Open-Sourced Technology Hubs

"There are at least a billion children in the world who are not getting at least a basic education."
-Richard Rowe, OLE Founder

The Vision:  Using The Magic Yeti Library locations in rural Nepal, in partnership with OLE Nepal's fantastic educational software and translated reading materials, OLE International's pioneering educational vision, and laptop donations from the developed world, to create small technology and education hubs for these villages, based on the broader OLE international model of educational development. The software, preloaded on the donated laptops, will both supplement and compliment the national teaching curriculum and provide an invaluable learning tool to both bridge the digital divide and bridge the literacy gap that is still so prevalent in the nation of Nepal. A key, focused on by OLE, is the adaptation of local language learning materials; once materials are developed on a regional basis, the transference of these materials can be quickly and affordable accomplished; henceforth, the building upon the foundations of innovation, open sourced, to meet the literacy and development needs for the next generation in the Global South...

Library Development Manifesto

School and Community Library Development, A Manifesto.

By Jeffrey Dow

A common-sense, yet commonly overlooked fact first needs to be considered: no nation on earth has ever lifted itself out of the cycle of poverty without a literate civil society. The keys to literacy are multi-faceted; however, a basic pillar of literacy must be the access to the resources that will facilitate and garner intellectual change for the involved classes. These resources are often unavailable or inaccessible to those who would benefit most from them. Thus, the drive to bring effective and change making educational resources to the Global South has caught the attention of many well-meaning global citizens. I hope for the points discussed in this library development manifesto to be used as a future guide for those well-meaning souls walking the noble path of involvement and facilitation with literacy development and promotion in the developing world. Progress in this key area of the human development index is both critical and critically lacking in most development communities; effective access is absolutely key for societies to lift themselves from the cycle of breaking poverty that is the direct result of a lack of educational resources providing the option for educational advancement in this globalized world. Making the most effective use of these resources is critical in closing the literacy and digital divides that subjugate so many in this world to futures without the option of self-enrichment, self-engagement, and the home-grown economic advancement that results from a literate society.

Main Points for Discussion/Extrapolation

1. Outside organizations, despite the best intentions and resources CANNOT do everything. Simple to see, groups are quick to pick up on this tidbit of common sense, but hard to implement. I have seen many examples of this leading to failure and a complete waste of resources on libraries never used, turned into “Book Mausoleums” (more on this later). Outside/International organizations can provide the tools only to facilitate literacy-the space, the materials, the technology; however, if these are not FULLY complimented by strong, local, involved teams/partners, they are a complete waste, and better left at home. Save the shipping costs, seriously. Organizations can provide the fertilizer, if you will, but not the seed/sapling. Outside organizations can help to water the seed/sapling, can help to supply fertilizer to make it mature, but the soil must be local. The fundamental task is local ownership. Concerned local ownership.. So, the delicate balance on this point is strong local ownership with a constant push for utilization from all involved teams; community groups, school administration, teachers, and the students themselves. Irrational fears on the eventual breakdown must be dispelled, and wear and tear shown to be perfectly alright.. More on this at #2.

2. KEEP THE DOORS OPEN!!! This will be the biggest struggle encountered (after the initial setup and placement of materials). As already mentioned above, the most common ailment of new resources being introduced into developing communities is under-use. This is one of the biggest shames that I have encountered. I have seen locals all over the world eager to “own” a project, to “own” new computers or new books, that will never be used out of fear that they will be damaged, out of an irrational over-concern (which, of course, must be balanced with a disregard for precious commodities). Resources not being used might as well stay at home. Save the shipping costs. I have told our own library staffs that if the books turn to dust in 4 years due to overuse, that is GREAT!!! We will be more than happy to supply new materials if this is the case. One of the most disappointing experiences that I have had, both here in Nepal and in other countries, is walking into facilities that are obviously suffering from under-use. What a complete shame this is. This point, after local handover of resources, must be worked on with a combination of training of teachers/staff/community members of effective utilization of the resources, as well as the partnering, mentioned above, with proactive, concerned, assertive, and, not to be bigoted by any means, but hopefully younger female authority figures, who simply tend to make better partners in library development than men (with obvious and glaring exceptions, of course). If a strong community group is present, perfect. Bring them on board. If a proactive school administration is present, perfect. Bring them on board. Whatever it takes to keep the doors open and to keep the materials accessible to those for whom they were intended.

