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Newsletter November 2007 - Real Nepal
We already had
altogether German Volunteer, Austrian Volunteer, Finish
Volunteer, Finland Volunteer, Spanish Volunteer, Spain
Volunteer, French Volunteer, France Volunteer, Hong Kong
Volunteer, Singapore Volunteer, Norway Volunteer, Portugal
Volunteer, Canadian Volunteer, to volunteer in Nepal at our
orphanage, Orphans, Homeless children British Volunteer in
Nepal, Switzerland, Swiss Volunteer in Nepal, English teaching,
Irish Volunteer in Nepal, Dutch Volunteer in Nepal, German
Volunteer, Austrian, Finish Volunteer in Nepal, Spanish
Volunteer in Nepal, French Volunteer in Nepal, Canadian
Volunteer in Nepal, Volunteer Nepal, Volunteer Abroad, Volunteer
Program, Volunteer Management, Non Profit, volunteer
Opportunities, International Volunteer, Volunteer Work, Donate,
Donation, Organization, International Volunteer, Youth
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advice, working overseas, career break, university fees,
conservation, US, American Volunteer in Nepal, , Volunteer
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in Nepal, charity work in Nepal, Non Profit organization,
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management in Nepal, International Volunteer, volunteer work,
Donate, Donation, homeless children, HIV, AIDS, Organization,
International Volunteer in Nepal, Youth Volunteer in Nepal,
Volunteering in Nepal, Volunteer Organization, Volunteer
Services in Nepal, volunteer Center in Nepal, Volunteer Service,
Job and Employment in Nepal, Project support, Monitoring, Study
Abroad in Nepal, Catholic in Nepal, Fund Raiser, Friends, Global
Volunteers, Nepal Program, volunteer nepal, internship nepal,
teaching nepal, job nepal, travel nepal, university fees,
conservation, US, American Volunteer, British Volunteer,
Switzerland, Swiss Volunteer, Ireland, Irish Volunteer, Holland,
The Netherlands, Dutch Volunteer, Germany, Finish Volunteer,
Finland, Spanish Volunteer, Spain, French Volunteer, France,
Hong Kong, Singapore, Norway, Portugal, Canadian Volunteer,
Canada, Nepal volunteer, orphanage, Orphans, Homeless, Canadian
Volunteer in Nepal, Volunteer, Volunteer Abroad, Volunteer
Program, Volunteer Management, Non Profit, volunteer
Opportunities, International Volunteer, Volunteer Work,
Organization, International Volunteer, Youth Volunteer,
Volunteering, Volunteer Organization, Volunteer Services,
volunteer Center, Volunteer Service, Job and Employment, Project
support, Monitoring, Donation, homeless children, HIV, AIDS,
International Volunteer in Nepal, Youth Volunteer in Nepal,
Volunteering in, Nepal, Volunteer Services in Nepal, volunteer
Center in Nepal, Job and Employment in Nepal, Project support
Kate Ruth - UK - Oct 2007
When you first arrive in Kathmandu, it is nothing
but overwhelming; they have everything in abundance. People,
cars, shops, restaurants, cows, dogs, the list goes on.
The first week seems to pass extremely quickly, language
lessons, sightseeing, training village and all of a sudden,
you're off to your first placement. The language lessons, I
found, were intense, fast-paced but great fun, sightseeing
was entertaining if not a little disturbing in parts with
the crematorium, the cracking of heads and releasing of
spirits.
 The
training village is mostly about integrating into a Nepali
family and getting used to living in a village, the
fundamental skill being to master eating one portion of dal
bhat in the time it takes most members of your family to eat
two. It is also about trying out your budding Nepali and
repeating information such as your name, age and how many
people there are in your family until it's almost automatic.
I was in Dhulikel, which has excellent views of the
surrounding hills, and is an extremely friendly, welcoming
place.
Then its off to your actual placement, and who knows what
awaits you. I went to Chitwan; there is nothing like riding
into the village to hear a chorus of voices all saying "Good
Morning Miss" waiting for your "Good Morning" in return. The
novelty never wears off, the children will always be excited
to see you, most of the time they will be standing outside
the door of the library eagerly waiting to be allowed in and
say in a hurried way "Can I come in Miss?" before rushing
through the door. That’s what it's like in Magartole, the
library is reasonably equipped because of info and due to
books and games that past volunteers have brought. The room
itself has been decorated with pictures done by students.
The children are all lovely though the boys' obsession with
one particular game called caram board can make them a
little crazed. When your not teaching, its easy to cycle or
to get a rickshaw or tanga into Tandi; the main town where
the internet is far cheaper than in Sarauha and there are
lots of shops selling everything you might possibly need or
want to buy.
