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NJSI conducts regular training program for caretakers and teachers of children with special needs. On 6^th and 7^th of July, another training on Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy was given to 8 caretakers of Kalidevi and Bhagwati hostels by a senior psychologist Rama Karki, who is affiliated with SOS.

The trainees were exposed to adaptive methods of counselling the children in distress, and controlling their frantic behaviors. Some of the method included storytelling, engaging in fun activities and games, and techniques like “time out”.

The participants confess that time, patience and love for the children have been the major factors, helping them understand the children and minimize their agitated behavior.  After the training they share that they learnt better ways to engage with these special children.

Monsoon is the time for cultivating millet, clear off weeds and harvest potatoes in Tipling, the remotest village of Dhading.  At this time of the year, schools have monsoon holidays when some of the students help out their parents in farming activities, take care of cattle and some of them go down to the near by cities to get additional tuition for Secondary Education Examination preparation as well.  This monsoon holidays between 8^th to 10^th of July, NJSI conducted “Personal Development Camp” in Tipling helping them to experience a different kind of monsoon holidays.

The camp focused on motivating the students to be mindful of self, community and environment through exposure to higher education, scholarship prospects, entrepreneurship, career options, Eco club and critical thinking.

The total number of 68 students of Dongden Devi Secondary School from grades 6 to 10 participated enthusiastically in the camp. The NJSI team was impressed with the willingness of the students to learn, and participate in meaningful purpose. Angela Maya Tamang of grade 9 writes in her post evaluation, “I learnt that we should think critically whether the given information is right or wrong before believing in them”.

An Eco club was established with a promise to protect the environment and work for healthy community.  A cleaning campaign was conducted as the first project of the club. Later, most of the students responded that they will not throw plastics waste haphazardly anymore; instead they will pick them up if seen around.

Fr. Tek Raj Paudel SJ, who has been teaching at Dongden Devi School for 3 years, acknowledges that it was the first time students participated in such events. He felt proud to see his students accepting participation identity cards and certificates with dignity.

NJSI is thankful to Xavier Network for their support in this meaningful project.

An orientation program was conducted for the parents of Tipling, Dhading regarding importance of education and community learning on 7^th July 2018. Among 73 participants, most of them were farmers with diverse occupation such as masons, carpenters, drivers, potters and shop keepers, etc.

The aim of this program was to create awareness among the parents about the cyclic relationship between family, community and school in educating a child. In the context of Tipling, parents remain aloof and detached from their kids in learning at school. Instead of taking an interest in their children and their day activities at school, they order their children to feed cattle or work in farms right after school. Lack of interest and motivation from the family have led to high school dropout rate in Tipling especially among girls. Therefore, parents were made aware of their responsibilities, and importance of engaging themselves in education of their children.

In community learning, they were requested to visit schools to know their children’s performance and give needed support by taking an interest in their children’s education. The parents were encouraged to be part of their children’s education by motivation them in their study of learning. They were also requested to share positive stories of their life and profession so that children can see real life examples and be further motivated to study and learn.

During the earthquake of 2015, 90% of 500 schools of Gorkha district were destroyed. NJSI had supported eleven schools of remote Gorkha through building reconstruction, toilet construction, teachers’ training and furniture distribution.

On 6^th of June, a team of NJSI revisited eight schools to monitor the application of the support: Jalamukhi Primary School, Janashakti School, Baraha School, Saurpani School, Bardi Danda School, Siddartha School, Saptakanya School and Muldevi School. Though the team had to face complications crossing huge river and driving through dense mud, they felt blissful to observe more than 500 students happily attaining education in safe buildings. In most of the schools, toilets and furniture were well maintained and used.

The team was welcomed with appreciative programs and interactions. It was also impressive to learn five out of eight schools were led by female principals.

Taking yet another initiative to help the children with special needs, NJSI organized a training program and distribution of educational material to twelve visually impaired students (nine girls and three boys) of Saraswati Secondary School in Aalekh, Grokha on 28^th May 2018 in collaboration with the Bright Star Society.

Being an organization of the differently abled persons, Bright Star Society has always been proactive to bridge the gap between people with and without disabilities. NJSI has been collaborating with them to organize multiple programs as such. The distributed package contained school bags, white canes, braille papers, geometry kits, talking calculators, slate, stylus (braille pen) and audio players with pen drives; also, stationaries were given to partially blinded students. The training program included interactive sessions on use of these proficient devices, general mobility, games, arts and music.

We hope the training program and devices equip them with confidence to lead their life independently.

NJSI has laid the foundation for yet another hostel building on 4^th June 2018, in the earthquake affected schools in Nepal. This time it is for the speech and hearing impaired children of Azad School Banepa in Kavre district. Their hostel was destroyed by the earthquake of 2015. Since then the students have been staying in a small dark room of the school. They are studying at Kavre Deaf School. The hostel has the capacity to host 10-15 students. The project is financially supported by Caritas Italy.

NJSI has been in the fore front of supporting the special children’s educational facility with a score of building 7 hostels cum activity centers for the special children in three districts of Nepal, ever since the earthquake in the  2015.