During summer 2013, Eva Adler, Ellie Falletta, Chris Klene, Taylor Simmons, and Natalie Walter had the opportunity to participate in the GROW internship. They were stationed in Tipling, and worked on the following projects:
One of our projects is occupytheory.org at https://occupytheory.org/ where we write about various studies such as social inequality or the shortcomings of Nepali education.
- Latrine Survey
The goal of this project was to evaluate the impact of HHC’s latrine project and to gain a more detailed understanding latrine use and construction in Tipling. CU Boulder’s Institutional Review Board approved the survey before the interns departed. Altogether, they collected data from 32 latrines. The GROW interns passed along the results of these interviews to HHC in order to help the organization improve its latrine program.
2. Kami (Blacksmith) Income Generation
HHC wanted the GROW interns’ help in selecting a handful of families in the Kami village to receive goats as an income generation project. The interns developed criteria, and then interviewed a member of each household. The goat recipients were announced at a community meeting, and the four recipients are shown below. This project was also very informative and taught the GROW interns and the translators about the Kami community.
3. English Grammar Lessons for Students
When the local schools were in session, the GROW interns spent time teaching English through songs, games, and grammar lessons. When school was on holiday, the interns held supplemental grammar classes for the older students. English is a large portion of the SLC or School Leaving Certificate—an examination each student must pass before entering college.
4. Health and Sanitation Surveys
After the latrine surveys were completed, the GROW interns interviewed families without latrines about their health and sanitation in the village. From these interviews, they learned more about the health post and distribution of medicine in Tipling.
5. Women’s Empowerment
Four times a week, the GROW interns spent their mornings at HHC’s women’s empowerment classes. These classes were full of singing and dancing and were a great way for the interns to connect with the community. At the end of their stay in Tipling, the interns were able to talk with the women about more personal issues. The interns brought a women’s empowerment book back to the U.S., and it is now translated into English.
6. Meeting with Political Leaders
At the end of the internship, political leaders from Tipling gathered at the HHC office in Kathmandu. The GROW interns learned about what the political leaders are doing to solve problems in the village. Although the meeting only lasted one day, engaging in this conversation might have a large impact on the people of Tipling.