Situated in the remote hills of Makwanpur, Kailash Rural Municipality, has yet to attain a satisfactory literacy rate. The communities are backward in most forms of education, let alone technical education. Which is why, the economic standard of the communities there is low.
Thus, SDA initiated vocational education support to help improve the education and economic standard by implementing technical education programs as one of the activities under its Education project in 2016. Moreover, vocational education equips the youths with skills and knowledge in a particular field, which creates employment opportunities and entrepreneurial possibilities for them.
Activity Background
SDA did not carry out rigorous research per se, but the alarming rarity in awareness about vocational education was enough to do something about it. Regular theory-based education was the only route people who studied took. Some limited educated people were familiar with vocational education, and none had pursued it.
The community has felt the importance of vocational education since SDA started it. The number of youths in the area interested in vocational education is increasing every year.
Chepangs, the indigenous groups, are the targeted beneficiaries of vocational education. Besides, members of families with poor economic backgrounds are also on the same list. The selection criteria for vocational education are similar to that of the hostel girls. Some students are good at studies but cannot further because of financial crises at home.
Likewise, vocational education fast-tracks youths to income generation. Once you complete the 18-month course, then it opens the door to earning income. Furthermore, vocational education is cost-effective since the pre-diploma is only a year and a half long. It consists of twelve months of theoretical classes and six months of practical sessions.
Speaking of the six months of practical classes, the youths that the SDA supports compulsorily involve in On The Job Training (OJT) for six months in their community. It helps implement their understanding in a particular field and enhance their knowledge. Also, the skills that the students get to acquire are for life. And OJT is an excellent way to hone those learnt abilities.
Thus, SDA encourages all its vocational education beneficiaries to participate in OJT so that the youth and their communities can reap benefits.
The Vocational Education Support Journey So Far
A total of 21 students have received support for vocational education from SDA thus far. Three of the twenty-one are male students, and the remaining are female. To date, SDA has supported 20 students for 18 months of pre-diploma courses in vocational education. A former hostel girl, last year got the opportunity to pursue a diploma course of three years.
“When we began the support in 2016, it was only for the pre-diploma courses, which changed in 2021 with the support for the diploma program for one of the former SDA hostel girls,” Dhan Bahadur Moktan, education staff, reflects on the journey of vocational education.
While SDA does prioritise its hostel girls to support their vocational education, students in the community also get the opportunity of receiving such support. For this, SDA puts up a 15 days notice in its vicinity. It is done right after the result of the SEE gets published.
In 2016, SDA supported four students for vocational education. Out of them, two studied Auxiliary Nursing Midwifery (ANM), one Junior Technical Assistant (JTA) in the field of Agriculture (Plant Science), and another Veterinary Science Junior Technical Assistant (VJTA). The two who studied ANM work in Katunje Health Post and PunyaDevi Health Post, respectively. The one who pursued JTA works as an Agriculture Technician in the Agriculture department of the Kailash Rural Municipality. And the one who studied VJTA is a foreign employee in South Korea.
In 2017, SDA supported three youths in their pursuit of vocational education. Kaushila Sapkota, who had studied JTA, worked as an office assistant in Kailash Rural Municipality – 7 ward office for around two years. She is applying for studies in Japan now. Kushma Moktan, who previously had worked on the SDA Agriculture farm as a gardener for almost two years, has started her Agriculture farm and runs a grocery shop. One of them lives a married life.
In 2018, SDA provided support for vocational education to five youths. One of them currently works as a teacher in Shree Bhawani Secondary School, which is also one of the six schools that SDA supports. Sunita Syangbo, the current Social Mobilizer for Agriculture project of SDA, is another among the five. Nirmaya Himdung, the former Social Mobilizer for the Agriculture Project, is pursuing her further studies in Namtar. Likewise, Sunita Negi, who had studied Lab Technician in Chitwan, works as one in a private clinic. Urmila Sunuwar from the same group also passed her education.
In 2019 as well, SDA extended its support for five youths. Among them, only Reena Kumari Thing passed. Reena, who had studied to be an ANM, works as one in a Medical in Manahari, Hetauda. The other four failed and are preparing to appear for exams again.