3. Location, Location, Location. The obvious partner for our libraries is with the small local schools, whether they be at the primary or secondary level. These locations are tailor-made for libraries, for obvious reasons. I am still not too sure why some organizations choose to build stand-alone locations, far from students centers, and tag them as “community libraries.” Of course, they might have success if the community is truly on board. But these run the much higher risk of becoming community white elephants, trophy rooms that fail under the weight of point #2. The libraries should be going where they are needed most, where they can get the most foot traffic from a captive audience. The space should be donated by the school or by the community to house the library, in the spirit of co-habitation, or coordination. In putting libraries into school locations, there are the same pitfalls listed-this is not a guarantee that they will be used. I have seen a great library put into a stellar location with a strong school leader fail. There are simply many other factors to also contend with (which will be discussed). However, the visibility provided by a school location will only help the chances of success, and will provide teachers with a great resource to use in their classes (see #4).

4. Making the most of the resources. To have shelves packed with books and learning materials that kids can come in, leaf through, and occasionally check out is fantastic. However, how can the materials be used to their maximum benefit, especially when the library is located in a school setting? This might seem like common sense, but rarely have I a library truly being used to its potential. The issue here lies in teacher training, and the implementation of simple graphic organizers. Teachers need to be trained to understand that they can use the materials present to both supplement and compliment their curriculum. While outside reading is great, and should be encouraged, many of the books can serve a greater purpose as PART of the classroom. I first encountered the difficulties in this during my time in the Peace Corps. After setting up a small school library, I was given approving nods, the kids were coming in during lunch and free periods to read and check out books, but none of the other teachers were making any use of the reams of books available. Instead, due to lack of training and autonomous mandate, they stuck to their tried and true (and often weary) ways and did not venture in. Bringing in basic graphic organizers (copies to be added to and posted on the Magic Yeti Site as part of the upgrading and open-sourcing of all this information), such as a basic “Who-What-When-Where-Why?” or a “Make a story from the picture” or a “Personal Connections” sheet can make the difference between the kids picking up those precious copies of National Geographic and making use of them, if even for the pictures to support their English Language development, and the magazines sitting and turning to dust with disuse. I sat for several days with both teachers and community members to instill this point at the recent library opening-and always came back to the same basic tag line-How can we make the most of what we have? How can we get the kids to utilize what we have to build their literacy? Books look great on a shelf, but they do nothing if they are not effectively utilized. This point is an absolute KEY, and it will be an ongoing challenge, something that needs constant reinforcement and training and building upon.

5. Materials. Simple. Local. Games. These three keywords hold in them the three most important branches of what the materials going into a new library, or supplementing an existing location, should consist of. It is our disposition, coming from the developed world, to load up a bunch of English books and ship them over. However noble this goal, and expensive the shipping costs, the materials are often not the most applicable to local situations, especially in remote, rural schools, where even primary language literacy is low. Many outside organizations, (not to name any names) exist as charitable write-offs for big book publishers and other corporations, and thus, I have seen shipments sent half way around the world consisting of quarterly reports for 1985 and high end consumer catalogs and the like; this is such a waste of energy, the tax write-off savings to the international companies aside. In English fiction will be a challenge for many students, especially at the primary level, in developing countries to comprehend. It is necessary to have some of these materials, but they should not make up the bulk of the books. The bulk needs to be basic level English books, local language books (more on this later in its own point), and some of the great literacy games that are available on the market. These are fantastic resources that, though a bit pricy, can really pay dividends for youth literacy. Games such as Gnu, Guess Who?, Connect Four, Rat-a-Tat-Tat, and Shape-By-Shape are outstanding educational resources and the kids simply go crazy for them.

