The classroom in Nepal is often filled with fear and intimidation; teachers feel unprepared and lack necessary training and tools, and students are afraid of the harsh discipline often found at school. In the midst of these difficult circumstances, a Kathmandu-based organization offers help and hope.

WARM WELCOME – EQUIP teacher Ona LaMotte gives a warm greeting to the students upon arriving at Bhrikuti Namuna Primary School. She is modeling the type of friendly behavior that EQUIP hopes will be emulated by Nepalese teachers.

NEW EXPERIENCE – Standing in front of a classroom full of children can be intimidating for teachers who have never received any formal training. Lakshmi is eager to learn new skills that she can use with her students, such as learning through play.

RURAL EDUCATION – (top) Most schools in Nepal are small buildings where the sparse, unheated classrooms contain chalkboards on the wall, simple desks, and few teaching materials. (bottom) The Kathmandu International Study Centre (KISC), a large Christian school with high academic standards, started EQUIP to provide local teachers with new classroom techniques as a way to create healthy learning environments.

CREATIVE CURRICULUM – (top) Up-to-date resources are scarse in Nepal, so the curriculum is a varied mix of older and newer books in English and other languages for many different age levels. (bottom) LaMotte provides a school principal with new curriculum, which EQUIP funded and created with the help of local teachers.

TEACHER – (left) This teacher from Bhrikuti Primary School enjoys the new teaching methods and sees the difference the fun lessons make when she gets positive responses from her students.

STUDENT – (right) Just a few years ago, students like this fifth-grade girl from Bhrikuti Primary School would not have had the opportunity to get an education. Now there is a good possibility that she will stay in school and graduate.

FULLY ENGAGED – (top) LaMotte shows teachers how to use a Dr. Seuss book to fully engage their students in learning. The simple language and bright colors of this book will immediately draw students in to a lesson. (bottom) This classroom, located in the town of Dadeldhura, is now a happy, lively place where the students are excited about learning.

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS – (top) Before LaMotte leaves the school, she spends one-on-one time with teachers, offering advice and encouragement about the day’s lessons. (bottom) Meeting with teachers on a weekly basis provides LaMotte a great opportunity to strengthen her friendships with the women.

LIGHT THROUGH THE FOG – Fog rolls into the foothills of the Himalayas during the monsoon season, enveloping the school in a misty cloud. But the lessons of love, compassion, and encouragement taught by EQUIP shine a bright light through these classrooms right into the hearts and minds of the teachers, students, and community.

Shot from the infamous barrio of “El Gallito”, this is just a small view of a portion of Guatemala City. “El Gallito” is said to be out of the control of the government–governed by the drug lords that inhabit the barrio.

Just down the street from The Potter’s House (the ministry that I was working with to photograph some stories) is a wall that echoes the ethos of The Potter’s House–telling people that live and work in the communities around the city dump that they have value.

A man stands on the side of a hillside of trash looking for recyclables that he can collect and sell. This is just one section of the largest city dump in all of Central America.

Looking down into another area of the city dump, this lady takes a break from her scavenging to adjust the mask that is covering her face.

Outside of the city dump are communities of corrugated metal shacks. Ready to go scavenge in the dump, this lady stopped for a moment to chat and allowed me to take her photo.

This family survives off of the money the father makes scavenging in the dump. Despite living in some limiting conditions, both the son and the daughter are attending a local school–the 8-year-old daughter told us that she wanted to be a veterinarian and that she loved art!

Dr. Hernandez volunteers every Friday at a medical clinic at the entrance to the city dump. Her passion is giving quality, free, healthcare to women who are largely marginalized by the culture in Guatemala.

While we were meeting and interviewing a family, Jesus latched on to Cheyenne and would not let go. It was so fun hanging out with the kids who are receiving care at the Potter’s House!

A small little trip over to Antigua and we found ourselves in a beautiful colonial town with a lot of tourists! I loved seeing all of the volcanoes in the haze as we traveled around the country.