Pokhara Public Library

NEPAL

Mahendrapul, Pokhara 9
c/o Monica Henry PCV 194
Peace Corps GPO Box 613
Kathmandu, Nepal
Phone: 977-61-432511
E-mail: themis@runbox.com (Monica Henry)

August 2003

Namaste mero sathiharu

(Namaste my friends)

"Namaste" is the Nepali greeting that translates as, "I bow to the God in you" I find that this is a great way to remind myself that we are all connected and to treat everyone with kindness and respect.

Working in Nepal has definitely made me more consciences of others and increased my patience. When I arrived in Nepal 18 months ago as a Peace Corps trainee, other than what the guide books and Peace Corps mentioned, I had little idea as to what to expect and how my new life in Nepal would be. After three months of intense training, I left the Terai (the flat lands in the Southern area of Nepal) for the beautiful valley of Pokhara. As a youth development volunteer, I am supposed to work with the Municipality to develop and expand their youth programs. However, I discovered that I had very little to do at the municipality so I went out into the Pokhara community in search of a bit of work to keep me occupied over the next two years.

It didn't take me very long to come across the Pokhara Public Library. I wandered in off the street one day curious as to what sort of facilities the library offered to the community members. After meeting with the board members, all volunteers, I was very impressed with their dedication to improving the library and bringing resources to their community. I mentioned that I was interested in establishing a youth resource center in Pokhara and asked if this was something that they were interested in.....they were thrilled with the idea and had actually been working on acquiring similar resources but they had been unsuccessful in securing funding for the project. We decided to work together in order to make the youth resource center a reality for the Pokhara community.

I've been working with the library for a little over a year now and during that time we have greatly expanded the library's book collection and community book contributions (over 1,500 books in both Nepali and English). However, we have yet to obtain funding for the creation of a youth resource center. It is my hope that through the generosity of those that read this that you will help us to make this possible. So please, take a moment to learn a little bit more about Nepal and the need for a youth resource center that will provide Pokhara's youth with opportunities that will otherwise remain out of their reach.

Sincerely,

Monica Henry
themis@runbox.com

Can we donate if living in the USA?

Yes, donations go a long way! Every dollar counts, and 100% of your contribution will be sent to Nepal! All donations are tax-deductible in the USA according to standard IRS regulations, and we will provide official receipts. Please make checks payable to Sahaya International with mention "Nepal-library", and send to:

Sahaya International, Inc.
c/o Koen Van Rompay
2949 Portage Bay Avenue, Apartment #195
Davis, CA 95616
USA
Phone (evenings): 530-756-9074
kkvanrompay@ucdavis.edu
www.sahaya.org

We thank you tremendously for your support!! .

INTRODUCTION

Many people are only vaguely aware of Nepal's existence because it is sandwiched between two giants, India and China, and those who are aware often only know it as the home of the highest mountains in the world, the Himalayas. Although the Himalayas are amazing, so are the Nepali people and they are in desperate need of assistance. Out of a population of around 24 million, 52 percent of the Nepalese live below the poverty line and the per capita income is only 210 US Dollars per annum. This makes it extremely difficult for the average Nepali to purchase educational materials that will assist them in their studies and, in many cases, prevents students from attending school. Education is the basis of society and, without it, people are unable to advance and raise their position within that society. According to a 2001 report on Nepal by UNICEF, "the low level and unequal distribution of assets and income is reflected in the lack of opportunities and access to education, health, nutrition, and other facilities necessary for improved standards of living." Exposure to the outside world has raised the expectations of the rural and urban youth of Nepal but "the number of available opportunities for quality education and career development is extremely limited."

Nepal's cities are growing at a fast rate but the resources available for their youth are not and those without the financial means to purchase their own educational resources are suffering. Pokhara serves as the headquarters for the Kaski District as well as the Western Development Region of Nepal and, with a 7.4 percent growth rate per annum, it also happens to be the fastest growing city in Nepal. According to the 2001 census, 162,219 people live in Pokhara and a large number of that population is under twenty years of age. There are 568 public and private schools located in the Kaski district and over 16,500 students attending Pokhara's colleges and universities. However, limited funding is available for Nepal's education system and many students lack access to educational resources (reference books, computers with internet access, language learning materials such as books, computer programs, and audio tapes, as well as study materials for various tests like the SLCs, GREs, SATs, LSATs, etc).

The Pokhara Public Library has recognized this need and wants to establish a youth resource center in order to provide the youth with these materials and opportunities. However, due to its limited budget, the Pokhara Public Library lacks the funding to expand their resources. It is for this reason that the Pokhara Public Library is seeking assistance from you and your friends.

