#kopila women! woot woot.

We had our first meeting for Kopila Women's Center yesterday and we were so happy with the turn out.  64 women between the ages of 15-60, all of whom signed up for health, literacy, sewing and business classes.  Our sewing machines have arrived from Mia Amicas Globally.  Classes begin this week!!!   I am so excited for what's in store and all the potential these strong women this will bring to our project.  They were standing up yesterday, talking, participating, and sharing their ideas like I've never seen before.  They seemed so willing, eager and excited do everything they can to provide for their children and raise their families out of poverty.  

The ladies were all coming up to me after the meeting with smiles on their faces and sharing what particular skills they thought they could bring to the group and what their interests were.  We were all so fired up.  One woman said she wanted to learn how to cook different kinds of foods and make momos.  Another woman said she's always dreamed of learning to read and write.  Another young girl told me she can't wait to sit behind a sewing machine and help make the kids uniforms and bags.  Our big dream is to have our own local store with things that our women make and sell and obviously sustain our school with the clothes and local materials we need.  

Right now we've got about a million ideas running through our heads.  We are looking forward to sitting down with our women, breaking them into smaller support groups and having them lead us forward based on what their DREAMS are.  The dreaming phase of every project is so much fun.

How sweet does our center look?  It's coming a long!!!

Special thanks to all of you for your support and enthusiasm of this project!  Please send us any ideas you have or other projects you think we could learn from.  I'm also eager to show the women inspirational videos.  Got any in mind?  

Also, this may seem frivolous but it's about 107 degrees in the women's center because it's on the top story and absorbing a ton of heat.  I sit in there for one minute and my skin is sticking to itself.  I really want to splurge and surprise the women with an air conditioning unit so they have a comfortable place to work!  If anyone would be interested in funding or investing in this, please shoot me a line.

You can also check out Mia Amicas Globally's fair trade market place.  Items you buy directly support our women's center.

Donations made towards our women's center will go towards:

-Knitting needles, yarn, thread, fabrics, and additional sewing machines to get us started.  (All purchased locally)

-Reading, literacy and basic math workbooks and curriculum

-Jewelry making materials

-Stipend salaries to support our trainers/teachers/and leaders of this project.

Okay, I could go on and on but REALLY thank you!!!!  #awesome #excited #wahooooo #KopilaWomen #MothersUnite

xoxo  Maggie

Field Day!

Hi everyone, this is John guest blogging for Maggie once again!  We’ve had some exciting things going on here at Kopila Vall, including our first Annual Kopila Field Day.  Field Day kicked off our Inter-House competition between Sun, Moon, Star, and Sky house and this year the stakes have been raised.  In addition to competing for the house trophy, we’ve also promised the winning house a year end MoMo party.  For those of you who were not following last year, the inter-house competition is a year round event, with points awarded for excellent behavior and achievements.  As for Field Day, the morning started off with lots of energy, and the enthusiasm lasted throughout the day.  Whether it was the Sun House and their award winning house cheer, or the oldest kids rooting for the nursery and KG students the day surpassed even our most optimistic expectations.  Some highlights were the Donut eating challenge, which involved seeing which student could eat a donut hanging from the ceiling the fastest, an epic tug of war tournament, a nursery fruit & vegetable themed relay race, and last but certainly not least a Sari wrapping competition, where 4 Sr. Boys dressed up their house teachers.  When all was said and done the Star house emerged victorious, and the day concluded with a school wide dance party up on stage.  Next up for the inter-house competition is art month, which kicks off this Friday!  Enjoy Ben's Photos.

family photo

Ben took an updated family photo of all the kids and me on the front porch before school last week.  It was the morning I was all in a flurry leaving for the states and somehow we got everyone together.  When the picture flashed up on the big screen behind me at the Forbes Women's Summit, I could just make out the reflection in the corner of my eye.  I kept telling myself in my head, "don't look, don't look, don't look!" because I knew I would just burst out into tears on stage.  I really really lucked out with this bunch and it's just amazing to me how much love a heart can hold.

Thank you all for your sweet Mother's Day wishes.  I got to spend Mother's Day Weekend with my mom, sister, and grandmother for the first time in years.  It was perfect.    

I am on the road again but just wanted to say hi and remind everyone that today is the last official day to apply to our fellows program!!!  Our team is really looking forward to reading through applications this week.  Thanks to everyone who applied so far.

xo Maggie

Maggie speaks at Forbes Women's Summit!

Hi Friends! Thanks to twitter we have some live photos of Maggie's speach at the FORBES WOMEN’S SUMMIT! The theme of the conference is: "Power redefined—Generations Unite To Change The World"

Forbes surprised Maggie with the Forbes Excellence In Education Award! Word is that she inspired a standing ovation. Thank you all for being such a big part of the Kopila and BlinkNow story! Video to come!

