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ROSE FALCONER - New Zealand
I have
now been in the INFO Nepal office for 3 weeks. During that
time I've been working with Rabyn on the THE BEYOND! Day One On 26th November, Claire and Henk, Asim and I, left Kathmandu for Nawalparasi District, where Claire's placement is two weeks at the Amarapuri Library, and Henk's the Chormara Secondary School to teach Mathematics and Science. He will also be spending time instructing the Teachers on new methods of teaching these subjects. Henk is a recently retired teacher with a wealth of experience and information to pass on. The community will not want him to leave at the end of his 2 months! Amarapuri was having a fundraising Festival at the local Secondary School, with dancing in the evening. In her few weeks there ,Barbara had made a name for herself with her Nepali dancing, whereas I used to drink (chiya, Tea !!) my way home, Barbara danced her way from house to house in the evenings. Claire and I were expected to perform! It was a great introduction to village life for Claire, and we all had a great time. It was also wonderful to be with all the kids again, I was mobbed by the little ones,, and a group of teenage boys decided I should be their "Hajuramaa" (Grandmother) . That was before seeing my lack of talent for Nepali dance! Day Two Asim & I went to Narayangarh to meet up with Anil, the Ganganagar Library senior student, and two small girls from the very poor Tharu Tribal community, who have INFO Nepal Scholarships to go to Boarding School. Kalpna B.K. is 6 years old, and Sarita Mahato 8 years. Anil also teaches English to 40 of the Tharu children and these two girls are his best pupils, Anil himself, is only 17 years old! On my previous visit with Asim, I went to the shacks both of the girls and their families live in, they are tiny one room mud huts in which 7 people live For the trip into Narayangah, the girls had their first trip on a bus - great excitement! However, the best was yet to come. The purpose of this visit was to outfit the kids for their new school experience! When we launched out onto the streets of the city, they were two very excited, wide eyed girls, with sensory overload on all sides! Our first stop was to buy warm jackets, and Asim was very particular in choosing fleecy lined ones, which the two girls would not take off, even though the sweat was pouring off them within a very short time! Next stop was for shoes, followed by sox, underwear, schoolbag, lunchbox , drinking bottles , and a tin box to store all their things in .By this time the eyes couldn't get any wider, but as far as Kalpna was concerned the ultimate highlight was the trip back to the village in a Taxi! She sat beside me whispering "Taxi, Taxi" A crowd was waiting at the village when we arrived, we took photos for the INFO Nepal website, and Asim also gave out clothing to some of the village children and adults. Next stop was the Ganganagar Library, to collect a computer, and deliver it to Chormara, a 2 hour journey on some very bumpy roads. Henk is going to teach Bhoj Raj, the Area Coordinator, whose family he is staying with, computer skills, so their was great excitement when we arrived with our load! It was dark by the time we left for Narayangah, to spend the night with Asim's brother's family where the 3 children entertained me with song , dance, and lovely stories. Day Three We took the bus to Pokhara, a 6 hour journey, then transferred to the local Sarangkot bus. It was packed ,so Asim decided we would ride on the roof! Fine, once I managed to scramble up there! I was certainly the entertainment amongst the locals, for the one hour journey, which travelled up a very steep switchback and climbed for the entire journey. Then we walked down a mountain track and many steps to Krishna, the Area Coordinator’s house’. Where Anja has been staying for 3 months. Anja (from Belgium) teaches English at the local Secondary School of 500 pupils, speaks very good Nepali, and also works in the fields with her Host Family. Asim and Krishna talked INFO Nepal business while I enjoyed the warm hospitality of my Host Family. The Grandparents were particularly delighted to have another "Old Person" visiting their home. Day Four At 5.15a.m. the following morning Anja and I climbed for an hour to the Sarangkot Lookout. There was a full moon, the Himalayas .were at their spectacular best, and the sunrise was awesome. Later we returned to Pokhara, once more on the roof of the bus - down only takes half an hour! Asim and Anja went shopping to buy supplies for her school classes; paper is so scarce that the children write on every available scrap! So additional craft cardboard, coloured pencils etc, will be most welcome. So INFO Nepal comes to the rescue again. I became a tourist for the afternoon Day Five Returned to Kathmandu THE BACK OF BEYOND So much for the quiet life of staying in the Kathmandu office! We had been back a couple of days, when a situation arose that required Asim's input, so off we went to a meeting. The Nepali discussions flowed around me, then Asim said, we must go to that village. OK, at this stage I had no idea of the location, could have been down in the Kathmandu Valley. No! the village is to the North, high in the Himalayas and not far from the Tibetan border! Plan A was to travel 10hrs by bus, then trek 3 hrs, NO, I won't be doing that! Next day Asim has Plan B in place. As there are four of us in the party, we'll go on 2 motorbikes, travel light, and not only make better time than the bus, but no trekking. We