Following a successful district workshop on snake awareness, Kamal Devkota and his team in Nepal have conducted various awareness campaigns at schools and colleges.
“During the district level workshop, we had informally discussed the selection process of schools/colleges and communities in the district. We have now conducted conservation awareness programs in 30 schools in Rupandehi district.”- Kamal
In the proposal to The Rufford Foundation, only 25 schools/colleges were proposed, but after receiving support from Save The Snakes, the team were able to add five more schools/colleges to their campaign. Save The Snakes also supports the project “Save Snakes Save Nature: A Conservational Effort through Community Participation in Rupandehi District, Nepal” to mitigate human-snake conflict in communities.
Rupandehi district is divided into 16 administrative divisions which includes one Sub-Metropolitan, five Municipalities and ten Gaunpalikas. The Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development in Nepal established the new lower administrative division, Gaunpalika in 2017, and replaced the existing Village Development Committee (VDC) system that was in use since 1990.
The schools for the campaign were selected from the 16 divisions. Five schools were selected from Sub-Metropolitan, 15 schools from five municipalities (3 schools from each Municipality) and 10 schools from 10 Gaunpalikas (one school from each Gaunpalika). All the institutions were higher education schools and the names of the students were selected at random. From the study units, students from class 9 and 10 were selected from the daily attendance register of each school.
“We conducted education and awareness programs in these selected schools, focusing on the identification of venomous and non- venomous snakes and their conservation, procedures for avoiding snakebites, appropriate first aid methods, symptoms of venomous bites by cobras, kraits and vipers, treatment after the bites, misconception on snakes and snakebites.”
Kamal and his team also distributed various educational materials to the students after the programs and showed them various documentaries about snakes. At the end of each awareness program, the students were requested to share the knowledge they gained from the awareness program with three friends from another class.
Approximately 1500 students participated in their snake awareness programs through questionnaires (approximately 50 students from each school). An estimated 15 000 students gained knowledge on snake conservation through educational materials including photographs, posters, brochures and pamphlets and more than 100 000 people gained knowledge on snakes through social media, local and national newspapers, radio and television.
Before the conservation education and awareness campaign, Kamal and his team had conducted pre-questionnaire surveys with the students. A month after the campaign, post-questionnaire surveys were done with the same students to find out the level of awareness among them. The campaign was a great success and Save The Snakes continues to support them in their on-going efforts.
| Administrative Divisions | Schools in the Divisions |
| Sub-Metropolitan
1. Butwal Sub-Metropolitan |
Sub-Metropolitan
1. Butwal Sub-Metropolitan • Shree Amar Secondary School, Motipur-9 • Motipur Higher Secondary School, Motipur • Shree Naharpur Higher Secondary School, Butwal-16 • Shree Nawaratna Higher Secondary School, Semlar • Ganesh Gyanjyoti Public Ma. Vi., Semlar |
| Municipality
1. Lumbini Sanskritik Municipality 2. Siddharthanagar Municipality 3. Devdaha Municipality 4. Tilottama Municipality 5. Sainamaina Municipality |
Municipality
1. Lumbini Sanskritik Municipality • Buddha Adarsha Ma. Vi., Lumbini • Khudabagar Ma. Vi., Khudabagar • Tenuhawa Samudayik Ma. Vi., Tenuhawa 2. Siddharthanagar Municipality • Shree Su-Sanskrit Ma. Vi., Siddharthanagar • Bhairahawa Model Higher Secondary School, Bhairahawa • Bhanu Ma. Vi., Siddharthanagar 3. Devdaha Municipality • Shree Yugjyoti Ma. Vi., Devdaha • Kerwani Higher Secondary School, Devdaha • Sagarmatha Higher Secondary Boarding School, Devdaha 4. Tilottama Municipality • Madhawaliya Secondary School, Madhawaliya • Shree Shanti Namuna Uchcha Ma. Vi., Manigram • Janata Ma. Vi., Tikuligadh 5. Sainamaina Municipality • Sainamaina Higher Secondary School, Parroha • Saljhandi Ma. Vi., Saljhandi • Saraswati Secondary School, Dudharaksha |
| Gaunpalika
1. Gaidahawa Gaunpalika 2. Mayadevi Gaunpalika 3. Kotahimai Gaunpalika 4. Marchawari Gaunpalika 5. Siyari Gaunpalika 6. Sammarimai Gaunpalika 7. Rohini Gaunpalika 8. Shuddhodhan Gaunpalika 9. Omsatiya Gaunpalika 10. Kanchan Gaunpalika |
Gaunpalika
1. Gaidahawa Gaunpalika • Shree Suyrapura Ma. Vi., Suryapura 2. Mayadevi Gaunpalika • Shree Tinau Adharbhut Vi., Bethari 3. Kotahimai Gaunpalika • Shree Chilhiya Ma. Vi, Kotahimai 4. Marchawari Gaunpalika • Shree bagauli Ma. Vi., Bagauli 5. Siyari Gaunpalika • Shree Janata Higher Secondary School Paschim-Amuwa 6. Sammarimai Gaunpalika • Shree Krishak Adarshsa Uchha Ma. Vi., Betkuinya-6 7. Rohini Gaunpalika • Shree Ram Naresh Yadav Adarsha Ma. Vi., Dhakdhai 8. Shuddhodhan Gaunpalika • Shree Pharsatikar Uchha Ma. Vi., Pharsatikar 9. Omsatiya Gaunpalika • Shree Barawaliya Ma. Vi., Gangolia 10. Kanchan Gaunpalika • Shree Haraiya Ma. Vi., Haraiya, Rudrapur |
Students looking the posters at the notice board with information on snakes in Nepal
Brochures and Posters on the notice board of schools
Schools staff hanging the Brochures and Posters on the notice board
Students of various schools receiving different educational material after the awareness programs
Students participating in post-questionnaire survey
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