“We don’t need make-overs. We need to make the world better!” - Maggie Doyne forbes.com/sites/meghanca… #redefinepower

— Forbes Woman (@ForbesWoman) May 9, 2013

 

Teacher Appreciation

May 7th is teacher appreciation day and being that it's the start of the new Nepali school year, I'd like to introduce our all-star teaching team.  They make so much of the magic happen each and every single day at Kopila Valley.  They work both inside and outside of the classroom all hours of the day (and sometimes nights) to make sure our students have what they need.  The kids all really love and respect them and I honestly don't know where we'd be without them.  It takes a village!  Meet our amazingly awesome teachers!

Gauri Gurung 

Gauri is our 2^nd grade teacher at Kopila Valley. She has a bachelors degree, and in her free time loves to read, dance, and play with children. Gauri is a very positive and confident teacher, and is a wonderful role model for the children of Kopila Valley. It gives her much pride and satisfaction to serve underprivileged children, and to have a hand in brightening their futures. She hopes that the children of Kopila Valley will grow to be strong and independent citizens of Nepal, who will work to serve and improve their country. Gauri is happy to be a part of the solution, and hopes that the work of Kopila Valley will inspire people all over the world to do their part to combat injustice and inequality.

 “I am very happy to be a part of the solution in Nepal by being a good teacher for the students of Kopila Valley.” – Gauri Gurung

Rajesh Giri

Rajesh is our upper level math teacher here at Kopila Valley School. He graduated from a local university with a bachelors degree in Environmental Management. Rajesh loves to read good books, listen to music, play cricket and basketball, and practice yoga. He is a passionate educator and prides himself on his ability to reach out to those individuals less fortunate than him. He works everyday to teach conservation and environmental ethics to the students of Kopila Valley, and to make this project sustainable. His favorite thing about working at the school is the loving and compassionate atmosphere that has been created by the Kopila Valley team. His wish is for Kopila Valley School to continue to grow and change the lives of underprivileged children in Nepal.

“Kopila Valley is the most beautiful place on this planet where only love and compassion exist. My favorite thing about working at Kopila Valley is the atmosphere of cooperation and care amongst all of us.” – Rajesh Giri

Neelima Thapa

Neelima is a nursery teacher at Kopila Valley. She is working on her bachelors degree at a local University and is in her second year of study. She loves art and music, and loves her job as an educator. Neelima fills the nursery classroom with joy and creates an encouraging and supportive environment for the children in her class. Her favorite thing about Kopila Valley is the positive atmosphere that the staff and students have created, and the healthy food and medical care that is provided to community and school. She hopes that more schools like Kopila Valley will be opened in remote areas of Nepal to provide the same opportunities to isolated villages and communities. Her wish is for Kopila Valley to continue to expand and flourish in the years to come.

“My favorite thing about working at Kopila Valley is the opportunity to provide scholarship, food, and health education to the community.” – Neelima Thapa

 Vimla Kumari Chhetri 

Vimla is our health teacher at Kopila Valley. She has a masters degree in education, and feels truly blessed to be able to teach at Kopila Valley everyday. Vimla loves to read and dance, and enjoys getting creative with her lesson plans! She is very confident in her abilities as an educator, and always shows her students kindness and respect. Her favorite thing about working at Kopila Valley is the emphasis that is placed on student oriented learning, making it a priority for the students to understand rather than merely memorize. Vimla believes that every child is special and deserves attention and the opportunity to be educated. Her goal for Kopila Valley is to provide all students with a loving and supportive environment in which to learn, ultimately brightening the futures of the children of Surkhet, Nepal. She hopes that individuals all over the world will learn from Kopila Valley, and do their part to stand up for the underprivileged. 

 “Think positive, do positive.” – Vimla Kumari Chhetri

Lalit Khatri 

Lalit teaches Math and Computer class at Kopila Valley. He was born and raised in Surkhet where he received a high school diploma from a local secondary school, and hopes to begin working on a bachelors degree next year. Lalit loves to watch movies, listen to music, read books, and play chess. He has very good computer skills, and loves to learn about the latest technology. Lalit learns very quickly, and is always excited and willing to learn new techniques and teaching styles. His favorite aspect of being a teacher at Kopila Valley is how much he learns from his students and colleagues. He feels blessed to be a part of the Kopila project, and hopes to continue working to create positive change in this world. 

“Here, I don’t feel like I am working. I am always learning and growing.” – Lalit Khatri

Stay tuned as we continue to introduce our team!!!