Help fight poverty with education - donate
here. Thank you.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
All
donations support children.
Administration is paid by trustees.
Articles from Alumni Newsletter Spring 2000
POCT scholars
Pestalozzi Foundations' scholars
POCT and Foundation graduates
Letter from a Thai Foundation scholar
POCT news
Pestalozzi Centre, Zambia
POCT staff news
A Nepali alumnus writes in
Alumni Reunion 1999
Pestalozzi Village in a staff member's memories
A Vietnamese alumnus writes about experiences in the Pestalozzi Village
Phuntsok Tashi, of the Tibetan Foundation writes about his latest project
Thai update
The Pestalozzi Overseas Children's Trust is now sponsoring a total of 221 students
INDIA
POCT supports 11 students at Gurukul School in Maharashtra and 5 students in various schools in Bihar
NEPAL
POCT supports 34 students at Budhanilkantha School, Kathmandu, 23 students at Shri Sita Ram School, Far West Nepal and 6 further students at different schools in Kathmandu
THAILAND
POCT supports 22 students in different schools throughout Thailand
TIBETANS (in India)
POCT supports 50 students at the Tibetan Children's Village, Dharamsala, North India
ZAMBIA
POCT supports 60 girls who live in the Pestalozzi Centre and study at the Kasisi Basic School, Lusaka and 10 girls at the Kasisi Girls Secondary School, Lusaka
The Pestalozzi Foundations now sponsor a total of 75 students.
Phuntsok Tashi writes
'All the four sponsored children are making good progress in their studies.
During the year, the main fund-raising activity has been "Plant a Tree & Help A Child", where a person is requested to plant a tree and donate a small sum of money towards paying a needy child's school fees. This is going quite well and a push will be made during the coming planting season in the summer.'
[The Nepalese Foundation is completing the registration process and plans to begin sponsoring children this year.]
There are now approximately 100 students who have completed their POCT-sponsored secondary education. The 48 Zimbabwean girls who completed their secondary education at the end of 1999, are now being guided in their futures by Camfed, the organisation for girls' education through which POCT sponsored them. Others have graduated from each country, with the exception of Vietnam, where sponsorship has only just begun. The graduates have either found jobs or are now in tertiary education. One Indian, Kanchan, and two Nepalese, Khem Raj and Shiva, are on the IB course at the Pestalozzi Children's Village. The four boys who graduated from Chengelo School in Zambia this spring sat the entrance test for the IB in March and are yet to receive their results.
The India Foundation and the Thai Foundation have both been established long enough to have their own Pestalozzi graduates. Some of them have started work and others have gone on to tertiary level education.
24th June 1999
Dear Khun Janwipa,
First of all I have to apologise for not replying to your letter sooner because my College has just started. I was very glad and very grateful when all of you came to visit me and my family in February. Please forgive me if I did not welcome you properly. I felt so nervous that I could not speak or answer some of your questions correctly.
I am now studying at Ubon Ratchatani Rajabhat Institutute. My field of study is Science, Technology and Biology. I feel so proud to be able to study in this field because it is the subject that I like most and that I know I am best at.
My dream has become true because of the help from the Foundation and everybody from the Foundation. I am most thankful for all your kindness and consideration that you all had given me. I hope one day I can contribute back to the Foundation for the opportunity that you had been providing me all this time. I am pleased to help with any work of the Foundation even though I no longer receive grants from the Foundation. I want to have a part in helping others because it has always been on my mind that I was, and still am, the Foundation's student, I am the hope of everyone. The love, the good wishes that you all had provided me, I will never forget. I will try to carry on the objectives of the Foundation, I do not want to make anyone disappointed in myself. There are still many people waiting to see my success so I will try all the best I can.
Yours faithfully,
Yuwatida Gareewat
Education for girls is one of POCT's priorities. 2 of the most recent capital projects help to promote girls' education.
1.The Girls' Hostel at Budhanilkantha School, Kathmandu, Nepal, which was part-funded by POCT, has been in use since July 1999. It accommodates 124 girls, thus allowing the school to greatly increase its intake of girls.
