The Borderlands PDP organized a Staff Retreat Program for the staff of Equal Access at the Borderlands Eco Adventure Resort that is situated just 16 kms away from the Tibet border. 49 adults and 5 children were part of the group who came to the resort during the program. The Retreat, that took place from December 25-26, 2009, also included an internal session of the Equal Access team. The main objective of the retreat was to bond with the co-workers, spend quality time with family members and have fun. Music and dance was another highlight of the Staff Retreat. Overall, the program was a huge success as the participants enjoyed themselves immensely.

Ghorepani Trek

Winter months from December to February is considered to be a good time for low altitude treks as the season offers great mountain views and because less people trek during this time, the trekking routes are not crowded. Nature-treks.com offers the amazing 12 days trip to Ghorepani which includes a visit to Poon Hill (famous mountain for sunrise views), the sacred Machhapuchhare mountain (Fish Tail), Mt. Dhaulagiri I and Annapurna I (both over 8000 m) in addition to experiencing the unique local culture of the area. The Ghorepani adventure, from the Annapurna foothills to the top of the Poon Hill, is one of the most pleasant trekking experiences that offer spectacular mountain scenery, charming settlements of Gurungs etc. The trek duration is 8 days and the trek area is the Annapurna Conservation Area.

For details, please log on to http://www.nature-treks.com/ghorepani-trek.php or
send us an email at: info@nature-treks.com

Trek to Ghorepani

UNDP (SPCBN) Team Building

UNDP- Support to Participatory Constitution Building in Nepal (SPCBN) took part in a Staff Retreat/ Team Building Program organized from December 4-5, 2009 at Country Villa, Nagarkot. The program, organized by the Borderlands PDP, saw participation from more than 38 staffs of UNDP-SPCBN. The program included some internal sessions focusing on the review of 2009 and vision for 2010. In addition, the two-day long program also included presentations, icebreaking activities, team building games and initiatives. The activities focused on improving communication within the team, planning and leadership among other things.

UNDP (SPCBN) Closing Event

The program was a success as the participants learnt a lot from the team building games and initiatives while having fun and enjoying quality time with their family.

UNDP (SPCBN) Team Building

Don't Lose Your Marble

A Leadership Development Program was organized for Lincoln School students from November 30- December 4, 2009. 22 students and 5 teachers from Lincoln School (Grade 7) and 4 students from the local school participated in the Environmental Study Program organized at Sundarijal. On the other hand, 25 students (Grade 12) and 4 teachers took part in a Leadership Development Program organized by the Borderlands PDP at the Borderlands Eco Adventure Resort. Both the 5-days experiential learning programs were interspersed with a lot of fun-filled activities. The whole group was further sub-divided into smaller teams to make the program more effective.

Toxic Waste

Some of the highlights of the Environmental Study Program were: river study, camping at Shivapuri National Park, nature-walks, hike to Okhreni village, data collection in the stream, visit to the Bagmati waste water treatment plant at Guheshwori and investigating sedimentary structures. Icebreaker activities were also included in the program.

The major highlights of the Leadership Development Program organized for Grade 12 students were: hike to Ghumthang, visiting and assisting in painting the local school, canyoning, problem solving games and initiatives, river crossing, talent show, rafting etc.

Low Rope Course

Overall, both the programs were considered to be a success as the teachers and students actively participated in all the activities and learnt a lot from the games and initiatives. Some of the key learnings were: leadership skills, trust, improved communication (verbal and non-verbal), planning, coordination and team work.