6. Local language materials. An absolutely essential item that is often overlooked. Remember: to build second language literacy, primary language literacy must first be developed. A strong foundation in primary language literacy will exponentially help the acquisition of a secondary language. Additionally, this plays into the essential role of preserving and strengthening local traditions and culture that should be a keystone of any library project. Only when local tradition and culture is given its paramount role will education and literacy be ultimately beneficial to a community and country. Too often have these aspects been overlooked in favor of a “Western-dominated” educational campaign. Education and educational materials must play a supportive role in maintaining and strengthening local customs, culture, and values. And thus, there are many home grown publishers of great literature that should be tapped into; not only are these materials often cheaper than books from the West, but they save much money in shipping, and also support the local economy of a country and thus support the perpetuation of local printing and publishing. I have worked extensively with the great Room to Read Nepal, which has turned into one of the largest publishers of childrens books in the country, growing from its original mandate to fill a critical gap in Nepal; others great examples include Ethiopia Reads and The African Books Collective. These organizations are doing tremendous work and should be supported whenever possible, and tapped into for help and information, as they can make great local partners. Many of the books deal with cultural issues and traditions unique to different areas and regions, and thus, not only are building local language and foreign language literacy (many are in both the local language and English), but also strengthening local culture. Absolutely essential.

7. Organization of Materials-Nuts and Bolts of Setting Up: The materials that have been brought into the library need to be organized in a way that maximizes their utilization for both the students and the teachers who will using the location. If the materials are not accessible, not visible, or are facing in the wrong direction, they are as good as useless, and all of the other hard work that has gone into the library will be undone. Shelving needs to be low; lower level materials need to be low; bindings need to face outwards. In the Magic Yeti Libraries, we utilize a 1-5 labeling system, which is extremely simple and effective. I have witnessed the deployment and failed implementation of advanced Dewey Decimal systems in rural library locations-my first question is why? Why is this necessary? Is it only serving to confuse the local populations for the sake of continuity with an educational system from another land that has no relevance for local applications? Keep is simple! Either a simple numbering system-1: beginner, 2: low beginner, 3: intermediate, 4: young learner, 5: reference (which then needs to be categorized and separated) or a color coded system that compliments this numbering system is the best way to organize the materials and to make them accessible and user friendly for the targeted groups.
   

The Impact of Technology

A wonderful video in itself from filmmaker Liesl Clark, who I work with on the Magic Yeti Library Project in Nepal...at about 7 minutes in, one can see the impact of the new educational technology from OLE Nepal on these young students...their expressions are quite magical. Educational resources being deployed in remote regions due to the kindness and proactivity of concerned global citizens, and the strong dedication of the local staffmembers...true developmental progress.

Kagbeni Library Opening

A great success in Mustang, Nepal! I am just back from the opening of the new Kagbeni Magic Yeti Library at the Kagbeni Secondary School in the remote Mustang District of Nepal. We spent 4 long days with the great team setting up for the grand opening, which was completely mobbed by eager students of the school. 40 boxes of materials, some shipped from the US through the help of the Asia Foundation and their great Books for Asia program (thank you Shameera Shrestha), and others sourced locally through the great folks at Room to Read Nepal, as well as some new education technology courtesy of the Open Learning Exchange Nepal. I was also able to stay for a few extra days to do some teacher training with both the staff and the head of the local community group, Mr. Kunga Tashi. The experience gave me the confidence to say that the model is indeed a strong, replicable one, and the queries that I have received by others working in the field here in Nepal show me that the model also needs to be open-sourced and networked (much more on these ideas and the future vision to come). For now, some pictures from the opening with a great staff and some pumped kids....

