SUMMARY  OF “CHANGE TO CHANGE”

 

Change to Change is a month long educational program for youth from diverse backgrounds. Youth go on trips for social change and as messengers of peace, sustainability and development. Traveling extensively in remote places, meeting communities, working with social ventures, learning developmental issues and most importantly spreading the message of peace, sustainability and development; these youth return with stories of social change, and the program enables them to use these stories to inspire a larger community.  The program revolves around a month long trip, which is designed to make the participants (Change Fellows) question themselves and their existing beliefs. It is an opportunity to see, feel and know Nepal. With the number of young people leaving Nepal in apprehension, frustration, lack of social freedom and an assumption that there is a better world outside. Change to Change gives youth an opportunity to experience what they have got and to realize what they can do. It is an opportunity to redefine goals, precipitations and attitude.  Change to Change aspires to inspire the youth to experience Nepal and ultimately realize that there’s a “better world inside”.  

 

SUTRA - the formula: We believe travel is one of the best learning experiences and self-discovery available for young people.

 

VALUES: The values we actively promote and admire in fellows are:

     

•        Respect for cultural and political Diversity
•        Responsibility towards democracy, peace and the environment
•        Yes-I-Can attitude, and an attitude to help other succeed
•        Respect for labor
•        Readiness to add a drop to any novel cause 

 

METHODOLOGY 

 

The program can be divided into four phases:

 

1. Pre-Trip Orientation

This will serve as a platform for all selected Fellows to meet and interact with each other. This process is meant to enable Fellows to have a structured perspective of the program, the trip and its objectives. Travel orientation which includes travel safety, interacting with community, becoming community sensitive, travel health and first aid, emergency response and rescue, area information, travel documentation, expectation, roles and responsibility among others.

     

2. The Change Trip During the trip, fellows are expected to

   

•       Travel extensively in and around the mapped area. The Team Leader will facilitate the travel.
•       Strike conversations with community and change makers
•       Be an activist by working on projects allotted
•       Collect interesting and inspirational stories

  

A TYPICAL DAY will include:   

 

  

3.      Sustaining Change Workshop

 

The fellows’ workshop aims at providing the skills necessary to sustain change. They will also work on their “action plan to change”. The workshop will train them on “communicating change”, “reaching out to peers”, “social media strategies” and they will come up with an action plan which the project team will follow-up on.  

 

Post-trip, fellows will: 

  

•       Use social media to bring to fore the stories and experiences from their trip

•       Engage larger community in a dialog around social issues from their experience through talks and conversations

•       Help in fundraising to support social cause or even future Change to Change programme

 

 THE MANAGEMENT TEAM 

 

The Support Team: The support team will be based in Kathmandu and respond to emergencies if and when needed. They will also maintain constant communication with the fellows’ guardians. Any kind of additional support needed by the Change team will be sought by the support team.   

 

The Team Leader: A young adult (24-29) familiar to the place will lead a team of 10 youth. The team leader will already have explored the area and mapped the activity and local partners. Local organizations provide logistic and operational support. The team leader will be responsible for the overall management of the group. He/She will receive support when needed for the support team and local partner organizations. Team leaders is a graduate with experience in working with youth. In addition he/she is trained in emergency responses, first rescue, youth behavior and motivation, community management, etc. Safety is our top most priority.   

 

2011 CAMP LOCATION

   

Among the 75 districts of Nepal Mugu stands as the 75th in terms of Human Development Index (HDI). One has to visit Mugu to make sense of what the number '75' on HDI implies for Nepal. Primarily because of topographic extremes, this district has minimum agricultural production, no road that connects it to the outside world and very limited health and education facilities. Dolphu VDC is regarded as the most isolated and remote Village Development Committees in Mugu. It also falls within the Shey Phoksundo National Park. Dolphu is 4 days walk from Gamgadi- the headquarter of Mugu, and 8 days walk from Jumla. The trail is steep and you’ll find no tea house after a day’s walk. The village has no phone connection or electricity. Approximately 250 household live in the village.  It is a pristine valley where outside influence has been very limited. The residence still depend on yak farming and herb collection for their livelihood. It is rich in wildlife including Snow Leopard, Blue Sheep, Himalayan thar, Musk Deer among others.