2.60 girls now live in the 80-capacity Pestalozzi Centre for Girls near Lusaka, Zambia.
Another of POCT's priorities is to provide an all-round education, which includes an emphasis on practical skills, achieved through the Pestalozzi Vocational Skills Training Centres.
1.The Budhanilkantha Pestalozzi Centre at Budhanilkantha School, Kathmandu, Nepal is now used by almost all the children in the school, as a mini farm growing vegetables and plants. The children not only produce goods but are also involved in selling them and thus in financing the Centre. The Pestalozzi Vocational Centre building at the Pestalozzi site is now complete and offers skills in carpentry, electricity and welding. Meanwhile classes in sewing and cookery are provided at the Girls' Hostel.
2.The Vocational activities at Shri Sita Ram School in the Far West of Nepal were funded by POCT and now mean that both Hostels are entirely self-sufficient for vegetables and meat.
3.Gurukul School in Maharashtra, India is helped by POCT in providing a Skills Centre for the students, which offers skills in gardening, bee-keeping, carpentry and practical engineering.
4.The Pestalozzi Centre, Lusaka, Zambia, has a very active skills training programme provided by POCT.
'We have had two batches of day old chicks, 160 in total. The first batch has now reached maturity, some of which have already been eaten by the girls. The others are being sold to raise money to buy the next batch, and pay for the feed.
Under the experienced eye of the Matron, Eva Kinyabo, girls are taking turns looking after these chickens. They have already learned how to feed, water, administer medicines and generally care for the health and well being of the birds they keep. They have also had to learn the less pleasant tasks of killing, plucking and dressing them for sale.
This is seen as a sustainable small business enterprise, with its own financial accountability. So far it's a success, the chickens have grown really big, very quickly and actually taste delicious.
In the fields, this is going to prove to be a bumper year. We should have almost twice as much maize as last year, as well as sweet potato, groundnuts and beans.
However in the gardens the extra rain has just been too much. The vegetable beds have been drowned out continually, with resulting poor growth. But it's not all bad news, as the orange trees, avocado trees, mulberries, bananas and mangoes are all making the best of the weather.
We planted a lawn on one side of the gardens, for the girls to sit or dry clothes on and this has done really well. So much so that we recently dug up the courtyard and have planted grass there as well. This we hope will keep the dust from blowing around in the dry season.
We have found a woman, trained in dress-making, who will be coming at weekends to coach the girls in sewing and producing their own clothes, as well as doing alterations and repairs. And, as usual, the girls are once again knitting and crocheting things, particularly school jumpers.
Hairdressing and hair plaiting are also back on the agenda, now that the girls have returned.
Ghanashyam writes about his work for POCT and ITDG in Kathmandu below:
I was appointed as POCT Asia Regional Co-ordinator and took over the responsibility from Joanna Nair as of Feb 1999. My main tasks include monitoring the scholars in Nepal and India, as well as overseeing the Pestalozzi Vocational Centres in the schools' where POCT scholars are studying. At present there are 34 scholars in Budhanilkantha school in Kathmandu, 6 in colleges, 2 studying IB at the Pestalozzi Village and 23 scholars in Shri Sita Ram School. There are 5 scholars in colleges in Bihar, India.
All the scholars are working very hard and doing well in their study. I am also involved with selecting scholars for POCT scholarship together with the schools. I make frequent visits to school to meet up with scholars and to learn their progress. Recently I visited the scholars in Doti and I was very impressed with their hard work and motivation. There is no electric light in Doti and in the evening, scholars huddle under a lantern and study till 10:00pm.
All the scholars are enlightened as to why they have been selected and what the objectives of the Pestalozzi education are; they do feel that they are fortunate to receive POCT funded education.
Last year has been quite busy for me. I left my job in Butwal and came to Kathmandu to join the Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG). ITDG is involved with development of micro-hydro power for people in rural parts of the country. It is involved with introducing appropriate technology for this sector and providing the training required for the development of man power skills, and is constantly working towards how to make this sector sustainable.
