Volunteer Selection
To select our volunteer mentors, we will conduct a recruitment and selective interview process. Throughout this process we will emphasize best practices for inclusivity and non- discrimination. Volunteer mentors will be chosen according to the following criteria.
Criteria for Volunteer Mentor Selection:
1. Native Nepalese and/or local community member 2. Above average education level 3. Strong leadership skills 4. Interest/enjoyment of working with children 5. Dedicated to mentorship
We will focus our volunteer mentor recruitment from Tribhuvan University. By using university students, we will leverage local knowledge, provide the girls with role models similar to themselves, and provide examples of women who have achieved a higher than average education level. In rural areas, it will be more difficult to utilize university students, and so we plan to work with communities to identify appropriate, strong female leaders that still match our criteria. Our volunteer mentors will then be trained how to lead the Keti Club. This training will take place over the course of several weeks, and will overlap with the participant recruitment period for the Keti Clubs. Training will include organizational knowledge about our program, in- depth preparation on the contents of the Ketiko Kit and the curriculum, and training on our Monitoring and Evaluation methods. The educational environment of Nepal is heavily focused on non-participatory lecture-based learning. It is likely that both mentors and participants initially feel uncomfortable with the interactive environment of the Keti Club. Our training will include an emphasis for the mentors on the importance of the interactive aspect and how to get children to actively participate.
Training Modules
Our Training Module for the volunteer mentors draws heavily from training techniques
that have proven successful in a similar context. The Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific of
the Food and Agriculture Association published a report on their Asia Regional Training of
Trainers (TOT), in which they trained individual leaders from 8 Asian countries, including
Nepal. The original purpose of this training was the dissemination of technical skills for the use
of improved stove and indoor kitchen practices; however, the theory, activities, and structure of
the TOT model is exceptionally useful because it has proven successful for a Nepalese context.
By adapting this model, we have been able to create a program to effectively train our volunteer
mentors and ensure their preparedness to lead participants in the implementation of the Keti Club
curriculum. Our training will consist of four modules: Expectations, Curriculum Instruction,
Teaching Practice, and Monitoring and Evaluation.
Module 1: Expectations
The purpose of this module is to make clear to the volunteer mentors their individual
roles and responsibilities as leaders of the Keti Club, while discussing their able to work
harmoniously with their partner volunteer mentors during the implementation process.
Module 2: Curriculum Instruction
The goal of this module is to familiarize the volunteer mentors on the practical and social
components of the curriculum. The project organizers will walk through each element of the
curriculum (Icebreakers, Exercises, and Reflections), ensuring that the volunteer mentors are
comfortable with the material. The other intention of this module is to evaluate the cultural
relevance of the curriculum content. We want the input of the volunteer mentors in order to build
a sense of ownership and partnership in implementation.
Module 3: Teaching Practice
In this module, our volunteer mentors will have the opportunity to practice participatory
instruction methods and receive feedback for improvement. This allows the volunteer mentors an
opportunity to experience all of the components of the curriculum. According to the TOT report,
the results of the teaching practice were good; participants noted that teaching practice really
helped them to internalize the contents of the training module. In our case, the teaching practice
will help our mentors internalize the contents of the curriculum.
Evaluation of Teaching Practice:
Does the mentor:
Encourage active learning? Provide plenty of opportunities for practical experience? Make sure shy participants are given a chance to speak? Prepare session plans and materials in advance? Modify the teaching methods so they are culturally appropriate? Show honesty and openness? Make him/herself available to participants after and in between training sessions? Show loyalty to participants? Avoid embarrassing participants? Use the vocabulary of participants? Relate the subject to the participants’ experience? Use imaginative teaching aids? Know the subject well? Encourage participation by asking questions and presenting problems?
Module 4: Monitoring and Evaluation
Volunteer mentors will be trained in how to orally administer our Baseline and Annual
surveys. The volunteer mentors will be instructed on the importance of the Notes section, and of
thorough feedback collection. We will emphasize time management, and the importance of
engagement of participants.
Keti Club 