BACKGROUND RATIONAL

The Pokhara Public Library is situated in a rapidly growing city with numerous schools, colleges, and two universities. The need for a youth resource center is increasing as students search for information on scholarships, employment opportunities, and materials to assist them in their studies and personal development. The younger children often do not have access to books due to the fact that many schools do not possess these resources and the majority of those that do keep them behind lock and key. Those students that are fortunate enough to attend private schools and those that continue on to higher education have better access to study materials but even those students have very limited access to test preparation materials, resource/reference books, audio tapes, and computer programs to assist them with learning the English language.

In a survey conducted by UNICEF, it was found that the number one concern among Nepali teenagers across all ethnic groups is education. Students worry about being forced to leave school, not being able to afford books and stationary, and being denied educational opportunities. Education increases self-awareness, the ability to think critically, confidence in taking action, and employment opportunities.

Nepal's youth should not be denied their right to education and personal development as the result of inadequate funding for libraries and educational institutions. The literacy rate of Nepal ranks as one of the lowest in the world with almost half of the adult population being illiterate. According to His Majesty's Government Central Bureau of Statistics, 37.8 percent of Nepal's men and 65.4 percent of Nepal's women are illiterate. The overall literacy rate of the Kaski District is much higher than the national average but if that rate is to continue to improve, the public must have access to books and materials that will assist them with their education.

The Pokhara Public Library questioned 52 youth (ages 18 to 30) concerning access to educational resource materials and usefulness (information on studying abroad, colleges and universities, scholarships, employment opportunities, language aids, test preparation materials, audio/visual materials, access to inexpensive computer and internet facilities and study aids such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, and grammar books). It was found that an overwhelming majority of these youth, including those studying at the university/college level, did not have access to these resources and felt that these materials would be very useful to their studies.

It is obvious that the students of Pokhara would greatly benefit from a youth resource center filled with materials to help them study for their SLCs (School Leaving Certificate). According to the Department of Education, there are 426 public and 142 private schools in Kaski. In 2001, 2,856 students from public schools took the SLCs and only 1,137 passed (39.8 percent). 1,392 students from private schools took the SLCs with 1,227 passing (88.15 percent). Not only does this suggest that students in private schools are receiving a better education, it shows that the students would benefit if they had access to materials, free of charge, to aid them in their preparation for the SLC exam.

The SLC is not the only exam that the youth of Pokhara need study materials to assist with their preparation. Those that wish to study abroad need test preparation materials for the SATs/ACTs and those that wish to attend higher education institutions would benefit from materials to prepare for the GRE, MCAT, LSAT, etc. In addition to this, youth wanting to study or work abroad need to pass the TOEFL or IELTS and only those with adequate financial resources are able to enroll in preparation courses and/or purchase study materials.

The English language is playing a larger role in the life of the Nepali people due to the increase in tourism, business relations, education and politics. Knowing the English language has more or less become a requirement for employment in many fields and those children that are unable to afford the high price of a private school education receive less than satisfactory instruction in the English language. By providing books, audiocassettes, and computer programs to assist the youth with learning the English language, we will be opening doors that would otherwise remain closed and increase their opportunity for success.

The youth resource center is also in need of a computer and printer in order to provide the youth with inexpensive internet access so that they are able to conduct research for their studies and employment needs. In addition to this, the computer would allow the youth to type papers for school and create resumes. The computer is also necessary to run many interactive language programs as well as many test preparation programs. Many of Pokhara's youth do not have access to a computer because they are unable to afford the high price of internet businesses and the library would be able to offer computer training for those youth interested in learning computer basics. As the use of technology increases in Nepal, many employment fields require at least a minimum amount of computer knowledge and access to a computer will allow Pokhara's youth to become more comfortable and confident in their use of technology.

Education is one of the most important factors influencing a youth's life and we hope to provide Pokhara's youth with the best resources and opportunities possible.

ORGANIZATION INFORMATION

The Pokhara Public Library came into existence in 1992 when various representatives from non-governmental organizations, the Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Pokhara Municipality, campus chiefs, students, journalists, writers, and professional librarians, among others called a meeting to discuss the need for a public library.

Despite the Pokhara Public Library's small size and collection as well as a lack of resources and funding, the library receives an average of 145 visitors daily and carries out several programs to serve the Pokhara community:

The 10 board members of the Pokhara Public Library are all extremely qualified and experienced in the field of education and literature. The board members volunteer a large amount of time to the running and improvement of the library and are very dedicated to its success. Pokhara Public Library Board Members:

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Our goal at the Pokhara Public Library is to provide an environment and resources that will assist Pokhara's youth in their studies and employment needs by removing the financial barrier that prevents many of Pokhara's youth from accessing educational materials.

