Highlights:
The retreat started with simple introduction of all the participants and the volunteers. All shared their moments of joy in education. There were break out sessions on compassion quotient.  We visited  Sewa Cafe, an experiment in giving, and listened to Nemo's songs. 

Annex: Kehi Garoun team stayed for an extra day to visit some interesting works in educaiton.  Our visit to the Riverside International School led us to integrate their "design for change" curriculum into our own Dignity Circle program.  and also the "i can " challenge for the schools.  We also heard about their salient lessons from Gandhian education from the Registrar of Ganghi Vidyapith.

​June 2012: "बाँच र बाँच्न देऊ" - Kathmandu Cares For the Whole of Nepal
Challenge:  Kathmandu is insensitive to plights of the rest of the nation; Only when Kathmandu suffers long bandhs do people here agitate.
Response: We learn to care about what's happening outside Nepal.  We will support 'No-bandh' long as there is a bandh anywhere in Nepal.
What we do? Every Friday 6pm  Thamel - Show that we care for that people all over Nepal are free.  Stand for 15 minutes for Nepali everywhere.
May 2012: "बाँच र बाँच्न देऊ" - No to Ethnic Politics, No to Bandha
Challenge:  Politician's ethnic-politics is turning neighbors-against-neighbors.
Response: Be Human - prove to yourself that your humanity is bigger than your ethnicity!
We may not change politicians but we can reassure the silent mass that not 'all' newars, limbus, tharus etc. want ethnic nationalism.Wiki - "An ethnic conflict or ethnic war is a conflict between ethnic groups often as a result of ethnic nationalism. They are of interest because of the apparent prevalence since the Cold War and because they frequently result in war crimes such as genocide." 
What we do? Silent Rally - 10 am Thamel - Show that  our silence is not your approval of ethnic-agenda. 
Walk for "individual freedom and communal harmony", whichever ethnicity calls for bandh, people from same ethnicity come and rally against that. We can make this a citizen's habit.  

2011: Responsible Citizens + Accountable Politics
Problem: Politicians have time and again pushed constitution deadline; we citizens seem to give them license to do just that. Unless we care for accountability, why would the politicians? 
Response: We should become responsible citizens and contest better political alternatives.  
What we did:  We stood in silence for 15 minutes, promoting a simple message:  "It is our responsibility as citizens to bring accountability from politicians."   We did that over 100 times (daily for 3 months, and weekly for 3 months) at Durbar Marg. It was organized under the theme of मेरो देश, मेरै दायित्व! (Mero Des, Merai Dayitwa) in partnership with Nepal Unites.

Volunteers from KUSOM executed this campaign, coordinated by Aparmita Tuladhar.
Ayush Manandhar, Chandan Nemkul, Nishan Neupane, Sara Sharma, Romisha Maharjan,  Avritti Bhattari, Sarina Shrestha, Puja Shrestha,  Sneha Shakya, Nischala Neupane, Aishwarya Dhakhwa,  Nilima Mali, Millee Maskey, Prayush Shakya, Nikki Hamal,  Rachita Tuladhar. Simron Shrestha

Happy is a tummy without Juka (stomach worms). Mostly caused in monsoon season, Juka when untreated, may even be fatal. Volunteers from 5 schools and colleges went to government schools to raise awareness on, and provide free medicine to students who cannot afford them. 
By August 2013, we reached over 3000 students. 
Cost for supporting a child was Rs 15 per student (Rs 12 for medicine, Rs 3 for related expense).  

​RAMILA KAMALI - SRI ARUNODOYA NI. MA. VI. 
Ramila Kamali is a second grader studying in Sri Arunyodhaya Ni. Ma. Vi, Dhoka tole. Her teacher and gift applicant Ms. Bimala Adhikari says Ramila stays with her family of four. Unfortunately, her father cannot work due to his fractured leg; plus he is battling with alcoholism, a habit which causes a lot of unwanted problems at home. Her mother works as a maid; hers is the only source of income for the entire family. The insufficient income cannot even provide basic educational needs for Ramila such as stationery or a school bag. She puts up a brave face at school and rarely shows the problems she faces. She never misses a day at school and remains an obedient and hard working student. Ramila wishes to study and come to school regularly in the future too.

INSTITUTIONAL:In January, KG made a few small achievements towards making sure we are able to continue reaching 1000+ children like Pramila.

