Reena Chhettri
Reena Chhettri is from Arunachal Pradesh, India. She graduated from college there and then married a Nepali. In 2002, they came to Nepal and Reena joined SMD School in after a long search for a job. She has a son named Darpan Thakuri, who is also in SMD, studying in Class 1. Her husband is working overseas and nowadays she lives with her son and her niece.
Reena has an interesting story to share, she thinks it shows the karmic connection with the teachings of the Buddha. The first time His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited her state in India, Reena managed to get a blessing from him. She wouldn’t have been able to receive the blessing if she hadn’t struggled and pushed to get into the queue, even though she had no idea about His Holiness, or the slightest understanding about the Buddha’s teachings. Reena believes that she is at SMD School now because of the blessing she got that day.
She is very happy to be a teaching in a Buddhist school. She thinks the struggle which she undertook with the help from her husband has finally paid off. She likes SMD School very much and has gained in her time with us. She was surprised and impressed by how well disciplined the kids in SMD were when she first came.
She really loves the kids and in return she is loved by everyone at SMD. Reena feels a sense of relief when she is with the kids in the school premises and says that if she ever leaves us, she’ll probably stop teaching.
Lastly, Reena is very grateful to our Very Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche for giving her this opportunity.
“My name is Reena Chhetri, I am from India. Now I am staying 10km far from the school. I became an SMD member in 2002, now I am working as a class teacher of U.K.G. (Upper Kindergarten).
In my class there are 26 students from different parts of Nepal, they are 6 to 10 years old. I found many of my students are very innocent. My little son is also studying at SMD School.”
Reena laughed and said, "Some of the kids want to fail and remain in the same class because they want me to be their teacher forever!" Sometime kids call her a mum and at that time she feels very happy and really wants to take care as she would her own child.
She thinks that S.M.D has changed a lot. When she was first here she didn't see so many facilities as we have now. Shes seen many changes, like how the children study and how they’re taught, and how hard they work nowadays.
She gets lots of love from the kids and sometimes she even forgets about her own son! At first she didn't know anything about Himalayan culture, but there was an incident that happened in her life before joining this school. She went to see H.H. Dalai Lama with her friends in India. His Holiness gave her a blessing, but she didn't know what it was for. But now she realizes that the blessing was to help poor Himalayan kids.
She also added one of her childhood memories. She said, "When I was 8 years old I lost my mother, so I didn't get much mother love. The kids here are mostly from distant villages. They haven't seen their parents for many years, so I am trying my best to give them love and care through which they can feel the love of a mother." Reena is very much thankful to our Kenchen Rinpoche through whom we all are getting help.
Niraj (forground) with Thupten (our Dean) and Monks dressed for Lama Dancing
Niraj Chitrakar
Niraj is the first Newari teacher we have in our school. He lives with his extended family, something that is central to Newari culture. He is the only child. The Newars were the first inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley and are famed as statue makers, carvers and thangkha painters. Most Newars are Buddhist, and in the olden days, they sustained a lively trade with Tibet. It was the Newars who began the tradition of painting thangkas (religious scrolls).
Niraj joined us as an accountant in 2005, but he has a keen interest in teaching, so he insisted on having at least one class to teach! He also teaches math in grade 3. He’s only been with us for 3 years but is considered to be one of the best SMD Staff. Besides these activities, he is very active in other areas, like teaching guitar, singing and danciing. He helps the kids with guitar in his free time (and has got a girls’ guitar group going). With his compassionate heart and gentle way, Niraj also shows real talent for counselling.
Recently he was invited to join the hostel part time (bearing in mind Newari culture!). He’s very happy to be with kids especially the small ones and since he stays in hostel he helps the grade 10 students with their maths, preparing them for “the Iron Gate”...the national board exams.
He says that he’s “very happy to be one of the SMD's family’ and says it’s his pleasure to serve in Rinpoche's institute and work with students from all over the Himalayas.
Niraj is an unusual teacher: He doesn’t only teach but he also learns a lot from the kids. He declares, “ Kids in SMD are amazing! They are far better and come forward more than any other kids he has worked with. They know the Buddha Dharma, so they really unique compared with others". We are very happy to have him in our school.
Som Bahadur Lama
Som Bahadur is from Kavre district ( Nepal). He lives with his parents in Boudha, just a few minutes away from our school. He joined SMD this year, 2008. Som Bahadur is Buddhist. He said that he is so happy to be in our School because he got to meet with a big Buddhist family where all the people are living in harmony.
He is very talented. He is a computer teacher for senior classes and he also choreographs Nepali dances for the kids, helps in coaching soccer and is very friendly with all the kids, teachers, and support staff. He shows interest in many things, and is always ready to give his help whenever we are in need. He got involved with SMD family so quickly and he is really popular with everyone in the school. Although he is new, he is trying his best to do good things for the school. When there was nationwide girls’ football tournament, he also helped them as a coach, so he had a hand in helping our girls win the national championship for 2008.
Zamling Lama
Hi! I am Zamling from Khumbum which lies in the north- eastern part of Nepal. I am a graduate of SMD and I have also done a +2 at Brookfield College in Kathmandu. I have been teaching in SMD since 2002.
This year, I am the class teacher of Special Opportunity Class. This is the class where overage students are given a chance to develop language skills and to build basic knowledge and skills so that they can be promotes and fit easily into higher classes.
I teach Science, Mathematics, Social Studies and English in this class. I often visit the school in vacation also and run ‘Licensed to Learn Program’, which is a (peer) tutor training and certificate program.
I believe the kids that they have the same respect and love for me as they do the other teachers. I like all the kids here at SMD because they are innocent with wonderful smiles on their faces, creative minds and caring naturea. Kids are gifts and it is our responsibility to let kids fulfill their potential.