In Sept 1999 I was blessed with a healthy son and we have named him Shovan. I am finding being the Co-ordinator challenging and satisfying at the same. This gives me an opportunity to contribute to spreading the value of Pestalozzi education. I have been very lucky that I have received a great deal of advice and help from Major Mani Prasad Rai and Pushpa Chettri. I would like to thank them both for all their support. We have also been working to set up the Nepal Pestalozzi Association and Major Mani Prasad Rai has kindly agreed to be the Founding Chairman.
I am grateful to POCT for entrusting me to be their Co-ordinator, I am especially grateful to Sir Richard and Lady Butler and to Joanna for her constant support. I am hopeful that Pestalozzi scholars will, in the future, continue to help the ones that are in need of support to receive an education in the same way that we received support.
The 1999 Reunion is remembered, along with many other memories of times at the Pestalozzi Village, in the following pieces, the first by Sabir Vhora and the second by Carol Blythe.
Instead of readjusting the watches for GMT the clock in our minds rewound to pre 1981 days on landing at Heathrow and coming out after the formalities on an evening in late May. All of a sudden there we were, the three Indians attending the reunion 1999 in England.
During the drive from the airport to the Pestalozzi village, our erstwhile home of childhood, one could make out that changes had taken place all around in the last eighteen years or so. These could be seen in the general surroundings in terms of shop frontages, car models etc. However what was a pleasant surprise was that the countryside was still very green and soothing to the eyes. The journey also brought back the names of the places such as Catsfield, Ninfield, Hearstmoncieux, Sevenoaks on the sign boards which were long forgotten. On reaching the village, we were pleased to meet and embrace some of our old Thai, Vietnamese, Nigerian, Tibetan, Nepalese and Arab friends after almost two decades and who were now literally 'old'. Waking up early our instinct was to go and look up the familiar spots of our childhood. So we set out on a walk around and each spot had some piece of our childhood history. Walking around the farmyard we saw the old tractors and farm implements we had used, the wooden grain silo, which had been made by some of us. Remnants of the pigpens where we were required to feed the pigs in the evenings were still to be found. This early morning walk also yielded a glimpse of a fox running away. It was also good to see that some of the fencing, which had been put up by us, was still around.
Then to meeting with Carole Blythe and Ms Yangkey, who updated us on what some of the ex-pests are doing. It was indeed good to feel their familiar presence. It was equally pleasant to interact with the 'newer' staff members who were extremely helpful.
Visits to our schools, namely Claverham at Battle and Bexhill Grammar School (now Bexhill College) brought back further memories. The visit inside the now renovated Manor house, courtesy of the present owners, was also very stimulating.
Of course all was not about the past, the business at hand of the participation in the official reunion and presentations was well arranged and attended. Except that the presence of Lady Butler and Sir Richard was missed and good recovery of Lady Butler being prayed for.
Memories for the future were also made. An afternoon of playing football matches with the younger generation of 'Pests', visiting the 'local', doing a bit of discoing and meeting the children of our friends, are all some of the pleasant memories we have carried back.
Sabir
1999 was a year of both sadness and joy for me at Pestalozzi, coping with the death of Vidya, a young man who was a very dear friend and adopted Pestalozzi son and then the sudden death of Mrs. Pensiri. The joyful side was without doubt the reunion, when I met up with old friends, some from the beginning of my time at Pestalozzi - Sabir and Arvind who were coming to the end of their studies in the UK as I was starting my life here in the Village. It seemed like only yesterday that we had seen each other. That was certainly a week to remember.
Little did I know when I started here that all the students and housemothers who came to Pestalozzi would become very special to me, part of my own family in fact. I feel very privileged to have been part of all those lives who gave so much to my family. Even though we are miles apart and may not see each other again a little part of you all remains in my heart.
After the reunion the surprises kept coming as first Waziri turned up out of the blue and then later in the year as I was collecting the papers for the village from the Post Office one morning, Porndheb was taking photographs of familiar views in Sedlescombe, as one would. It was as if he had never been away. After hugs and kisses we arranged meetings to talk over old times and about ex-students. Lots of ears all over the world must have been burning that week as we talked over dinner one evening and then met again with other staff members for drinks and talked even more.