In 2020, three hostel girls – Chanchali Chepang, Chameli Moktan and Hira Maya Chepang received vocational education support. All three, along with two of their friends, are currently carrying out On The Job Training (OJT) at the SDA Agricultural land upon completing their theory classes.
In 2021, SDA, for the first time, diversified its support for its former hostel girl Hira Maya Moktan. She is currently studying PCL Nursing, a diploma course, at Kalika Medical College, Chitwan.
And now, in 2022, SDA has decided to support five students from hostel girls who sat for the Secondary Education Examination (SEE) last year. Three have already acquired full scholarships to pursue diploma courses in different technical schools in Nepal.
SDA only supported pre-diploma before 2021 because it initiated support for diploma courses with Hira Maya. And it continued with the hostel girls SDA is supporting for 2022. Also, it might prolong for next year and years to come.
The Response of the Beneficiaries
Almost everyone who received vocational education support is in their respective field and has responded to this activity with positivity and enthusiasm. If it were not for SDA, they probably would have studied plus two and not engaged in their field of interest as they currently are.
They are grateful for SDA and the support over the years, which has made them a capable person. They credit the organisation for being able to sustain their families and want it to continue such programs in the future.
So far, the students who received the support for their vocational education, directly or indirectly, are currently engaged in their respective fields as employed folks.
Times are changing now. The local government authority in Kailash Rural Municipality has also started supporting youths with vocational education. Before them, only SDA did that, and it is most likely that the impact of the support influenced the government representatives to do something about it.
Dhan Bahadur Moktan, who has overseen the education project for over five years now, says, “Recently, we have noticed that Kailash Rural Municipality has also started the support for vocational education.” The local government provides recommendations and supports two students from each ward to pursue vocational education.
On The Job Training (OJT)
Right before the students come for OJT, the education project staff of SDA coordinates with the principals of technical schools, and then the schools send a letter to SDA. Afterwards, the team at SDA goes through the criterion and the letters, followed by informing the selected schools.
The number of OJT students at SDA Agricultural land gets decided beforehand. The team coordinates with schools and figures out the number of students it can provide training to at one time for six months.
Currently, five OJT students are receiving training at the SDA Agricultural land. Three of the five also received support for their vocational education.
The OJT students thank the organisation for understanding their economic background and providing support. It has boosted their assurance of being financially capable and starting their agro vet or farm business with the learned skills and knowledge.
“Since SDA does organic farming on its Agricultural land, the OJT students have gained knowledge and techniques about organic farming,” Puran Khadka, SDA agriculture staff, shares. Puran, who also started his journey with SDA as an OJT, has been overseeing the Agriculture project for three years. He also completed his plus two during his job.
Why SDA for OJT?
SDA does not take any fees for the training it provides. Moreover, it allocates stationery supplies and other necessary materials to the students during their training. The organisation extends additional support with a living facility for OJT students who come from afar and struggle to commute on the same day.
The students learn organic farming compost, preparation, air layering, bio-pesticides preparation, planting the fruits, preparing the shade for the chicken and vaccination and animal treatments. Similarly, they get trained on seasonal and off-season farming, organic farming, integrated waste management, vegetable harvesting, marketing, and bio-dynamics.
While training, SDA also focuses on capacity building through computer training, presentations, farmers’ meetings, community meetings, programs and events. It helps in building their personality development and communication skills.
SDA Agriculture land is the right place for those who have studied vocational education in Agriculture. It is a suitable space to showcase and execute the knowledge the students have learned through skills learnt on the job.
SDA will likely continue the extended support for diploma courses since it has unlocked possibilities for many youths of Kailash Rural Municipality. It is a small but impactful contribution of SDA in lessening the overwhelming brain drain in Nepal.
With the availability of vocational education, we can observe a change in the perception of work culture. People are more open to the idea of not working a 9 to 5 or in an office. One can opt for technical education, which prepares them with technical skills to become self-reliant and financially independent.
The vocational education program supports youths to be competent in a particular field with skills and knowledge. And, OJT opportunities add more feathers to their wings of expertise. Once you learn technical knowledge, it gives you confidence levelling up your chances of being employable or starting your venture.