Collecting art items and childrens books for art program

I had thought I would start a list, and I will probably add as the year goes on. Many of you have been asking me what you could bring when you come to Nepal. As you know we are collecting children’s books for the new reading room at the school. If you have any Nepali or English children's books it will be so much appreciated. I would love to add more books so that the children have a bigger variety to choose from.

I am also starting the collection for art supplies for this year. If you have any of these items stuck away in your drawers, it does not have to be new we would love to have them. We have a drop off point in Thamel, Kathmandu or I can provide you my mailing address if you are living in the USA. If anybody has a small space in their back packs to bring any of these items to add it would be so much appreciated. My goal is to supply all the children we work with, with free supplies as this is unaffordable for them.

I am looking for color paper, rope string, elastic string, cotton balls, liquid glue, superglue, wiggly eyes. staples, staplers, sequins, stickers, tape, cut out face masks, craft magazine ideas/prints we can use (am making folders with prints and magazine page tear outs),hole punchers, any craft activities or craft books, small pom poms, markers, paint brushes, anything colorful that we can glue, cut out shapes, feathers, Lego blocks, origami paper or books, decoupage glue, craft foam, ink pad, ink, letter stickers, buttons, pipe cleaners, sewing elastic, tissue paper, yarn, beads, lolly or ice cream sticks, wooden shapes we can paint, finger paints, soap bubble mix and bubble blow sticks, crayons, ribbon, colored cellophane, craft sets, wooden shapes to paint, paint brushes, cut out masks, glitter, glitter glue and pens, felt, felt shapes, fabric paint, stencils, paper plates, pencils, stencils to paint borders or pictures on the classroom walls.
Also the school asked for any type of simple board games, things like snakes and ladders, or puzzles,anything they can use for a game room. Also outside games for the children like balls, bats jumping ropes, etc.

I am so thankful to all that contributed last year with supply donations as we were able to work with so many children, because of your generosity. Thank you again so very much, and I hope we can meet in the future. Please email me at watersfromheaven@gmail.com

         Thank you to CICA for a huge art supply donation on our December trip. Much appreciated.

Looking at possibilities

As most of you know we will be visiting Letang and Tulsipur during December and January to do free art workshops with children and free training workshops for teachers. I would love to show teachers how they could use recyclable materials to create art in the classrooms. There are still only a few spaces left if anybody wanted to join me. The information on the trip and dates are in the post below.

This is still just a question in my mind and I am only putting out feelers into the world to see what comes back to me and if this could happen. As you all know my biggest dream is still to open the art center down south and I know when the time is right it will happen. But in the meantime I am thinking of how to get it started in a small way, as most of this is still a learning experience for me. I am thinking (just thinking) if I should extend my trip by another month and stay till the end of February. The reason why it is still just a thought is, I would have to figure out the finances firstly to take care of my responsibilities here at home. But I strongly believe in this project and what we can accomplish in the long run. Art is not just an action, it is an expression of who we are and each child needs to be able to have that experience, so that they can dream and hope. As part of this question I have is that I am not sure if it will be possible to find a space to live for close to one month. I would like to stay in a central location where we could go and work at different schools in the area and have a space where we can do workshops for teachers. If there is a district that has the need and is interested in working with me on this plan please write me at watersfromheaven@gmail.com. I am thinking maybe Tulsipur might be a good location to work from, but I am not sure how the other schools in the area feel about it. And I am very much open to where the road leads us. Also I would have to see if any volunteers would be interested in joining and staying with me during this time. I am just putting out these questions as I am not sure if it is possible, but you cannot receive an answer if you do not ask. So here goes......  

"Where there is color there is hope" road trip: Anybody want to join?

I have set up two trips thus far to visit two schools in the rural areas of Nepal. If anybody is interested in joining me on either of these journeys email me at watesfromheaven@gmail.com

  

Trip 1: Dates 13-22 December 2012 to Tulsipur

Tulsipur is a town and V.D.C. in Dang Deokhuri District in the Rapti Zone of south-western Nepal. We will be leaving on the bus on my birthday and I cannot wish for a more exciting birthday present. The bus ride is 12 hours and we will probably leave around 6:00 am in the morning. The weather is great that time of year down south, cool days. We will be visiting Dang and the town of Tulsipur. This is a small school and they have grade 1-5 with a total number of 250 students. I have arranged accommodation with a friend’s family that has offered to host us all. The school is 20 minutes walk from where we will be staying. Everybody should arrive no later than December 10th in Kathmandu for us to arrange supplies and work on programs. We will have the amazing opportunity to work in the Dalit community. Poverty, lack of other means of livelihood and education are still issues in the community. They mostly work as black/goldsmith, tailors, shoemakers and street cleaners.

Each person will be responsible for working out daily projects for classes. We will travel 2 days in total, work for 6 and have 2 days rest. We will be back in time for celebrating the festive season in Kathmandu.

Trip 2:  January 18-27 2013 to Letang

This school is in Letang in the Morang District in the Kosi Zone of south-eastern Nepal. Letang is semi surrounded by hills on north and in the west there is a famous river Chisang. And on the south dense forest and in the east river Morangi. The bus ride is approximately 12-13 hours long and we will leave around 6 AM from Kathmandu. You would need to arrive in Kathmandu no later than January 15 for us to make all the arrangements. There are 99 children in the school from Grade 1-5 and also between 15-20 children that range between 2.5 - 4 years old. We can do fun things with the younger ones like doing fingerpaints (showing teachers how to make fingerpaints) and maybe blow soap bubbles. The temperature during that time of the year in that area is about 18-25 degrees. 

Please join on facebook as I do post updates on there too.
https:/www.facebook.com/WatersFromHeaven