set off on a beautiful clear winter's day, had travelled one hour and Asim's Motorbike punctured. I was loaded into a passing local transport, with assurances I would be dropped off at the next village where there was a "Fixit" man. Well, he turned out to be our #1 Guardian Angel. Once he discovered where we were headed, he not only fixed the tyre, but attacked the engine and the brakes. The first couple of hours ride was on "Nepali" tarseal, with the occasional bumpy bits and uneven sections, so we made it to Trisuli in good time for the compulsory Dal Bhat stop. The road then deteriorated into rocky outcrops, patched shingle landslides, and little unbridged streams. So, combined with the constant uphill climb, the going was slow. As we neared the mountains, the scenery was spectacular. Great for the pillion passenger but life got a bit tricky when Asim chose to take in the view and drive! It was one of those trips that each time one thought that the road couldn't get worse - it did that! It was after dark when we reached Syabru Besi, so we decided to overnight, and make an early start up the mountain to the village the next morning. The only thing that kept me going on that morning's ride was the thought that the alternative would have been on foot. By this time we had a whole Squadron of Guardian Angels with us, and after an hour made it to the top of the Pass. Goljung, our destination, was nestled about a quarter of the way down the other side, partly accessible by road, then via heaps of steps. This is the region of the Bhode people and their villages are of the typical Tibetan style. We were warmly welcomed by the villagers, and spent the morning visiting from house to house, being plied with Raksi and food at every stop. Then we were taken to a" Housewarming " celebration, where the honoured family were the centre of attention, with each new arrival showering them with ceremonial scarves, and gifts. The women and men were seated in two opposite circles and ritual singing passed from one group to the other, It was a privilege to be there. By now it was about 10.30a.m and the Teacher came to tell us his family were cooking chicken for our lunch! We hadn't stopped eating all morning! Next visit was to the school, the kids were mostly having their classes outside in the sunshine, and a very cheerful atmosphere prevailed. I popped my head into one door, to be greeted in English by the teacher, "Come in and Teach" 50 pairs of eyes looked at me beseechingly . They were all tinies, so we did a "Rose" version of singing ABC, after 3 times they had it right, the kids here soak up learning like a sponge. Then it was on to Asim's business meeting with the village men. We were begged to stay the night, but knew that we must be back on the road again by 3 p.m., as going down that mountain was a task still to deal with! We got into Dunche just on dark, and stopped at a Guest House that had hot water...Bliss! Next morning it was decided that the pillion passengers should take the bus to Trisuli so as to make an easier journey for the bikes. Two hours into that trip, I realised that I had left my Camera bag behind! Amrit said don't worry, he talked to the "Bus Boys" and the driver, then half the passengers joined in, and decided that Amrit should return to Dunche on the Northbound bus (which would come soon!) get my bag, and return to Kathmandu the following day! Can you imagine that happening in the West?. So, after another 2 hours on the bus, I met up with Asim and Henk in Trisuli, got back on the bike and headed homeward. All went smoothly until we crested the last big hill for the 40 minutes down the valley to the city. Oops!! we ran out of petrol. "Don't worry" says Asim, "I know a Trick"!, so we continued, mostly coasting, occasionally rocking the fuel tank to get just a drop more out, and once more, overworking those Guardian Angels. Henk kept in behind us, and we made right to the INFO Nepal office door! Some people pay big money for adventures. All you really need to do is travel with Asim!! FINAL DAYS IN KATHMANDU It never ceases to amaze me, the constant stream of people coming to the INFO office to request volunteers for their Projects. It is just such a pity that the International Media, and some Governments have put out scary warnings about the political status here, because Asim could place many more volunteers than are currently applying. This week, there was an approach from the Director of a city medical clinic. His practice is located in one of the poor areas of the city, contains a full range of services from Dental , Medical, Xray, through to Pathology and Vaccinations. The policy of the Practice is that when a Volunteer is the Health Provider, the Patient gets free treatment. Asim & I hopped on the Motorbike, and went to meet the Director and see his facilities. We were impressed with the concept, the facilities and the Management. The next trip was to interview the Principal of a Private School in Godawari, a small village in the Kathmandu valley. The school have expansion plans and were interested in INFO's input and support. Now, just 4 days before I leave, Asim has gone north to Goljung, this time on the bus, he has a meeting with the village committee tomorrow and will return on Christmas Day. As Rabyn is in India with his family, and Namratta is in Narayangarh with her family, I am, for the next 3 days, the INFO Nepal office staff !! As my Nepali is " "ali ali" answering the phone is interesting. On Christmas Eve Bhoj Raj arrived and as promptly welcomed as chief phone answerer!
