Teachers' Day, a Birthday, and Other Celebrations at the Contact Center
A few weeks ago, the children, staff, and volunteers at the Contact Center celebrated Gurupurnima (Teachers’ Day) according to the Hindu lunar calendar.
On that day all over Nepali schools and colleges, students celebrate and pay special homage to their teachers — past and present — and teachers shower their students with their blessings. Our children at the Contact Center performed dances and made beautiful cards for their teachers. It was a day of celebration and appreciate for both the children and their teachers.
What’s more, later in the evening the Contact Center graduates who are now studying in different grades in the nearby Vibhuti School came to greet their old teachers. It was a very heartwarming gesture on their part, and it was lovely for their teachers to see how they have grown!
Teachers and children at the Contact Center also celebrated the late Mrs. Bhuvaneshwori Satyal’s birthday; she would have turned 83 in July. Our partner organization in Nepal, BSF, is Mrs. Satyal’s namesake. She fought for social justice in Nepal throughout her life and established the Center for Child Studies and Development (CCSD) more than two and a half decades ago, which has brought about positive change in the lives of numerous children coming from disadvantaged families and difficult backgrounds. Now, her story and life’s mission continues on through BSF’s and Mitrata’s Contact Center and sponsorship opportunities for Nepali children.
The Contact Center kids also learned about belly breathing (diaphragmatic breathing) with their breathing buddies (stuffed toys). Apart from being a fun way to center oneself, It is believed to have helped young students and children become more focused, peaceful, and less anxious, and it is a good way to help them cope with their everyday stresses (especially for children like ours who are constantly exposed to chaotic and unstable home situations). The children found it very interesting and many of them were eager to volunteer. It will be now part of our daily routine especially in the mornings at the Contact Center.
The children also saw some pictures from this year's Climb for Himalaya Children. They were very excited to see the snow, mountains, and all of the climbers! It was a fun day for both children and staff but was also a day of learning and giving thanks.
After the celebrations, too, the children enjoyed special meal of rice, beans, paneer, and cake, lal mohan (gulab jamun), kalakand. Yum!