1. KG welcomes Swati Upadhyay as the first market-hire.  Swati will focus on the education program.  You may recall that before this, all KG hires would receive 50% of market compensation.
2. Given we are raising only Rs 56,000 out of Rs 1,15,000 necessary to run the organizations, we are also looking for ways to cut cost.  By the end of January, all 5 extra rooms of the KG Building are rented, resulting in cost savings that is equivalent to Swati’s compensation.
3. KG and Kathmandu Model College (KMC) agreed to have 4 KMC students volunteer 10 Hours a week for 6 months as KG.  We invite Rajesh Kunwar, Raman Shrestha, Renuka Bhandari and Nisha Adhikari. 
4. We started placing KG Notebooks at National Book Centre which has become a member of KG Community.  The book store has agreed to take ‘zero margin’ on the KG Notebooks so that all the proceeds may be channeled to social cause.  Please remember them when you need to buy/gift stationery (details in the website) 

 PROGRAM:     
 Due to winter vacation at schools, and a few days of bandhs, we provided only one Sajha Khaja session.       
On 13th Jan, we distributed additional   stationery to Kanya Mandir School and interacted with them as well as their parents.      
KG volunteers participated on the program “Bagmati Safa Aviyan” - a river cleaning camp - organized by Sanjivani. 

Monthly Event:   We are screening a fund raising movie on February 10 (“EK MEY AUR EKK TUM” at Rs 500 /person at QFX (civil mall)).   Please let Rishav@kgnepal.com.np know if you wish to support us by booking your
seats. 

​2012 JANUARY UPDATE
Dear KG Members,
Please take a few second to read about  Pramila Shrestha ,
whose life you touched through KG.
Pramila Shrestha is a brilliant student who dreams of being a teacher. She lives near Bishnumati River with her mother who works as a construction labourer.  Her father has left them. She has two siblings; one elder sister and one younger sister; both of them study in Kanya Mandir School. Her mother’s income is not enough for them to eat after paying rent. So sometime even she works on embroidery in small piece of cloth for three hours at night to earn Rs. 25 per piece. They don’t have enough money to eat every day, so most of the time they have to sleep with an empty stomach. KG has been involved in providing her stationery. 

QUOTE OF THE MONTH
Do you feel dissatisfied when you learn of such students?  This is
where the quote of the month may be relevant to you ( ‘On being
discontent’ – JK’s Think on These Things)
“So one must have this total discontent - but with joy.  One must be wholly discontented, not complainingly, but with joy, with gaiety,
with love. Most people who are discontented are terrible bores; they
are always complaining that something or other is not right, or
wishing they were a in a better position, or wanting circumstance to
be different, because their discontent is very superficial…Do you know what it means to be discontented? …… When you feel discontented, you turn on the radio, you go to a guru, do puja, join a club, drink, run after women - anything to smother the flame.  But, you see, without this flash, you will never have the initiative which is the beginning of creativeness.  To find out what is true you  must be in revolt against the established order, but the more money you parents have, and the more secure your teachers are in their jobs, the less they want you to revolt.”
​

Dear KG Family,

KG-Gifts reached 45 students in 2012.  Do you know how many benefited from KG Gifts in the month of January? 
18 Gifts!  This means, we will reach 200 students in 2012 at this rate.  What's more?  KG Gifts will become KG's central program, having integrated 'mid-day meals' and 'stationery programs' as 'Gifts Program'. 

KG will continue to empower individuals and hold collaborative events.  ​

Puja katawal studies in grade four in Sri Arunodhaya Ni. Ma. Vi. (Dhoka Tol). As per her gift applicant and teacher Ms. Urmila Devi Shrestha, Puja lives with her father and 8 other family members. Her father works as a carpet seller. According to her techers, Puja is a dillegent, hard working and regular student. She comes to school regularly and has a patient nature. Having 9 family members to feed the monthly income of her father is not enough. Due to this, her parents aren't able to even buy her a set of uniform. Her teacher wishes to motivate her by gifting a school uniform. (FB Comments)

INSTITUTIONAL UPDATE

• We completed audit of the financial statements for the previous fiscal year.  A copy of that statements is here.

• Month's deficit of Rs 75K has been financed by a loan.  To address funding shortage, we developed a proposal.

Sophiya Khatun is a class 1 student of Arunodaya Ni. Ma. Vi. She lives with other 5 family members. Her father owns a small business but doesn't make enough to support the family's basic need. She is diligent student who is very studious and believes in personal cleanliness. She loves her friends a lot. She is keen in studying and can answer any question that is being asked by teachers. 

​

Kabita Gurung is a class six student of Bal Bikash Ni. Ma. Vi. She stays with other six members of her family.  Her father is a laborer. According to her teacher, Ms. Indra Prasad Pokhrel, she is very obedient and very hardworking. She is not only excellent in her studies but also active in other extra curricular activities. She makes the classroom lively and organized. She takes care that the school's environment is clean and peaceful.

Kabita Gurung and her Principal  
Kavita won hearts of the community and inspired the highest votes in January 2013. She received a Certificate of Appreciation from KG and was awarded Rs. 1000 in front of assembly line from the school principal. She spent the whole amount to buy the necessary stationery supplies, says her teacher. ​​