Now
the time has come for me to leave Nepal, and all my
wonderful friends. In my time here I have stayed with 5 Host
Families, and even those I stayed with for a short time now
include me in their family, so I now have a huge family and
am surrounded by so much love
ROSE - New Zealand Due to unforeseen circumstances, I was unable to return to Mongolia this year, to a project I'd been volunteering with. So, with limited funds, and 3 months available I went surfing the Internet. The INFO Nepal site caught my eye- "Volunteering on a limited Budget" That's me! I downloaded it, was impressed with their concept and programmes, however it was obvious that most of their volunteers were heaps younger than me! I zapped off an email, and to my astonishment received a reply from Rabyn within 2 hours! Even though I had travelled in Asia for many years, often solo, by August, due to International publicity and New Zealand Government Travel Advisories I was a bit concerned about the political situation in Nepal. The INFO Staff assured me that neither projects or staff were ever at any risk. KATHMANDU 27th September was arrival day at Kathmandu, as I disembarked there was a welcoming party on the tarmac presenting gifts to each passenger- Handcrafted Felt Bags for the Ladies and Topi for the men. I hadn't realised it was World Tourism Day and the Government was both welcoming and thanking tourists for visiting Nepal. Outside the terminal Raj, the manager of the Kathmandu Peace Guest House was waiting with my name aloft. We piled stuff in the car (My luggage weighed 43kgs as I'd brought books puzzles etc) The Guest House is neat and very friendly. I was to have 3 days at my own expense, re-acquainting myself with Kathmandu, however due to the adverse overseas publicity several potential volunteers had cancelled, so it was on to the fast track Nepali language training with Bicky, an excellent teacher. I was surprised at how quickly I picked up the basics. A 2 day Strike (Bandah) was in force in Kathmandu, there was no evidence of Protests or unrest, but it was so easy to walk the streets without all the buses, taxis and normal congestion, and the guys at INFO were not phased in the slightest, they just loaded me on the back of a motorbike and we continued the sightseeing schedule! I reckoned it was about 24 years since I'd been on a motorbike. There’s a subtle, effective system operating between the Guest House and the INFO Staff. After a language lesson the Guest House Staff gently insist on Nepali responses! GODAWARI The next phase of training was a 2 day stay with a family in Godawari Village in the Kathmandu Valley to continue language training and learn a little of village life and, if it is your first visit to Nepal, learn to eat dal baht twice a day. I enjoy dal baht, so for me that is no hardship. My host family was lovely and wanted me to stay till December! I left that one for Bicky to manage. Back in Kathmandu for a day of packing, sorting final language tuition and goodbyes to new friends. My placement is to be in Amarapuri Village Library, Nawalparasi province, Southern Nepal. Asim and I setoff on the Tourist Bus early in the morning, travelled through amazing countryside, rolling hills and valleys overflowing with rice ripe for harvest, and through a twisting winding gorge bearing the scars of the recent monsoon, down to the valley floor and the jungle area of the South. AMARAPURI We arrived in Amarapuri mid afternoon to meet my host family, the Rijals. Sumitra greeted me with heaps of love and very good English. Typical of Asian families I had no idea who, of the many smiling faces actually lived in the family home- about a week later I had that one sorted out! On to the library to meet Bhoj Raj the INFO Area Coordinator, and see inside. There were more books than I'd expected, but as the Library had been closed for some time it was in need of some tender loving care. That evening, I did manage to sort out the children of my host family and give them each small gifts I'd brought from home. I went to bed exhausted and happy. Next day Asim called (with motorbike) to take me to the library. Bhoj Raj was cataloguing books, I set to and sorted through piles of stuff, found both junk and treasures. The decision had been made that I teach 4 library classes daily for 8 weeks then return to Kathmandu and assist in the INFO office. Some of the parents were keen for me to run the classes as homework and prep time. Ok we’ll play it by ear- I am not a trained teacher. The schedule is: First classes 7a.m-9a.m then home for Dal baht (First food of the day! I wasn’t at all sure how my western body was going to handle that!) return to the Library at 2p.m. and teach again 4.30-6.30p.m The first morning there were kids waiting at 6.50 a.m.! I soon discovered that these two 6 year olds showed up for every class, and it was a constant challenge to channel their enthusiasm! Very quickly I discovered that the "Homework" idea was not a starter, these kids already spend a long day at school, and were not interested in more of the same. My policy is "If you don’t strike oil in the first 5 minutes, stop boring!" I was confronted with glazed eyes.. time for Plan B. I’d brought felt tip pens, puzzles, building sticks etc from N.Z. so switched to Interactive Learning. We embarked on a project of combining beautifying the library, with learning new skills, using English, and introducing basic environmental awareness. Many of the children had never used scissors, Gum etc, and posters collages and montages were new experiences. They set about it with great enthusiasm, and a constant flow of ideas. Asim tossed in another couple of ideas:- have an