Before establishing the youth resource center, the Pokhara Public Library board members wanted to determine if there is a need and demand for a youth resource center within the community. A questionnaire was created and distributed to 52 youths in Pokhara. The respondents varied from waiters to college students and the majority expressed an overwhelming desire and need for a youth resource center. Several of the respondents urged the Pokhara Public Library to quickly make these resources available and offered their assistance in its creation.

A meeting was then held with concerned members of the community and the library board members at the Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry to discuss the future of the library. The youth resource center was proposed at this meeting and those in attendance favored its establishment. After determining that there is, in fact, a need and demand for a youth resource center, the Pokhara Public Library came up with four objectives to ensure its establishment.

I. FUNDING:

The first objective is to obtain the necessary funding for the youth resource center.

  1. Librarian training - A library representative met with the Executive Secretary at the Pokhara Municipality to discuss the need for trained librarians to run the library and the youth resource center. The Municipality agreed to provide training for the current staff members at a later date.
  2. Library resources - The Pokhara Public Library board members then created a description of needed resources as well as a budget and began the search for potential funding sources. Because the Municipality will be providing funding for the librarian training and currently provides the Pokhara Public Library with funding for newspapers, magazines and the building in which the youth resource center will be housed, the board members realized that they would need to seek outside funding assistance. Once the resources have been purchased and the youth resource center is established, the library will be able to maintain the youth resource center without outside financial assistance. The computer/internet service will be sustainable by charging a small fee to cover the cost of the Internet and printing services.
  3. Community support - The Pokhara Public Library will continue to solicit book and financial donations from the members of the Pokhara community.

II. FURNISHING THE YOUTH RESOURCE CENTER:

Once the library has obtained the necessary funding, it will be able to focus its efforts on the second objective, the remodeling and furnishing of the available room.

  1. Preparing the youth resource center for use - The library has been supplied with the space for a youth resource center but it needs to be cleaned and furnished in order to make it useable. Bookshelves, tables, chairs, a bulletin board, computer and printer stand, personal property counter, and fans are all necessary items for the youth resource center. The library board members, staff, and youth volunteers will work together in order to clean and set up the youth resource center.

III. PURCHASE OF EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES:

After the youth resource center has been made useable, the board members will purchase educational resources. Providing resources that will assist the youth of Pokhara in their studies and personal development is the third objective in the establishment of the youth resource center.

  1. Types of Materials - Dictionaries, an encyclopedia set, study materials, language resource books and audiotapes, computer and printer with Internet service.
  2. College information - The library will also supply information on various colleges abroad, visa information, cultural information and information on how to study abroad, as well as information on colleges, universities, and technical schools Nepal and available scholarships.
  3. Youth development/awareness information - In addition to educational resources, the library will provide information on various issues concerning youth such as AIDS/HIV/STDS, drug abuse awareness information, health and nutrition, girl trafficking, organizations and centers of interest in the Kaski district, employment opportunities, skill development, youth clubs and leadership training information.

IV. ADVERTISING:

The final objective for the youth resource center is advertising.

  1. Flyers, posters and radio - Once the youth resource center is ready for use, the library's current users will be aware of its existence but those who do not currently use the library will be unable to benefit from its resources. In order to increase awareness and use of the youth resource center, the library will distribute informational flyers tot he universities, colleges, and schools in the Pokhara area. The Library board members will also hang informational posters in the city center as well as advertise on the radio.

It is difficult to set exact dates for the completion of these objectives because a time schedule largely depends on when the first objective, funding, is completed. Due to the demand for the resources that the Pokhara Public Library would like to supply through the youth resource center, the library would like to have the youth resource center ready for use by the beginning of December, 2003.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

The Pokhara Public Library board members meet on a regular basis to ensure that the library is running smoothly, to address any areas of concern, and to plan for the library's future. In order to make sure that the youth resource center is meeting the needs of the libraryÕs users, the board members will take the following steps:

  1. Registration book - visitors will be asked to sign in so that the library will be able to keep track of the number of youth resource center users.
  2. Suggestion box - this will be placed inside of the youth resource center so that users are able to make suggestions and/or comments concerning the youth resource center in order for the library to better serve the public. These suggestions/comments will be reviewed and addressed during the board meetings.
  3. Questionnaire - after a period of six months, a questionnaire will be distributed to the youth resource center users to determine if the youth resource center is meeting their needs and, if not, what can be done to change this.