Room to Read

I had the pleasure today to finish a book deal with the folks at Room To Read Nepal, to benefit the Magic Yeti Library Project and the children of the Mustang and Khumbu Regions of Nepal. Room to Read is the premier publisher of both Nepali and English-Nepali primary level books in the country. The organization was founded by John Wood, of “Leaving Microsoft to Change the World” fame, which in itself is an extremely moving and motivational story of one man's passion and drive making a significant impact on childhood literacy in many developing world countries (with Nepal being the first branch opened.) A big thank you to the folks at Room to Read, including Nirmala Karki, Warehouse Manager, and Pushkar Shrestha, Country Director, as well as Mr. Wood himself....more folks doing great work in the developing world to help close the literacy gap. The kids and teachers in the rural locations always rave about these materials, as they are high-quality, and deal with local subject matter, a vital aspect to primary literacy. These books are to be airlifted to the Khumbu region of Nepal along with the Alex Lowe Foundation team going to conduct the Khumbu Climbing School clinic in Phortse; the remainder will head to the Mustang Region in early March, as we open a new library in the village of Kagbeni and the team goes to revisit projects in the Upper Mustang Region, along with the National Geographic Mustang Caves Expedition 2011.

"He who opens a school door, closes a prison."

-Victor Hugo

The Asia Foundation, Room To Read Nepal, and Radical Educational Transformation

I recently had the opportunity to visit with two wonderful organizations working to improve literacy in Nepal-The Asia Foundation and Room To Read, in order to further develop the current partnerships between these groups and The Magic Yeti Library Project, an organization that I am currently working with here in Kathmandu. Both of these International NGO's are serving important functions in a country that has too often neglected the public education system, and thus, the literacy of its citizens, especially in the area of female literacy, which is amongst the worst in the modern world. Both are making important strides, but all parties need to rethink, focus, and develop the more non-traditional, radical transformations needed in the developing world.

Room to Read Nepal

The important work of Room to Read was first brought my attention after reading John Wood's wonderful book, “Leaving Microsoft to Change the World,” which detailed his founding of the organization, after a visit to the rural countryside of Nepal opened his eyes to the neglect of the government in providing basic literacy services. In a few short years, Room to Read has established thousands of libraries across the developing world, and in Nepal, the country of origin, the organization has also branched into the publication of wonderful children's literature, of which I have been trying to procure for the Magic Yeti Libraries. The vision and mission statements of the organization are as follows:

Room to Read believes that World Change starts with Educated Children. We envision a world in which all Children can pursue a quality education that enables them to reach their full potential and contribute to their community and the world.

Room to Read seeks to transform the lives of millions of children living in developing countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Working in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations, and governments, we develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and support girls to complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to succeed in school and beyond.

I believe that literacy and gender equality are the two key phrases in these statements. How then, to achieve these goals in a country where there has been so little emphasis placed on ensuring a high quality education for all citizens, regardless of gender and social standing? A country that still simmers in ancient castes and still places procuring arms for its enormous armed forces above procuring books and ensuring teachers are working to achieve universal literacy amongst the most vulnerable?

Room to Read, in addition to publishing children's books and distributing these free or at a nominal charge to public and community schools, also hosts trainings for teachers and librarians across the country free of cost. While I have experienced many futile training events (and have even hosted a few), these are noble steps for the organization to take. The books are excellent; the only problem is in the quantity of distribution, as there is such a large scale need for reading materials that has been left unmet by the government. Overall, this is a great organization with a great mission that has proven to be a steady partner to the Magic Yeti libraries, the Himalayan Trust schools, READ Nepal, and other important NGO's working in the educational development sector of the country.

The Asia Foundation-Books for Asia Program

Organizational Vision Statement:

The Asia Foundation believes in the power of education and that knowledge is the key to transforming lives and inspiring positive, long-lasting change. We believe an educated person is an empowered person, and that books can change the way people think and live. We envision a world where every child has books to read, and where students can study English as a way to access greater opportunities and information about the world around them.

