Hearts Over Labels
For Oshin Bista’s GoMakeADifference project, she spent time at a public school in Kathmandu teaching children aged 9 to 15 about equality and justice.
| Project Title | Hearts Over Labels |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Lead Name(s) |
Background
The school that Oshin visited is attended by students from low socioeconomic backgrounds – many of which are children of helpers. Among both the students and staff, there is a great deal of diversity of castes and ethnicities – so, it presented Oshin with the opportunity to help teach them about equality using creative activities and the arts. It was her goal to help the children shape their minds about the caste system and the nature of the Nepalese community.
How They Made A Difference
Oshin worked with the students to come up with stories and plays to help them understand how discrimination based on social constructs like race, castes, etc. isn’t rational and that it goes against all our morals. The students put their plays on for the public, to an audience of over 200 people.
Both the students and teachers agreed that there should be more programs in place to teach children about the caste system, and how to treat each other equally and with respect. Her project is sure to have a lasting impact.
How The Project Made A Difference for the Volunteers
In working on her GoMakeADifference project, Oshin gained valuable experience in managing a team while making an important impact on the way the students view the world. She sees the project as a huge success, as her team was able to help change the both the students’ and the teachers’ attitudes about castes.
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Their eagerness to meet our team, their enthusiasm to learn more every day and their changing attitude towards castes and their commitments to treat every friend and person in the community equally regardless of their castes were our biggest accomplishments.