CONCLUSION

It is obvious that the rapidly growing city of Pokhara is in great need of a youth resource center so that children of all socioeconomic backgrounds are able to access resources that will assist them with their education and personal development. In 2001, UNICEF found that the youth of Nepal are greatly concerned about the future of their education and access to resource materials and the youth of Pokhara have expressed an interest as well as a need for the resources that the Pokhara Public Library would like to provide. The board members of the Pokhara Public Library are committed to the education and betterment of the community and believe that no one should be denied access to educational resources as the result of financial difficulties. The education of our children provides the foundation for our future. With your assistance, we can make sure that this future is a positive one.

BUDGET

The Pokhara Municipality has contributed to the establishment of the youth resource center by providing the building in which it is to be housed, the funding for newspapers and magazines, the salary for two staff members and the future funding for the staff members' librarian training. The Pokhara Public Library board members contribute by volunteering their time to ensure that the library is open to the public, running programs, and planning for its future. In addition to this, the members also provide the funding, around 27 dollars per month, for electricity, phone, and office supplies. The Library also raised 118 dollars in private donations towards the purchase of 725 Nepali books for children/youth and enough money in community donations to purchase 30 chairs and two tables for the library. The Library will continue to solicit donations from the community of Pokhara in order to utilize local resources. In order to establish the youth resource center, the Pokhara Public Library needs various items under three different sections: technology, furniture and books /computer software /audio cassettes.
TECHNOLOGY Computer - Pentium 4 multimedia system with accessories
Printer - Cannon laser printer
United Postal Service charges for computer and printer
Audio cassette player with headphones
TOTAL (in US dollars) 		789.50
290.00
66.00
79.00
1,230.00
FURNITURE Computer and printer stand
Computer chair
Reading Table 4' x 3', 5 pieces at 40.00 Dollars each
Chairs 20 pieces at 8.00 Dollars each
Personal Property Counter for storage of books, bags, etc
Bulletin Board 2 pieces at 20.00 Dollars each
Fans 5 pieces at 21.00 Dollars
Bookshelves 5 pieces at 79.00 Dollars each
Flooring/carpet 320 sq ft at .35 Cents per sq ft.
TOTAL (in US dollars) 		53.00
20.00
200.00
160.00
105.00
40.00
105.00
395.00
112.00
1,1900.00
BOOKS Nepali Dictionary
IT Encyclopedia Set books 1-10 w/CDRom by D.S. Kauskik
Webster English Dictionary-Merriam w/ CD Rom
Dictionary of Correct Spelling by Norman Lewis
Crash Course for GRE w/ pocket Thesaurus
GMAT CAT 2003 Edition with CD Rom
TOEFL Practice Book 2000 Edition
TOEFL by Barrons 3 cassettes and book
MBA Entrance Guide 1999 Edition
LSAT Success w/ CD Rom + 2 practice tests 2000 Ed.
Cambridge IELTS student's book w/ answers+cassette
Various Nepali college textbooks + SLC prep. books
TOTAL (in US dollars) 		119.00
200.00
7.00
2.00
8.50
15.00
14.00
7.00
6.50
14.50
18.00
132.00
543.00
COMPUTER SOFTWARE Instant Imersion English Pro (7 CD-Rom) by Topics Entertainment
English (ESL) Pro for Kids (4 CD-Rom) by Multimedia 2000
Kaplan SAT/ACT/PSAT 2001 by Encore Software
Inside the GRE/GMAT/LSAT by The Learning Company
TOTAL (in US dollars) 		35.00
20.00
7.25
7.00
69.25
AUDIO CASSETTES Pronounce It Perfectly In English by Jean Yates
American English As a Foreign Language with Book
TOTAL (in US dollars) 		25.00
23.00
48.00

GRAND TOTAL (in US Dollars)

3,080.25

Please help us!

All donations are tax-deductible in the USA according to standard IRS regulations, and we will provide official receipts. Please make checks payable to Sahaya International with mention "Nepal-library", and send to:

Sahaya International, Inc.
c/o Koen Van Rompay
2949 Portage Bay Avenue, Apartment #195
Davis, CA 95616
USA
Phone (evenings): 530-756-9074
kkvanrompay@ucdavis.edu
www.sahaya.org

We thank you tremendously for your support!! .

It is our belief at the Pokhara Public Library that education is the foundation of society and that everyone in the community should have access to educational resources. Pokhara is the fastest growing city in Nepal and home to several colleges, universities, and hundreds of public and private schools. Unfortunately, these institutions often lack the educational resources that students need in order to receive a quality education and we at the Pokhara Public Library hope to provide the students with these materials through the creation of a youth resource center. If we are able to supply youth with reference books, language learning materials, college and scholarship information as well as a computer with Internet access, their opportunities and chance of success will increase. We feel that you will also see the value in the creation of a youth resource center and will be willing to assist us in its establishment. No child should be denied a quality education as the result of financial difficulties.
Please help us!