Abbey Banta ('19)

Each morning the sound of drums, followed by the Nepali national anthem marked the beginning of the school day. Students marched in place, organized by grade, in their blue uniforms that displayed varying levels of wear and care. Half of the children at the school lived on campus in a hostel that, Shomi, the principal, oversaw. Their uniforms were always clean, buttoned up, and appeared as if they had been given a once-over before arriving to the schoolyard. Shomi, who is in her late twenties, is a foster mother to anywhere from 30 to 40 kids at a time. It was her selflessness that humbled me the most. To see someone carry out the ideals of a collectivist culture to such a profound degree was awe-inspiring and thought provoking.

A typical day for me on campus began with a walk on a village trail to the dark, aged kitchen for breakfast. Each student I passed along the way smiled and put their hands together in front of their hearts and said “Namaste” or “Morning miss!” After finishing the first of two daily helpings of rice and dal, I would head back to campus and into classrooms to observe and co-teach. In the afternoons it was my job to get the kids moving. I would take two classes at a time and show them obstacle races, field games, and teach them little bits of English as we played. The kids were eager to learn more English, and the teachers were looking for assistance on that front. They would laugh and squeal so loudly that the children in the other classrooms would peer out the windows to watch.

I went to Nepal to learn about the education system there and be of service where needed. While I met both of those objectives, I gained so much more than a novel professional/educational experience. I formed strong bonds with Shomi and Prakash (see Abbey’s “From Director’s Cut to Kalikot” in November’s goWEST to learn more about Prakash). I had the opportunity to work with the teachers on campus and to conduct a regional training for teachers from other villages. This was definitely the highlight of the trip. Teachers from nine different districts traveled to the school to discuss education, and workshop new teaching and management techniques over spicy masala tea in a hot, window lit classroom. Some of them hiked for more than five hours just to be there. From my perspective, when it comes to education, core intentions and beliefs among teachers around the world are the same--education liberates, education dignifies, education humanizes.

The classroom was not the only environment in which I was able to learn and contribute during my time in the village. Shomi, being the brave and protective woman she is, wanted to have a special meeting with the girls on campus about a highly taboo subject. In Nepal, women and girls encounter serious menstrual stigma. In many of the villages, girls on their cycle, and women who just gave birth, are forced to sleep in the cow shed with the animals while they are bleeding or recovering from childbirth. (I also burned my trash when on my period there). The villagers believe that menstruation is a curse, and in order to keep the home safe, the girls must stay away while they are bleeding.

To create space and begin the process of de-stigmatization regarding this issue, we established a "girl gang" with Shomi at the helm. We met a couple of times each week to educate the girls about why they bleed, what to expect, and how having a period (though it is super annoying and inconvenient) is not in fact a curse, but rather the very thing that allows us to continue existing as a human race. My coworker/travel partner secured donations to buy the girls sustainable supplies like reusable pads, moon cups, and Thinx period panties prior to arriving in Nepal. We distributed products to those who needed them, and the rest were saved for when younger girls and women in the village will need them. Most importantly, we created a secret handshake that only the girls in the gang know. (The former basketball player in me had to!)

This trip was enlightening in more ways than I could have imagined. I started to gather information about Nepali infrastructure, village culture, what it means to straddle the line between traditional living and adopting modern ideas, healthcare, and so much more. I left with a strong desire to return to Nepal and to visit other countries to continue working toward equity in global education

I am still in touch with Shomi and Prakash and am working with them on a school improvement plan. The leader of the regional training was also eager to plan another event so that even more teachers could attend. I hope to maintain a strong relationship with the school and return to Nepal in the next year or two.

Going to Kalikot was one of the most humbling and adventurous experiences of my life. I never would have had this experience if I didn’t simply ask for it. When we ask, we open up the possibility of being told yes. “Yes” can be life changing. Opportunities are all around us, all of the time. Sometimes they fall in our laps, other times we have to do a little digging, but they are there. The world is ready for you if you are.

For now, I am working toward building an educational consulting business to take my advocacy program on the road; doing some freelance writing and curriculum development for various companies; and applying to postgraduate programs in London. Wherever the journey takes me, I will continue to look for the opportunities, and ask in ways that allow me to inhabit the most authentic version of myself.