I also recently had the chance to visit the offices of the Asia Foundation, which runs, through Mrs. Shameera Shresta and their main offices in San Francisco, a wonderful program entitled Books for Asia. According to the Books for Asia information page, “In 2008, Books for Asia distributed more than one million books and educational materials valued at nearly $41 million across 18 counties in Asia.” This is quite an achievement in working towards the goals of educational development and universal literacy. And, while the quality and appropriateness of the materials in some cases has been called into doubt, the organization and the program are undoubtedly providing an outstanding service to Nepal. I had a chance to sit and talk with Shameera about the work of the program, and also to further the partnership between the Foundation and the Magic Yeti Project, both in securing more outside books for the libraries, and in help with shipping donated books from San Francisco to rural Nepal, via the Calcutta port facilities. Shameera also voiced her concern about the many communities in in Western Nepal that are still without any governmental or NGO help with their literacy struggles. While the Magic Yeti Project, READ Nepal, the Himalayan Trust, and other NGO's are able to help many communities develop libraries and train teachers, for every community served there are 30 more that are in great need. This is a daunting task in one of the least developed countries in the world, one with infrastructure and high delivery costs for heavy materials such as books and building supplies.

In addition to traditional support with reading material donations and logistical operations, The Asia Foundation has also worked to pioneer non conventional means of reaching populations that have been affected by disasters, both natural and man made; they have worked in such conflict zones as Pakistan and East Timor to develop innovative approaches such as “box libraries” and “Books for Asia Mini Buses” which can bring books, audio visual materials, and instruction to uprooted populations.

More radical innovations, such as these, and such as those that have been developed in India, with Pratham, and in Rwanda, with the One Laptop Per Child Initiative/Nicholas Negroponte, need to be employed in the developing world to ensure progress in this field.

The challenge lies in meeting non-conventional educational and literacy needs with non-conventional resources and tactics. The challenge also lies in balancing educational advancement with cultural and traditional preservation.

The needs of Nepal are certainly non-conventional; the lack of roads and other infrastructure provides huge challenges; however, there are certain qualities that can be seized and utilized: a growing mobile phone network, lack of historic widespread conflict, a willingness of development partners to channel money directly to the undeserved; and a great desire of the people themselves to increase literacy rates and opportunities for children. The challenges also for the country are also strongly seen in the current “development and advancement” mentalities, which often involves children being sent to Kathmandu for a quality education, either at the primary or secondary level, which then involves a radical breakdown of rural culture, customs, and family structures. English language capacity is crucial for advancement in the modern economy; however, this does not have to relegate local languages to a secondary or tertiary role, and does not necessarily need to involve the massive modern migrations from rural landscapes to centralized, completely overloaded, and exploding megacity (modern Kathmandu). It must involve radical thinking, motivated actors, appropriate monetary and educational resources that have already been developed or need to be developed, and the utilization of modern technology.

Nepal: The Himalayan Trust

Himalayan Trust

Kathmandu, Nepal

I had the pleasure of talking with Pasang Sherpa, acting administrator of The Himalayan Trust, an outstanding organization based in Kathmandu that represents the legacy of Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Everest, to the people of the Solo Khumbu region of Nepal. The Himalayan Trust is responsible for supporting 63 schools, including high schools and primary schools, in addition to hospitals and infrastructure projects in the region. The support given to schools often includes paying the salaries of teachers in areas such as the arts, and Sherpa language, as well as librarians, and providing for classroom materials, but has also extended to new technology and teacher training. After the recent death of Sir Hillary, the focus of the trust has been shifted to sustaining existing schools and projects, Hillary built the Trust from scratch and often his own two hands, and over the years, the organization has maintained its on the ground focus and dedication. Most of the current funding for the Trust comes from the New Zealand government and the American Himalayan Foundation. We sat in the old colonial building and spoke about the Trust's current activities, challenges and hopes for the students in the Khumbu region, and what kind of exciting new initiatives the Trust is enacting moving forward.

What are the sources of books available to the schools?

The Trust has supported the local schools with text books and materials since the 1970's. Textbooks are printed in Kathmandu by the government-the Trust has to buy from the government press. Currently, only grades 9 and 10 are not supported by the government, and the Trust fills this gap. Library materials are requested by the teachers during the December break and these requests are sent to the standing committee. Our partner, Room to Read, has supported all of the 63 schools with outside reading materials in the past.

