The monsoon has destroyed the approach road to Madampur, so this way, coming up to Tara School, turned into an authentic adventure. It took us more than two hours walking, avoiding ditches, puddles and clay-pits, beside getting lost in several occasions, since the place was turning out to be unrecognizable for us. Fortunately we were realizing before being too far to rectify... And everything what has not rained in India, it has removed Nepal.
It has not stopped raining!... That´s the reason why the school has restarted its activity after the vacations with half of students their classrooms. And though as the days were going by and more pupils were joining, still we suffer a considerable index of abstentions. What is more than reasonable...

From the inauguration of Tara School Nepal, last May, we had not had the opportunity to meet the parents of the pupils, due to the period of plantation (remember that in the village the majority of people work in agriculture for a living). Now, already finished this important session for them, we could support a meeting that all of us value like very positively.

As long as we passed in the small country on the Himalayan, we are approaching the culture of this Nation and discovering that we have to face challenges and unknown situations for us and  we have to confess, in certain moments, plunged us in the frustation, although not enough to carry out the workr that we have proposed ourselves.
 
In Nepal and specially in the rural area, which is where ADT operates, the system of castes is a deeply-rooted custom. So this way while we try to obtain more knowledge about the above mentioned system to be able to approach it with rigor, we observe situations of segregation and discrimination among the considered low and top castes.

A very delicate topic that at this moment we are trying to face with soft measures, which they avoid us who perceive as intruders of its culture and beliefs.
Granting principal importance to the meetings with the teachers, where across the debate we try to design ways of bringing about a natural change in this aspect, because we believe that they play an important role in this fight. And I want to transmit all of you that we have an educational team, despite being rather young and without scarcely experience, they are ready to face the injustices and discriminations that their people suffers and to take part of this change. They all are involved and compromised on this challenge.

At the moment we encourage the games and activities during the period of class and the sparetime, between the boys and girls of the  different caste, without mentioning the same ones.

Nepal is also a country led by men where women capacity for some roles,  is doubted. That´s the reason why, in Tara School,  we are trying to face also these beliefs across the example. Almost the whole teaching staff is composed by women.
In addition in Tara School we are implementing an educational system where the pupil learns across the game, the experience and the investigation, leaving  the traditional method of memorization and repetition aside.

All these questions have revolutionized a bit the tranquility of the village in the last times and for someones, who were thinking our help,  was confined to finance simply, even it is a cause for questioning our intentions and aptitude to establish a quality school.

So, during the meeting, which spent more than two hours, we approach all the points truthfully, listening to their desires, visions and worries in order to try to begin a constructive dialog. The balance, positive enough. All of them expressed support from our point of view, intentions and possible changes in the educational area, which the Society includes also. In spite of some doubts in the matter, the majority of them agreed to give us a vote of confidence and to respect the mission that we want to carry out. From our side, the commitment to follow involving them in the project and always,  looking for measures of cooperation.

I want to emphasize the collaboration and support of Rajiny Sakya - director of the college - . A woman of an extraordinary courage rarely common inside the society Nepalese. A real social worker with values and very pure ethical principles. Thanks to her guide, our incursion in the culture, the village and the educational area in Nepal is being quite nice and i feel that we are avoiding mistakes and recklessnesses that can often cause the lack of information.

Now we continue with the task, conscious of the difficulties that await for us: we know it will be a slow process that was still carrying some more meetings and possible discrepancies and that it will require great doses of patience, love and sensitivity from our side. Challenges to which we want to face with realism but optimism too and which we entrust, will overcome, in many occasions, thanks to the smiles from more than 160 children that every day comes to Tara School Nepal. This it is our principal engine, our aim, the possibility of a better future for everyone of them.

Thousand of thanks who from Spain keep on supporting with commitment ADT's labor.

That all of Human Beings be happy!!

Natalia Pallás