When I think of Chitwan I think of the elephants, elephants
just walking down the street, which you never quite get used
to. When I think of Pokhara I immediately think of the Lake.
Lakeside is like Thamel but with less noise and less
rubbish. Spending an afternoon on the Lake is an ideal way
to pass the time with the sound of the temple bell drifting
on the water it is easy to just float under the sun
surrounded by the hills and on a clear day, a breathtaking
view of the snow-capped mountains.
Naudada is an hour and a half outside out of Lakeside going
higher up into the hills. The school is full of enthusiastic
but shy children who need encouragement to speak English.
Info Nepal plan to set up a library in the area, which I
think will be extremely beneficial for the children who need
to practice English and learn in a new, and fun way. The
school has many books donated that would be extremely
helpful in getting the children to enjoy English but these
are not being used to the best advantage.
When I came to Nepal, I didn't really know anything about
the country, the culture etc. For two months I've been
completely immersed in both I've taken part in festivals
such as Teej the woman's festival, this included dancing and
singing which I was persuaded to take part in. One lasting
impression I have of Nepal is that I've never felt more
welcomed anywhere, ever. I have made friends that I know I
will keep in touch with and have gained sisters, brothers,
aunties and uncles in abundance. I know I will never forget
the time I spent in Nepal despite its apparent shortness. My
wish is to ride my trusty bike back into Magartole to hear
the children greeting me with "Miss" once again in the near
future. I would definitely recommend Info Nepal who have
been extremely helpful throughout my trip especially when I
was ill and I can't wait to be back to Nepal again.
John - UK - Nov 2007
The last few weeks here in Nepal has been a
pretty amazing experience, from the thrills in rafting to
the magical serenity of the safari and finally the arduous
yet rewarding 4 day trek up to Ghoropani and Ghandruk. And
yet, the most memorable times for me were spent in my
placement in Syafrubensi up in the Langtang region. Not only
was the region a complete change from the frantic pace of
towns like Kathmandu or Pokhora, it was almost a complete
standstill from modern life and one could actually sit down
with a hot cup of tea and literally watch the world go by
(goats, dogs, buffalos et al). However, the highlight for me
was the time spent in the resource centre with the children
who would fill the classroom with the insatiable appetite
for learning or even just their infectious laughter and
happy smiles. It was here I think that the strongest and
most meaningful memories will stay with me and as everyone
who goes on placement will attest, there are always a few
kids who melt your heart and almost compel you to hide them
in your luggage and bring them home with you. (I know I did,
the two girls Sushma & Chekti were simply adorable and
leaving them behind was a heart-breaking thing to have to
do).
The activities that we did in the earlier weeks before our
placement were fantastic and challenging, both mentally and
physically. Learning about Nepali culture and their way of
living was an eye-opening experience, an amalgation of
modernity fused with traditions that have existed for
centuries. Our experiences at the training village in
Dhulikel were
very helpful in allowing us to understand village-life and
the lack of modern facilities proved a useful gauge in
assimilating us into the Nepali culture. The subsequent
adventures we had together as a group allowed us to get to
know each other better and strengthened the bond we had as a
group of volunteers. Rafting was tremendous and
exhilarating, especially when I fell into the rapids and was
rescued by my raft-mates, it was definitely the highlight of
my rafting experience and I highly recommend it to anyone!
The jungle safari in Chitwan was a complete turnaround from
the excitement of rafting and yet a welcome change in the
serenity that surrounded us during our stay. Elephant
bathing and the safari into Chitwan National Park allowed us
to watch and interact with such unique and rare animals up
close and was yet another memorable experience. Finally
there was the trek in Pokhora; a 'short' 4 day trek up to
Ghoropani and Ghandruk which while physically demanding (we
all slept like babies after a day's trek) was visually
spectacular and provided countless scenic pictures that will
probably fill several photo albums. Both Pratik and our
guide Prakesh were fantastic company and their sense of
humour and easy-going nature kept our spirits high and gave
us all the impetus and enthusiasm we needed up the mountain
or on the 'Nepali flat' slopes. It was a physically draining
experience for myself personally but the sense of
achievement at the end when we returned back to Pokhora more
than made up for the fatigue that we carried throughout the
trek.
Just to briefly touch on my placement in Syafrubensi, it was
certainly the highlight of my 4 weeks here and again, the
children there were both motivated to learn and their
infectious laughter would lift anyone's spirits. I honestly
hope that more volunteers will choose to go there and
experience what I've experienced, to meet the children in
Syafrubensi and be simply amazed at their way of life and
its simplicity and yet the happiness and joy each child
brings with him or her into the resource centre is truly
incredible. Even the prospect of a 10 hour bus ride on the
BUMPIEST road ever (it's not even a road, it's basically
rocks on the ground) and the bouncing up and down on your
seat is a worthwhile sacrifice to spend some time with the
kids there.
