Pokhara: For Nabin Roka of the Navajyoti Higher Secondary School in rural Gorkha, being able to express himself in English is a dream come true.

“Writing a paragraph in English correctly was a tough job, let alone speaking in English,” said Roka, who has been a student of the Access Microscholar-ship Programme for the last one year. “This programme has provided me with a platform to build up my English language skills and my confidence,” he said. Roka is currently the highest scorer in his class and can write and speak English very well.

The Access Programme, initiated by the Nepal English Language Teachers’ Association (NELTA) with support from the US Embassy, is helping students from government schools develop their English language and

leadership skills. “Now I can fluently communicate in English, which has lifted my confidence too,” said Luv Rajbansi, a student of the Shree Maisthan School in Parsa.

The programme, which was started in 2011, provides a foundation of English language and leadership skills to 14 to 18 year-olds from economically disadvantaged backgrounds through two years of after-school instructions and intensive sessions. Access students also gain an opportunity to learn American culture and “democratic values” through multimedia exposure.

The two-year programme consists of 400 hours over 36 weeks a year, in addition to a 40-hour Youth Leadership Development Summer Camp. “Students get opportunities to interact in English on the issues of ethnic tolerance, individual freedom, human rights and gender equity, along with exposure to the US education system, particularly the materials that American children learn at school,” said Shyam Pandey, national coordinator of the programme.

Around 90,000 students from disadvantaged and marginalised communities in 85 countries across the globe have benefited from the programme ever since it was first initiated by the US government in 2004.

According to Pandey, the programme is currently being implemented in four districts—Kathmandu, Gorkha, Rupandehi and Parsa—and will be extended to two other districts—Kailali and Lalitpur—from this year.

source:The Kathmandu post,3 feb 2013