   

WHAT NOT TO EXPECT

    

Change to Change doesn’t guarantee the following:

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•       Where you’ll be sleeping and what you’ll be eating – you might occasionally miss lunch or dinner
•        Toilets and Taps – have to use bushes and rocks instead
•        Mobile signal – you’ll not need signal to talk to yourself
•       Electricity – we aspire to glow the light within you
•       Comfort - the woods, mountains and the river might be too tiring for your eye. The trail is too steep and you’ll have to carry your entire luggage for days
•       Pure vegetarian food – because house-flies will swim or drown into every meal.…And everything that you don’t realize but are enjoying around you right now! 

 

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

•       Only youth can apply (24 and under)
•       Applications must be submitted by– Saturday, 30th April, 2011.
•       Applicants must meet be ready to abide by the expectations outlined in the handbook.
•       If you have any questions or problems, contact a Tourism Development Endeavors (TUDE) team through an email query.
•       Please note that this is not a luxury trip, only apply if you are mentally prepared to experience and enjoy  challenges of rural Himalayan region.    

   

COST   

    

The cost per individual comes out to be Nrs 28, 000.  Though we have partial and full scholarships available, we would like you to contribute some portion of the total cost based on your ability to pay.

 

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:

Regular application deadline: 30 April 2011 (Free)

Late application deadline: 10 May 2011 (Late application fee: Rs. 200)

Mandatory hiking trip with the applicants: 14th May 2011

Results announced: 15th May 2011

Change to Change Camp: Early June- early July 2011

  

Day 1	Leave from Kathmandu by Bus
Day 2	Nepaljung/Surkhet (depending on flight availability)
Day 3	Nepaljung/Surkhet (depending on flight availability)
Day 4	Flight to Mugu: Reside In Gamgadi ·         Discussion with locals from Dolphu and adjutant villages ·         Meeting with Local NGO Partners ·         Logistic Arrangements: procuring supplies etc
Day 5	In Gamgadi ·         Meeting with NGO’s, Government Representative. ·         Will discuss tourism issues and challenges with NGO representatives ·         Change to Change participants will conduct a 2 hour workshop at the school located in Gamgadi.
Day 6	Trek for Dolphu (minimum 6/7 hours) ·         (components of “Change to Change” on the way}
Day 7	Trek for Dolphu (minimum 6/7 hours) ·         (components of “Change to Change” on the way}
Day 8	Trek for Dolphu (minimum 6/7 hours) ·         (components of “Change to Change” on the way}
Day 9	Reach Dolphu (Shey Phoksundo National Park) by EveningMight have to sleep in Monastery or school.
Day 10	·         Village Orientation and Introductions ·         Interaction with local youth, home stays allocations ·         Documentary Show/Drama in the evening “conscience of Karnali”
Day 11	Participants accompany families in their chores and farm work
Day 12	Participants accompany families in their chores and farm work
Day 13	Work on Computer lab establishment/ Tourism Mapping/community meetings
Day 14	Work on Computer lab establishment/ Tourism Mapping/community meetings
Day 15	Work on Computer lab establishment/ Tourism Mapping/community meetings
Day 16	Work on Computer lab establishment/ Tourism Mapping/community meetings
Day 17	On the hunt with cameras (wildlife photography around Namlang)
Day 18	Leave Dolphu
Day 19	Trek Back to Gamgadi (minimum 6/7 hours)
Day 20	Trek Back to Gamgadi (minimum 6/7 hours)
Day 21	Trek Back to Gamgadi (minimum 6/7 hours)
Day 22	Gamgadi (meet stakeholders)
Day 23	To Rara National Park
Day 24	Around Rara Lake
Day 25	To Talcha Airport
Day 26	Flight Nepaljung/Surket
Day 27	To Kathmandu

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Click here to download the application form.

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For further details please write to: info@tude.org.np