Victoria Subirana

Victoria Subirana was born in Spain (1959) in Ripoll, a countryside village 70 km from Barcelona. Her mother Isabel is from Andalucía and the family migrated to Catalunya Region in the North East of Spain after the Spanish Civil War in search of better opportunities. Her father was Catalán, so she was fortunate to get enriched by the best of both cultures.

Although she was raised in Catalunya she had strong connections with Andalucía and she inherited a deep love towards flamenco music influenced by her grandparents: Maria and Diego.

She studied in a nuns’ schools and developed her passion for reading and writing in Spanish, French and the Catalan language. Her love for Asian countries, especially Tibet, comes from her youth readings. She was a working child; sent to work when she was only nine years old. She is the survivor from the dictatorial regime of General Franco and went throughout the transition of the new established Spanish democracy when she was only fourteen years old. So, since she was young, she has been in the middle of a bridge having to deal and understand the antagonisms from North and South and East and West, up and down, the red-leftist-winds and moderate-conservative-winds.

She economically struggled to complete her secondary education and she pursued a Bachelor in Education from the University of Barcelona.

Her dream was to expand her knowledge and study in USA, which she did. She completed a Masters in Curriculum and Teaching from Michigan State University.

She is the mother of two grown up & successful children who are half Nepalese and very accomplished human beings.

Victoria has a dramatic and astonishing story as a social entrepreneur and pioneer. She established her first school in Kathmandu in 1991. Since then she has dedicated her whole life to underprivileged children and women of Nepal with the aim of satisfying their social, intellectual and psychological needs. She accomplished her objectives implementing her methodology of teaching: ”Pedagogy for Transformation” amongst the poorest of the poor. And she believes that, when it comes to educating the children from the so called “third world countries” we have to deliver high quality education approaches. Methods that will empower the hearts of the children with the main virtues, and their minds with creativity, analytical & critical thinking, so they will be able to identify the rood-cause of their problems and will develop necessary tools and strategies, to come out from poverty, ignorance and oppression.

Her statement is that the children from poor countries cannot be educated throughout third class methods. Is not about doing charity to the less fortunate because we feel sorry about them, but is more about exercising equity and reestablishing the dignity they have lost, so they can get what they deserve.

Her book, “La Pedagogía Transformadora” (Pedagogy for Transformation) in Spanish language was first edited in electronic version by the Ministry of Education in Spain, & later was launched by Sanz y Torres & UNED Publishing House in Spain. (www.sanzytorres.com).

The book of Victoria Subirana, “A Teacher in Kathmandu” inspired UNIVERSAL PICTUTES to produce a movie on her life story: “Kathmandu A Mirror in the Sky”.

Her second book “Kathmandu, La Caja Oscura” is the continuation of her first book and portrayed the difficulties endured by those who attempt to stand for the rights of the oppressed, facing the opposition of a highly refined network of political, economical and social powers. The same factual powers that have interest in keeping poverty, corruption, ignorance and un-development as it is, for their own benefits.

Victoria is the researcher, investigator, founder, promoter and pedagogical director of the “EduQual All Nepal” project (a partnership between the Spanish government, UNED, the Nepali government, and the Schools for Transformation (The foundation she presides) the project was part of an Education Reform that put into practice Pedagogy for Transformation” in 15 government schools from Banke district in Nepal.

Her methodology has now been practiced for 25 years and is implemented in several universities and schools in Spain and Nepal. Her methodology has also been brought to Ethiopia, Marrakesh, Saigon, London, Cuba, Andorra, Brussels, Thailand, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Tangier.

At present she works on a training project to help earthquake victims from Nepal. The project name is, “Ambica Shrestha Teachers Training Program” and targets Nepalese children and teachers from Bamboo Schools in Nepal.