Joining Hands Nepal
A Family Orphan HomeArchive for May, 2011
On Strike
There have been many days of strikes in Nepal lately as the deadline for drafting of a new constitution is now only two days away. There is a lot of uncertainty as to what will happen in Nepal once the date passes and they have not finished the peace process, although hopefully the deadline will be extended and people will calm down and accept the extension so the situation here does not devolve back into war and violence. The children have been out of school many days because of the strike, but we are keeping them active and occupied, and our classes in English, Arts, and Physical Education have not stopped, so the children have been able to focus all their energy on these activities, and it is giving them a big benefit for their efforts. Their English is getting better every day, and it is becoming more natural for them to speak in English, even if they make mistakes. Now the hard part is over, because they have lost a bit of their fear to speak, so they can only keep improving from now. Keep your good thoughts with our country of Nepal as we hope for a peaceful resolution to this constitution drafting process and a return to normal school hours!
Masters of Command
This week in English conversation class at the orphanage we have heavily focused on teaching commands, and the dedication has really paid off. At the beginning of the week basic commands were introduced, such as “stand up”, “sit down”, “come here”, “show me the …”, “bring me the …”, and so on. Then, throughout the week as we moved on to different lessons, commands were always included fundamentally into the lesson without specifically mentioning the topic and the range of commands was slowly expanded. Now, the children automatically respond to several important and universal commands in English without having to think or be given any hints. The speed at which they pick up things through a careful combination of repetition and patience is amazing, and it is very satisfying to see how much progress has come in about a month from these daily classes, especially this last week. We are happy we can provide this great advantage to the children and to see it pay off. Here’s to hoping the success continues and their English level soars above their peers in the coming years!
Joining Hands Nepal 