The other great joy is getting to see all the little Pesties that have been born to the past students, both in person and photographs. Hope you don't mind the name Pesties as it is a term of endearment I do assure you.
I have spoken on the phone and made contact through that wonderful medium e-mail with students all over the world and I can't explain the thrill that this gives to me.
This year I celebrated twenty years with Pestalozzi and it only seems like yesterday I arrived and was so nervous about getting to know all the difficult names. I need not have worried as I was soon made at ease by the Pestalozzi family and accepted by one and all.
I would not have missed the experience.
Carol Blythe
There are further memories of Pestalozzi Village life in this piece
SAIGON TO SEDLESCOMBE
by Thu Campbell (nee Le Ngoc Thu)
The first thirteen years of my life were spent in Vietnam, a third world country well known probably for its long fruitless war with crippling effects on the economy, the countryside and the people. I lost my father at the age of two (missing in action apparently) and as a result my mother was left with four children, penniless and dirt poor. I was the youngest child. Being poor wasn't an issue with me at the time because I was well and truly compensated in terms of love and affection. I was always made to feel special, probably because they felt I never really knew my father.
I can remember the feeling of shock and despair after arriving in the UK on the 02/07/71 at the tender age of 13. Teenage years are difficult enough without the added complications of climate and culture shock, not to mention the language barrier. For me, the biggest shock of all was the loss of my family overnight.
Pestalozzi Children's Village is a unique place, it's special but it still is an institution where I felt I was just a number. A kid away amongst many other kids. For the first time in my life it suddenly dawned on me that I wasn't anybody special, it hurt and I had to learn to stand on my own two feet. I grew up fast.
The next six years at the Village was a period of mixed emotions and a stiff learning curve. Just when life would begin to settle down a bit fate decided to deal us a bitter blow. At the end of April 1975 the communists took over South Vietnam and as a result we became refugees overnight in this foreign country. It was considered too dangerous for us to return home to a communist state having been brought up and educated in the West. I recall feeling bitterly betrayed by circumstance. I felt totally alone, more tears, more self pity, more adjustments to be made and then I realised life is what you make of it.
On the brighter side, Pestalozzi Village is the only place where multi-cultures exist side by side happily. Mingling with a hundred other kids we were bound to have some good laughs and a lot of fun in everything we did (nursing, welding, carpentry, farming, even mucking out the pigsties - WOW!) I remember Mr. Christy, the fundraiser, and his sausage dog, the only time he frowned was when he made a hash of our National Dancing on stage. Mrs. Pollard the cook, and her very leggy daughter Barbelle, was in charge of feeding us. The food was OK most of the time but I remember my intense dislike for the mutton chops being served up on aluminium trays, which, by the time it arrived in our house had congealed. Even now, years later, whenever I see lamb mentioned on the menu the past comes back and haunts me ahhhhhhhh!
Summer holidays we went camping, year in year out. The sleeping bags always seemed to be damp, the dreaded earwigs in residence, and the chemical loos, which we all tried to avoid. Worst still, when you found your name on the duty list for emptying the loos, guess whose name was on it? Me! Luckily a couple of lads took pity on me and let me off the hook for which I am truly grateful to this day. In 1972 we went camping in Port Douglas, Isle of Man where we met the Queen. I remember the long lecture we had just before the Queen arrived, how we should address her and curtsey. She stopped and spoke to us on her walk about and when asked where did I come from, in my very best early broken English I replied, "I AM come from Vietnam". She answered "Ermm" and walked away.
In 1975 we went to Jersey and stayed in a ruined castle at St. Helier. I remember the countless flowers we had to pick and glue onto the float the day before the parade at the Battle of the Flowers. We won first prize for our float - Hooray!
Some of you may recall the old bus that was used to travel to the various fund raising events during the holidays. We would travel up to Coventry, Nottingham and have tea with the mayor, but where was Robin Hood? We visited the Boots factory and then went on to Bath. It was one long, slow, tiring journey and to jazz it up we used to have a good old singsong along the way. That was a good time and a unique experience for camaraderie, which is hard to find anywhere else.
