Venture Grant: Nepal: Rural Education/Photography
Package Contents:
- Venture Grant Official Proposal Form
- Project Description
- Budget
- Transcript
- References
- Letter of Acceptance
Venture Grant Project Description
Teaching and Learning How to Make a Difference
According to the 2002 Literacy Report of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Nepal has the highest percentage of illiterate population among the countries of South Asia, and is one of the ten least educated countries in the world, sharing the bottom of the charts with Ethiopia, Gambia, Mali and Bangladesh. Even the children that manage to go to primary and secondary school have to attend classes of forty to eighty students. The school system suffers from severe lack of funds, understaffing, and inadequate material infrastructure. This problem is exacerbated in the rural regions of the country, where 42% of the population lives below the poverty line and even the few qualified teachers are reluctant to work there because of the lower living standard.
I propose as my student research project a documentary photographic account of the dire condition of Nepal’s rural education and the programs that offer its children literacy and hope. This "venture" blends together my experience as an international student in a foreign country, photographic skill, and a desire and ability to serve as an international volunteer in community-based learning. It also draws upon my diverse linguistic abilities and coursework in economics and anthropology that will help me understand Nepal’s underdevelopment while being aware of the cultural structure and sensitivities of rural areas.
My passion for photography dates back to 1993, but it is the recent success of my slide shows here on campus and in Bulgaria that has encouraged me to consider making my first steps outside the realm of amateur photography. One of the immediate results of my project will be a photography art show on campus accompanied by articles in the Colorado College Bulletin, the Catalyst and other College publications.
Yet, as any art, documentary photography requires a close study of the subject from a variety of viewpoints. Indeed, it is essential for the mission of the artist to establish a free and informal relationship with the people being photographed in order to successfully portray the complex palette of their lifestyle and culture. For the purposes of attaining an immediate first-hand perspective of the adverse situation of Nepalese children and the struggle of a handful of enthusiasts against the harsh spell of illiteracy, I have chosen to live and work as a volunteer teacher in a remote village in the Annapurna mountains.
Besides building rapport with the local community and thoroughly documenting its efforts for development, my project involves putting my scholastic knowledge to work towards practical goals. As a Mathematical Economics major I can make a concrete contribution for improving the situation of the children in an area of the world that is in desperate need for teachers. In fact, international and local charities and non-governmental organizations have long recognized the necessity for providing teacher support and assistance in various forms, one of which is the work of international volunteers in the most badly affected regions. My work with Hands for Help Nepal, a Kathmandu-based, grassroots, nonprofit organization will entail teaching English, Mathematics and Science and serving as an advisor to the local Nepalese English teachers.
Being an international student from Bulgaria, with twelve years and more than 4,350 hours of formal English instruction I will be able to successfully relate to students who are making their first steps in the English language, and to the teachers that are helping them along the way. I must mention that I, myself, owe my command of English as a second language to Bulgarian teachers who had never left the country, but who were supported in their work by American Peace Corps volunteers. In that sense, my project is also my way of giving back what I have received to those who need it most. Knowledge of English is particularly important in the Annapurna region of Nepal, as it is one of the most attractive destinations for foreign tourists and tourism is the primary source of external income for the otherwise small-scale, self-subsistent rural economies. In fact, 37% of Nepal’s Gross Domestic Product comes from tourism and services.
In addition to my involvement with language education, teaching Math in Nepal will provide me with the unique opportunity to compare and contrast the local teaching techniques to those used in Bulgaria and the United States. To that end, I plan on giving a talk at one of the Math Department’s student/faculty seminars
The time I spend in Nepal will undoubtedly be an equally educative experience for me, as it will be for my students. On the one hand, it is a great opportunity to learn another language (I already speak German, French, Spanish and a little Russian). Living with a local family is also one of the best ways to get to know the intimate details of the customs and folklore of any culture. I see my project as a two-way cultural ambassadorship. I will be representing Colorado College, America and Bulgaria in a remote corner of the world, and will then bring the story of this little known place to my classmates, professors and the greater College Community.
On the other hand, my strong background in Economics will enable me to keep an additional scientific perspective on my experience. I will be able to analyze the underlying relationships between education, growth and the impact of globalization on a representative fragment of Nepal’s predominantly rural society and tourist-oriented economy.
The snow-capped summits of Annapurna (8090m) and Dhaulagiri (8167m) tower 21,000 feet above the rolling hills and deep valleys of the region I will be living in. After the end of my teaching term, I plan to spend three weeks trekking along the Himalayan trails, so as to capture through my lens the colorful diversity of the country’s landscape and people. I am adequately prepared for this chapter of my "venture" by the numerous trips that I have led for the Outdoor Recreation Committee, as well as by my solid medical training as a graduate of the eighty-hour Wilderness First Responder course, provided to CC students by the Wilderness Medicine Institute of the National Outdoor Leadership School.
I believe that my project in Nepal is a balanced combination of community-based learning and service, coherent with the mission and long-standing commitment of the Colorado College "to help students become effective citizens of the world who lead responsible, reflective and creative lives." It will provide me with an invaluable experience in my intended professional fields and will reach the CC community through rural Nepal’s compelling story of a struggle for better life, as seen through my eyes and the eye of my camera. Therefore, I request the financial assistance of the Venture Grant Committee to the amount of 850 dollars towards my transportation cost, in order to be able to prove once again, that Colorado College students can make a difference in the world, half a world away.
Budget Description
Airfare: $1238.00
Round trip from Los Angles to Kathmandu
Ground Transportation: $148.00
Round trip with Greyhound from Colorado Springs to Los Angeles
Program Fee: $500.00
Includes: Administrative charge, Orientation and language training, Accommodation and meals during training and placement, Government Tax, etc.
Visas: $60.00
For 90 days
Immunizations: $125.00
Travel Insurance: $200.00
For 90 days
Weekly Allowance: $260.00
$20 × 13 weeks
Film, batteries, etc.: $165.00
Does not include processing and prints
Incidentals: $200.00
Total Cost: $2,896.00
Requested FromVenture Grant Committee: $850.00
Total Remaining: $2,046.00