Beginning of small simple community projects

EVENT: NYS ‘GHAAS KAATNE’ SESSION

Date: 16^th August 2008

Reporter: Mona Aditya

Venue: Siddheshwor School

Time duration: Around 2 hours

Objective: Public Service

Organizer: NYS, YI

Organizing committee: Mona Aditya, Ganesh Gautam, Saurav Sharma

Total number of participants: 6

Names of Participants: Ashish Bhandari, Ganesh Gautam, Mona Aditya, Saurav Sharma, Tek B. Kunwar, Yogesh Kunwar

DESCRIPTION:

The ‘ghaas kaatne session’ or the ‘grass cutting session’ has its roots in Rebati R. Poudel’s suggestion to NYS about helping a public school at Shantinagar by the name of Sidheshwor High School in the brick-laying happening in front of the school building. The idea came on a regular afternoon at Youth Initiative’s office. A couple of NYS volunteers went to the school immediately to inquire about the possibility of NYS helping the school. Since it was figured out that the brick-laying was happening under a contract with a construction company, the volunteers were recommended that they would be more helpful if they could do a session of clearing the grass that had covered half of the school-playground. NYS decided to take the job up and arrangements for tools and timing were made.

At around 1:30 pm on the 16^th August, Saturday the volunteers set out to this school. The event was supported by the cool weather that afternoon. In about 2 hours the tall grass was cleared off. The experience ended up becoming interesting as some of the volunteers discovered new ways of cutting grass while the others discovered pine trees amongst the grass which had not been taken care of since their plantation. It was quite a session – different from the regular talks and paper and pen work happening in the daily lives of volunteers.

The responsibility of removing the cut grass was left on the school administration. A letter was typed out to the administration so as to remind the concerned people of their responsibility of maintaining infrastructures so that proper learning, playing and growing environment is available for the students. The letter was dropped a few days after the event. A follow-up visit by NYS volunteers would make the intentions behind the letter effective.

The session ended with the feeling amongst the volunteers that more of similar community service sessions should be conducted in future.