I know that I was very lucky to be chosen to come to Pestalozzi and I am very grateful to the staff, all the supporters, the tireless fundraisers and especially those at the grass roots. Being a fundraiser myself of a few small local charities I now realise to raise money is no mean feat. There was a heck of a lot of tea, biscuits, cakes and toys to be made.
I feel I was very privileged to have met some great and extremely kind people in my time. Among them I will always remember Ken and Dorothy Westwood who, without a doubt, gave their all to us. They added spice to the Village Christmases by giving every child a present of Nestle sweets and WH Smiths vouchers not to mention their frequent visits to our national houses. Last but not least, I am most grateful to my late mother. A poorly educated lady but with such great vision. She made the ultimate sacrifice to let me, her youngest child, travel thousands of miles away to be educated in another country, as she knew it was my only chance to get out of the poverty trap. After the takeover in 1975 I had to wait 22 years before I was able to come back and visit my mother in Vietnam, the emotional reunion was another story. I remember sitting there chatting to her when suddenly an aeroplane flew overhead, she immediately went rigid and looked up into the sky with tears welling up in her eyes. I had to remind her, "Mum, I'm here".
I am now married with two daughters, Daisy and Rosie, aged 15 and 11 respectively. We live in Battle and the girls go to the local Claverham State School, the same as their mum, both doing well in all subjects, especially sports and music. My loving husband Chris and I have been together for 24 years, we work together in a small family Estate Agency which Chris set up in 1990 after being made redundant at the beginning of the UK recession. Here we are after ten years and two more offices later we are certainly kept extremely busy. In hindsight, I am so glad I have learnt the hard graft and the work ethic from my days at Pestalozzi.
As of 31st March 2000, the physical side of the construction stands completed pending settlement of accounts only. The buildings consist of the main Hermann-Gmeiner Academic Building, five trade Workshops, Youth-House for 200 students, Staff Houses and ancillary support buildings. Only some interior work and landscaping remains to be completed. Plans are underway to plant around a thousand trees around the campus during the coming monsoon as well as develop a green plant nursery as part of non-formal training. Environmental awareness and care will be an important focus of the work.
With the commencement of the training still some months away, to be started in July 2000, the buildings are temporarily being occupied by children newly arrived from Tibet who need emergency housing and arrangement for special classes. Once the students start coming in July these children will be sent to join normal classes.
With the technical Principal already having been appointed, the rest of the faculty and the administrative staff are being recruited. The senior faculty members will be made up largely of Indian technical personnel as well as a few expatriate volunteers and the junior positions will be taken up by young Tibetans. Slowly, it is hoped, these young Tibetans will be able to man the Technical needs of the Centre
Along with the appointment of staff, tools and machinery are being procured. The main machines have already been bought and they are being placed in the workshops. It is essential that all the heavy machinery is in place before the onset of the monsoon.
In July the following vocational courses and trades will be started: motor-mechanic; machinist; welding; plumbing; electrician; carpentry; bench-fitting; computer application; secretarial practices, dress-making & designing; beautician; photography; Radio & TV mechanics; AC electronics; Architectural Assistantship and a variety of hotel and restaurant services like cooking, hotel reception & room services. Computer and IT education will be an important element of the project, keeping in mind the future employment prospects. Keeping the initial batches relatively small, there will be around 100 students this year, increasing to 220 by July 2000.
Phuntsok
Pichet Leekiettianan sent in the following Thai alumni news
Calling the Class of 1969/1970 Claverham Community College
Did you leave Claverham during 1969/70 and did you know Roy Marchant?
Roy has recently phoned the Village to ask for our help in tracing students he was at school with as he has been asked to help arrange a reunion for June 2000. I know the time is short but if you did know Roy and are able to turn up for this event he would be thrilled to hear from you. If you are not able to attend maybe a letter or e-mail sending a message of good wishes and fond memories which could be read out at the event.
If you would like to send a message address it to - Roy Marchant c/o Pestalozzi at Sedlescombe or send us an e-mail at the Village: RoyMarchant @ Pestalozzi.force9.co.uk
All communications will be forwarded to Roy.
Many thanks,
Carol Blythe
Alumni Network, Organisation, Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, History, Links, Site Navigation, Contact.
