Nepal February-March 2017

The Friends of Waldorf Education already carried out three missions in Nepal in 2015 and 2016. On February 18th, nine volunteer aid workers from emergency pedagogy will once again set out for Nepal. For the first time, a professional photographer will accompany the team and document the mission.

Although one can now barely see the physical damages of the devastating earthquake, which struck Nepal in 2015, many children are just as before heavily traumatised. Helping them is a priority of the upcoming mission. In addition orphaned or neglected children, who have found a new home at the orphanage Bal Mandir, are a focus. Emergency pedagogy methods should serve to stabilise and strengthen them. In the offerings, they can find joy and relaxation; their traumatic experiences are replaces with new and beautiful experiences. At the last mission in August 2016, the aid workers noticed that after just a few days, the children became calmer and won back trust in themselves and their surroundings.

In order to support local pedagogues and aid workers in their daily work with the children, the emergency pedagogues will offer trainings and coachings at the Bal Mandir orphanage and at the Tashi-Waldorf School. Also a visit to the Shanti-Leper- Aid is once again on the itinerary. The professionals, who come from among others the fields of eurhythmy, Waldorf pedagogy, and art therapy, will inform the participants about traumata and introduce them to pedagogical-therapeutical methods. In workshops this theoretical knowledge will be deepened with practical exercises.