Are the books available in both English and Nepali?

The books provided by Room to Read are in Nepali and English. Textbooks are all in Nepali, except the English language books. (I had a chance to look through the materials printed by Room to Read, and they were quite excellent-great usage of pictures and Nepali-English translations, as well as incorporating local myths and legends to reinforce the local cultures of the area)

Are there programs to specifically target women, as the literacy rate for women far lags the rate for men in most of the country?

From the most current data, the number of boys and girls enrolled in the schools has been leveling off. Nowadays, most of the parents have been educated and see the boys and the girls as equal and are more familiar with the modern world and modern education. This is less of a problem than in the rest of Nepal. (In the more rural areas, most affected by the ancient caste system, the female literacy rate of Nepal hovers around 14%, one of the lowest rates in the world. The Khumbu region and its primarily Buddhist inhabitants have been spared much of the inequalities that most of the nation faces, in this regard).

Are there any technical training initiatives available for the students?

The government provides the vast majority of technical training, which is announced in the national newspaper, and all students who are past grade 10 can apply to these government institutes. On a more local level, for the youth of the Khumbu, there was also an electrical training provided in Lukla (a main gateway town in the Khumbu) two times for youths who were interested; this provided basic electrical and plumbing instruction for the students. For any other training, they must come to Kathmandu. There is a scholarship program given to the Sherpa people who are interested in hands-on training in carpentry, building, and computer training, that is supported by the Trust, as well.

Can you discuss any technical initiatives in place for the students of the Khumbu Region?

Trust Supported schools have been given computers in the past. The Khumjung School (the main high school in the region) has been given 10 computers. The trust works with the friends of the schools, community members, and tourist donations, to provide the computers. The computers are secured from Kathmandu. In terms of Internet access, Khumjung school has this available, but the facilities are not very good, and the infrastructure is not very good. There are no specialized technical computer services provided by teachers, but basic knowledge can be worked with. This technology is only available at the secondary schools.

Can you discuss any new initiatives being introduced by the Trust in the area of educational development?

The Himalayan Trust is introducing instruction in the English Medium starting next year for all students in the Khumbu schools. This is due to the proliferation of Sherpas being forced to send their children to Kathmandu for schooling in the English language. We are supporting 18 teachers from the schools to be trained in English language instruction. The teachers will be from the primary level, classes 1-4. The reasons for this new program are very important. The Sherpa language is starting to disappear and families are being broken down because the students are being sent to Kathmandu for schooling. This program is working to combat these issues. The Trust is also working to incorporate foreign volunteers into the school systems, starting with grade number 1. The community schools that are supported by the Trust are all requesting the English medium, so getting qualified teachers is the biggest issue. (All new initiatives must be approved by the Ministry of Education, which is often a reason why initiatives take a long time to implement).

Is there any career counseling services available for the students of the region?

Not at the moment. However, the ex students from the area have set up and office with the aim to provide counseling to students who come to Kathmandu after grade 10. This is a private alumni organization.

What are the greatest challenges facing students in the Khumbu Region of Nepal?

The greatest challenge is with the language. The best results (on government mandated exams) are always obtained from private schools. Government schools have been failing the students for a long time. Private schools focus on the English language and it is much easier for these students to continue their studies into the higher realms. Students coming from the government schools face much difficulty due to weakness in language instruction. Most of the books are in English at the higher levels, and this creates the problems for the students. This is why the Trust is introducing English language medium to its youngest students. Before, English was not given importance, and only introduced after grade 5. This was too late for many.

What is the best hope for these students?

The students are very competitive nowadays. The Trust gives scholarships to the best students, and teachers are given incentives as well. The Trust scholarships will help students who are not financially able to pursue studies, especially female students. (We then informally discussed the results of the latest government exams for the students in Khumjung-all of the students, which is almost unheard of, passed the exams, many scoring with high honors, a testament to the initiatives and hard work of all the parties involved).