children are looking happy  when meeting the foreigners.

Many children earn some extra income for the family by selling souvenirs for tourists.

May be he can find some usable items
in the rubbish!?

Mother's lesson how to make
gravel for some extra income

It's looking easy, but being hard work:
bringing water from the distant well!

Ice cream is sweetening the hard life
of the young monks.
   

14 Schools of the Primary Education Program in the Kirtipur Municipality

The school system of Nepal is increasingly marked by a multitude of commercial private schools. The reason for that seems to be the government concentrates on the payment  of the wages for teacher at governmental schools only and thus leaves the responsibility for maintenance of existing schools as well as for  investment in school extensions to the very poor communities, the parents and the various sponsors within and outside Nepal.  Many communities therefore decided to operate their own non-commercial schools in form of public trusted schools. The Government is not paying wages for the teaching staff of those community schools so the school must raise annual tuition fees. Of course tuition fee of a Community School normally is lower than that of commercial private schools.
The lack of support of the school system by the government not only causes the dilapidation of the building structures and other installations of the schools but also causes a rampant lack of quality education. In so far it is quite understandable that many parents - whenever they can afford - try to send their children to schools with a higher quality level. These are either Public Trusted Community Schools or even to the very expensive commercial Private Schools.
The concept of NEPALHILFE KIRTIPUR from the very beginning was, to make the best use from its restricted financial framework - considering that the best solution was to allow as many children as possible to attend a school. Therefore the concept initially excludes attendance of commercial private Schools whose annual tuition fee might be 4-5 times higher than the tuition fee of non-commercial schools. The scholarship can only be given for students attending 'Governmental Schools' and 'Public Trusted Community Schools'. The following sketch shows the connections between commercial and  non-commercial schools in Nepal :
 
There is compulsory education in Nepal but no pressure to enrol the children at the age of 6 years to class 1 of Primary level. However the vast majority of the children newly enrolled is 6 years old.
(These figures must not let miss the fact that around 30% of all children in Nepal cannot attend a school or at least finish Primary level despite of compulsory education).

The usual age of  students in their classes:

Age
(Years)
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Class
Early
Childhood
Develpmt.
(ECD)
Nursery
Kinder-garten (KG)
1*)
2*)
3*)
4*)
5*)
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
10+2
*) The Primary Education Program Kirtipur is supporting these classes.

The school system is sub-divided into the following levels:

Pre-primary
Primary
Lower Secondary
Secondary
Higher Secondary
(10+2)
ECD to KG
Classes 1-5
Classes 6-8
Classes 9 & 10
Classes 11 & 12
The 55 students of the Primary Education Program are enrolled at  14 schools, widespread over the whole region of the Kirtipur Municipality.