Lucy M. Gowdie, Head of School
1 March 2024
The Saathi Project
It has been an exhilarating week in the life of our school, as we centred our return to the semester on the launch of The Saathi Project, welcoming to our campus Acharya Lama Karma Sangbo (AKS), Principal of Shree Mangal Dvip School (SMD) and Shirley Blair, the Director of, and Fundraiser for, the School.
This project is unique to our school and exists in a space of service, of learning, and of leading, the space that we want all of our children to experience and to grow from.
Approved by the Board of Trustees at the commencement of the academic year, The Saathi Project is centred around three tenets: education, experience, and enterprise.
Education speaks to our inter-cultural commitment to learning – that our teaching fraternities can grow from and with each other. We plan to leverage technology and hybrid learning to engage with our colleagues in Nepal in teacher training and development opportunities. We also plan for teacher exchanges and volunteering experiences.
Experience speaks to our commitment to experiential learning – that our students may journey to the Himalayan Mountains and experience life in the villages from which the students of SMD come. It speaks to opportunities to learn what life is like at high altitude and to bear witness to the majestic mountain range that encases Nepal.
Enterprise speaks to our commitment to sponsorship and to fundraising, advocacy and to equity – it is a tradition of our school that we provide learning opportunities for our students in Nepal, and we will continue to do this.
With over 20 years of shared history, our schools have united to design a roadmap for hope that enables all students within our schools to learn empathy, lead change, and look to the future with positivity.
"The arrival of AKS and Shirley on our campus, and the commitment we have to each other, marks the official commencement of The Saathi Project, and our ambitious aims to change the world together – our way."
We very much look forward to our Annual Quiz Night, where we have set lofty goals to raise funds for much needed equipment and items in Nepal. I share with you images I captured during my time on the campus in Kathmandu – this is the only science laboratory in the School, one table for almost 30 students, no resources, and very little space. Yet still they engage, still they learn, still their teacher smiles and challenges them to succeed – learning is at the centre of all they do.
With a commitment to continue offering the best education possible, SMD is planning on a renovation to this space and needs our support. We would love to see you at our Quiz Night; it is renowned for its fun, frivolity, and high energy.
We hope you can contribute to the beginning of what we are sure will be a connection our community holds dear for decades to come.