IBBY-Yamada 2018: Nepal

IBBY Nepal: Folktale collection programme

Nepal has over a hundred ethnic groups, many of which are endangered, each with their own oral traditions. IBBY Nepal has developed a programme to collect folktales and re-tell/re- write them for children. The programme also aims at preparing a book of folktales in Braille for visually-impaired children. The programme will initially collect folktales from three ethnic groups: Thami, Chepang and Chidimar to create a book, Stories from my Village for each group. 

The project brings together Elders (40-65 years old) and children (10-20 years old), assisted by researchers, where the Elders tell their stories and these are recorded. The children then retell the stories and write them on paper and then read them back to the elders for suggestions and corrections. The stories are brought back from the field to Kathmandu and the texts are edited and illustrations are added. The books of Stories from my Village contain 15 stories with illustrations and a Braille book is also prepared. A detailed project plan can be read here and suggestions for field research can be read here.

The project does not only preserve these stories, it also makes the Elders aware of the importance of continuing traditional story telling practices. It not only teaches children to listen, retell and recreate stories but makes them aware of preserving and promoting their traditions. Field reports from Chidimar and Thami can be found here.