Anyway, I have absolutely no regrets about coming to Nepal
and the memories and experiences here have been both special
and personal. I'm sure the rest of us feel the same way and
I hope future volunteers enjoy Nepal as much as I have.
Take it easy & Namaste!
Dear Interested Volunteers for Jan
/ Feb 2008
Today we are going to share you some of our past
volunteers feeling who are interested to come back to Nepal.
When we get email from our past volunteers about their time
here in Nepal and giving us good suggestion and feedback we
fell very happy. Now we have two past volunteers here in
Nepal who came just for holiday and visiting our host family
and new projects and helping us.
Well, as Jan 2008 and Feb 2008 are approaching ahead and we
are going to make new plans for our new projects and to have
more Orphan children in Happy Home in Chitwan so we need to
know roughly how many volunteers are coming on those months.
You know that Real Nepal is totally funded with it's
volunteer's program fees. If you can write us back to
confirm your place at Real Nepal, we could make a plans for
our upcoming projects.
Best Regards
Naresh Asim
Real Nepal
Email from our Past volunteers
Stefan Guenzinger....
Dear Asim,
I hope you are all doing fine. I have been watching your
efforts very closely in the last 2 years and I am very
impressed with your success!
A lot has been happening in my life since 2005. I sold my
old business, work on bulding a completely new one, my fater
died, I moved to another place and so on. These are only
some of the reasons why I didn't stay in touch but I still
had contact with people who wanted to become volunteers and
especially the press.
This is also one of several reasons why I contact you right
now. The german magazine "Geo Saison" which is one of the
leading travel magazines in Germany will bring an article on
volunteering in March. Real Nepal will be brought on as one
of three examples for organizations whiich are involved in
volunteering. Today the photo editor called me and asked if
we had some pictures which they could use. I am sure you
have quite a collection of pictures, so if you are
interested you can perhaps mail me a few. I think this is a
big chance for Real Nepal.
The second reason is that a German company named "Manager
ohne Grenzen" which means "Manager without frontiers"
contacted me. They try to place business managers who take a
sabbatical (which means that they take a year of paid leave
from their company) in volunteering projects. Are you
interested in participating?
The third reason is, that a friend of mine and me have an
idea for a project in Nepal about which I would like to talk
to you. And as it happens I will come to Nepal in about 4
weeks. Maybe we could come together and discuss this idea
someday?
I will arrive in KTM on Dec. 16 and will be in town until
Dec. 18 and then again from Jan. 8 to Jan 12. In the
meantime we will do some trekking in the Everest region.
I would be very glad to meet you then!
Kind regards
Stefan
Stefan Guenzinger
Anju Rani..........
Namaste to everyone
at Real Nepal
Kasto Cha?
How are you Assim? Its Anju Rani..........
Since I came to Nepal in 2005 my memories have been kept
close to my heart and can never forget the wonderful people
I met.
I am hoping to come back in May 2008, and would love to
volunteer again and would love to really take part in
humanitarian work on a long placement of possibly 2months.
Last time I cam I only stayed a short while and always
wanted to return for a longer period of time.
I would be very grateful if you could let me know of some
places where I can volunteer not 100% teaching, volunteering
in orphanages would be great.
I really look forward to seeing everyone again in beautiful
Nepal.
Lots of love, care and respect Anju
hi Asim and INFO / Real Nepal family,
Just a quick email to let you know that I'll be leaving
Ireland (after over 8 years) in December to return to live
in Germany to be closer to my family and my old friends.
You can use the email address antjej@gmail.com (you have a
different spelling below) for your mailing list, as I enjoy
receiving your newsletters. Also, I'm glad to hear that you
got a chance to visit Germany!
Best of luck and hopefully I'll be able to visit Nepal again
in the near future.
Antje
Thierry....
Hello everyone !
I hope everything goes well in nepal !
I've a big news : I should come in Nepal in february or
march !! So As
soon as I arrive, I will meet up at the office !
See you soon!
Thierry
Liz and Tanya....
Hello Asim,
It's a long time since we emailed you. I hope you and your
family and all the children are well.
We did a fund raiser recently at Baradene and raised some
money we would like to send you for the Happy Home. Can you
send me the exact bank account number so we can transfer it
directly? We held a mufti day at school and put up lots of
pictures of your children all over the school. Mufti is when
the students are allowed to wear their own clothes and not
the school uniform for the day but they donate a gold coin
to be allowed to do this.
Take care,
Liz and Tanya
We hope you enjoy reading.
See you soon.
Real Nepal Family
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