SPUR OF THE MOMO
Issue: # 2
IN THIS ISSUE
H.E. LHATU WANGCHUK
VISITS BCF THIMPHU
NANCY STRICKLAND
HONOURARY DEGREE
May 2010
Greetings!
On April 20, 2010, The Bhutan Canada Foundation Chairman, Mr.
Sam Blyth was in Bhutan to sign an MoU (Memorandum of
Understanding) to formalize the Foundation's relationship with the
Royal Government through the Ministry of Education.
TEACHERS IN BHUTAN
NEW TEACHER
RECRUITMENT
7 YEAR OLD GEORGIA LOVES
HER NEW SCHOOL
Board & Staff
BHUTAN CANADA
FOUNDATION
Chair of the Board
Sam Blyth
Directors of the Board
Rosemary Phelan Blyth
Edward Clarke
Jane Hawtin
Lauren Hitchman
Andrew Mitchell
Henry Perren
His Excellency Lhatu Wangchuk
Jamie Zeppa
Executive Director
Nancy Strickland
Toronto Staff
Program Managers
Raewyn M. Robbins &
Kristen Scott
Development Consultant
Kathy Allan
Bhutan Staff
BCF Chair Sam Blyth with Sangay Zam Education Secretary after the
MoU signing in the presence of Education Minister Lyonpo Thakur S
Powdyel
The Bhutan Canada Foundation is investing in Bhutan's broader
public school system where not just individual literacy, but community
literacy, has significant impact on the efficacy of this country's new
democratic system.
Democracy necessitates that both the government and the people
are willing and able to participate. Bhutan's people require increased
levels of literacy to participate effectively in their new democracy. The
Education Manager
Meena Subba
Office & Liason Manager
Karma Tshering
Transportation & Office
Assistant
Nima Dorji
Chief of Hospitality
Pushpa Chertrie
Bhutan Canada Foundation will place 100 Canadian teachers in
elementary and secondary schools in an effort to achieve the goal of
widespread literacy, thus helping to foster increased civic
engagement among the Bhutanese.
read more
WELCOME KRISTEN
We are pleased to announce the
appointment of Kristen Scott as
Program Manager. Kristen has a
B.A. Communications and most
recently worked with MacMillan
Cancer Support, a
leading cancer charity in London,
England.
Welcome Kristen!
L to R: Nancy Strickland, Executive Director BCF, Sam Blyth, Chair BCF, ???,
Lyonpo Thakur S Powdyel, Education Minister Educaiton Secretary Sangay Zam
HIS EXCELLENCY LHATU WANGCHUK VISITS THIMPHU
OFFICE OF BHUTAN CANADA FOUNDATION
During the first week of May H.E. Lhatu Wangchuk visited the
BCF office in Thimphu after an informal lunch with a number
of Canadians working in Thimphu. He met all the BCF staff
and toured the office.
He enjoyed looking at all the old photos in the office
especially those of Father Mackey's former students as he
was one of Father's first students in Bhutan. Although his
class wasn't in the photos on the wall Meena was able to dig
up a great picture of the Ambassador as a very handsome
young man playing a musical piece at a school event.
Father Mackey would be so pleased that Dasho Lhatu is now
Ambassador to Canada
l to r: Meena Subba, Karma Tshering,
His Excellency Lhatu Wangchuk,
Executive Director Nancy Strickland
NANCY STRICKLAND TO BE AWARDED HONOURARY DEGREE FROM TRENT UNIVERSITY
Thursday, June 3 - Morning Ceremony
Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario
Ceremonies are held outside - rain or shine (there will be signage
and attendants to direct you to the ceremony)
A global citizen committed to international development, Nancy
Strickland graduated from Trent with a degree in geography in
1978. Ms. Strickland is the founding Executive Director of The
Bhutan Canada Foundation which is a newly established NGO
focusing on educational links between Bhutan and Canada.
She started her international work with World University
Service of Canada (WUSC) as a geography teacher in rural
Zimbabwe and then taught in Eastern Bhutan and later in the
High Arctic of Canada. From 1992 to 2008 Ms. Strickland
worked for the University of New Brunswick and headed the
CIDA-funded Canadian Cooperation Office in Bhutan. In 2003,
she was honoured with the WUSC Alumni Award in recognition
of her consistent commitment to international development.
Ms. Strickland has assisted in the production of a number of
textbooks and wrote a children's book about rural Bhutan
entitledGoing Home in the Rain, which she dedicated to the
children of Bhutan.
CANADIAN TEACHERS NOW IN PLACEMENTS
"..busiest days are my best days" reports Ann from Mongar
Andrea Giesbretcht (Tashidingkha MSS, Punakha), Nick
Morris (Jigme Sherubling, Khaling), and Natalie Bannister
(Tashitse HSS, Wamrong) are teaching English and hope to
improve the students' writing and speaking skills in class and
through other activities. While Keira Loukes (Phuyum HSS,
Lhuentse) and Lynda Deszpoth (Gaselo LSS, Wangdi), teach
Science and Geography, they also chip in as English teachers
in few classes. The Ministry's request for a primary specialist
has been fulfilled with the recruitment of Ann Berman, who is working at Mongar LSS. Her
expertise is being well utilized as, in addition to her teaching schedule, she has a busy schedule
conducting workshops for her school colleagues.To read more, go to 2010 Teachers in Bhutan
BHUTAN CANADA NOW ON TWITTER AND
FACEBOOK!
Expand your social network by becoming of follower
of BCF on Twitter, or friending us on The Facebook.
Both social networks will keep you in the know
about exciting developments and upcoming events!
Find us on Twitter @bhutancanada or on Facebook.
TRAINING TEACHERS AT PARO COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Dr. Roy Greenwood and his wife
Nancy Simpson Greenwood have
taken leave from their work in
Canada and are posted to the
Paro College of Education. They
bring with them over twenty years
of experience in Special
Education, Counseling, Literacy
skills and School Administration.
The Greenwoods have also spent
many Canadian summers in
China working as teacher
educators in their in-service
training programmes. The
Greenwoods have a seven year
old daughter, Georgia.
Bhutanese girls in their primary school keeras.
7 Year old Georgia loves her
new school
"My name is Georgia and I am living in Bhutan for six months.
I am seven years old but when I go back to Canada I will be eight.
I am here with my parents Nancy and Roy I have already started school. My school's name is
Yoezerling PRY school. My subjects are Dzongkha, Math, Science, Computer, English and
handwriting. My favorite subjects are Math, computers, Dzongkha, and English. There are 200
students at Yoezerling but in Canada at my school there are 400 students. At my school in
Canada we learn English and French. I like both my schools.
I start school earlier than the Pre Primary students because we were going to dance for the Fifth
King of Bhutan. The teacher who taught us the dance is Sir who is our Math teacher. We practised
for the whole week then on Sunday we performed with many other schools in Paro for the King. It
was his thirtieth birthday celebration and was held in the Queen Mother's palace. We wore our
school uniforms. Usually the King does not come to his birthday celebration but this year he
attended and he stood right in front of all the dancers in the hot sun!
I like Bhutan. Bhutan is excellent!"
Excerpt from a letter from Georgia, April 2010.
Through the provisioning of Canadian teachers, materials and scholarships, the Bhutan Canada
Foundation is continuing a Canadian tradition of aid to Bhutan's education sector. Help us reach
our goal to place 100 Canadian Teachers in Bhutan, click here to make a donation now.
Thank-you
Sincerely,
Nancy Strickland
Bhutan Canada Foundation
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