NFE Opening Session at Nganglatrong

On Monday this week I had an opportunity to visit Nganglatrong NFE Center for the opening session for the new learners. Of the nine learners registered through the Tshogpa last spring, six were present at the inauguration. As the temporary head of the school, it is one of my responsibilities to look after the motion of the center. And I was invited by the instructor Leki as an key person to preside over the opening session coupled with a meeting.
     It was at the peak of the heavy downpour our nation was braving. Everything was totally wet and there seemed disasters lurking around in every twist and turn of our ascend up the Nganglatrong path. Luckily Acho Kencho, our school cook, had knife that he cleared the path that had been blocked completely by a fallen tree at one point. The gravelled soil couldn't hold the tree longer. Even a fall of branch would be a disaster through a thick forest. So no time to rest , enjoy nature and ascend with ease. Hurriedly we reached the road without minding the elastic leeches. At the shop over a packet of juice, I pinched out about five leeches from inside my socks. The rain was still dropping. Sir Dendup and Miss Kezang who were on their journey to PD workshop at Zhemgang were struck there following the advice of Tshogpa regarding the swollen stream near Dongdor. I already reminded them not to push their journey hard that I would request the DEOs to adjust them in the next group. So understandingly DEO Karma looked into our matter.
     I suggested them to join me and the cook to the opening session of the NFE for the new learners. Together under the dome of our umbrellas, we went towards the center, rain pattering and our feet sloshing.
     We were warmly welcomed by the instructor, Tshogpa and the learners in Tshogpa's residence. Tea and bangchang came first followed by snacks and boiled eggs. As we talk about the worsening weather over the tea and chang, the learners joined us sitting face to face with us. The instructor formally welcomed me, my team and others for the opening ceremony. In his welcome note he mentioned that he was very happy with our presence to grace the ceremony. Then it was my turn to deliver few words about the importance of education in our lives. It was indeed a platform for me to inspire, motivate and convince a group of people in the community apart from my students. I highlighted the power of education in this fast challenging and changing world. There are chances that other might deceive you while making agreement be it over loan or dispute if you don't know how to read, I reinforced the power of being able to read. Then the advantage to read prayer books and signboard was another benefit the education would endow them. The other power of education, of course the most practical and emerging cream of education I had shared was the advantage to use the smart phones to their fullest once our language got programmed on phones like in Japen, China and Korea.(hopefully our language would develop power to get progrmmed on electronics as one of the language options) I also shared them about the possibility of coming of CLC(Community Learning Centre) and the advantage they would have as literate in grabbing the life skill education CLCs would empower them. Lastly I restated them to complete the course without fail realizing the values and skills they would learn in NFE's purpose to make them literate to read fluently and write legibly.
     Then forming of committee, setting of norms and timings poured in. The program ended with lunch arranged by the instructor.
     With the hope that the program would go smoothly till the end we journeyed back to the school with the rain still showering and mist still hanging heavily around. We had to rush with our senses alert through the leech infested forest.