Exhibition/Party after about 6 weeks, and also have the senior class embark on a small book project "My Journal. They wrote and Illustrated, I made pink card covers which they decorated, and took photos of each student for page one. This not only kept them happy for hours, but developed many new skills. They got so enthusiastic that their friends started turning up for classes, that was a challenge, incorporating new students in while working to a deadline. Wow! the person who learnt most was me! Asim had approved a shopping list, before he returned to Kathmandu, so the first Saturday (there’s only one day off here) 2 senior girls took me shopping in Narayangah. We had a heap of fun, worked our way through the list, and they had one request left - a soccer ball- OK I donated one, it proved to be a great motivator, ball games at the end of each lesson. Each group also set about learning an Item for the Exhibition. For the seniors it was The Hoki Toki, weeks of giggles preceded the final performance! By this time the Dasain Festival, Nepal,s biggest, spanning 3 weeks was upon us. The seniors asked to continue classes, even though school was on holiday. Many families go to their relatives, so numbers were down, but enthusiasm never wavered. The Festival with my host family was an unforgettable experience. By this time, we had settled into a happy routine. My only problem was that I was not permitted to lift a finger to help. Now that’s not the Kiwi way and I found it very difficult. The main day of Dashain dawned and shortly after the 3 women of the family came to my room with a Sari and bodice.. Great, except Tilkmari is 3 sizes smaller than me, however, 3 determined women pushed and tugged and got the hooks closed. Breathing was really not all that easy!. The whole effect right down to the painted toenails brought delight to both family and friends. Later we assembled for the Dasain Tika Ceremnoy. Vanui, the elder, performed the ritual, I, at the family’s request took photos. Then came the shock. As I was the eldest I must perform the ritual for Vanui. The most vertical learning curve of my life! The whole family delighted in my efforts and happily endured my errors. The following day Asim arrived, between Asim and Bhoj Raj, I was constantly cared for by INFO Nepal, never wanting for anything. Asim,s news was that I'm to move on at the end of next week! So the Exhibition/Party was rescheduled to next Saturday 6th November. Barbara, another Kiwi, had arrived in Kathmandu and would continue here. On the 5th Barbara and Asim arrived. The children of the village are just wonderful, they were really sad that I was leaving, and rapt that Barbara was coming. They see their Library as a very happy part of their lives and volunteers as a privilege. It,s very humbling. Next day, Asim, Barbara, Lucy and Nohal, two volunteers on their way to placements in Chitwan, and Bhoj Raj, Tim and Sarah from Chormara were our honoured guests. The kids greeted them with Tika, Mala and flowers, then sang, danced recited and we all had a great time. For me it was an emotional rollercoaster.....So sad to leave....So happy to have a whole new Amapuri Village Library Family. Throughout my 5 weeks in the village I had been surrounded by so much love. Not at any stage was there any political threat, only the occasional road block when travelling, and there I was always treated respectfully by the armed guards. LIFE AFTER AMARAPURI VILLAGE Hi, this is Kiwi Rose again. After leaving Amarapuri the plan was to go with Asim on a fact finding mission to all the INFO projects in the South. I found so many facts that the inside of my head is like a washing machine! SAUHARA After the party at the Amarapuri library finished, Asim, Lucy, Nohal and I left for Sauhara which is the village at the entrance of the Internationally famous Chitwan National Park. Lucy and Nohal continued their language tuition, and we all had time for both sightseeing, and relaxing on the banks of the Rapti river, also the location of the Holy Pub. Two days later we dropped Nohal off at her placement. A n orphanage run by the Women and Children’s Promotion Centre of Sauhara. A warm and friendly home for 14 children. Now after just one week, Nohal has transformed the place! She teaches the children Karate classes in the early morning, then after they return from school they share many activities, like making flags of other countries, for their walls, Cheer Leader Pom Poms, active games like Potato Races, educational projects: e.g. using a map of the world, small groups choose a country, then learn the capital city, language, and good morning and thank you in that language. PARBATIPUR Asim, Lucy and I continued on to her placement at Parbatipur, detouring via Ganangagar, as the library there is currently unused, Lucy chose a stack of books to take for her students to have some fresh reading material. Lucy’s host is the local Doctor’s family, and they greeted us warmly, and had dal baht ready, by this time it was after 11 a.m. and food was very welcome. The 12 year old son of the family, Sagar became Lucy’s self appointed guide, assistant, interpreter (his English was very good). After we had rested a while, typical of Nepal, a motorbike arrived, Asim was handed a key and off we headed to our next destination, leaving Lucy exploring her new environment. PATIHANI The community of Patihani, with assistance from INFO, are constructing a new library, using all local volunteers. The day we arrived was a holiday and about 50 people of all ages were hard at work, carting shingle, mixing concrete and transporting it up to the roof where the concrete layers were hard at it. Asim immediately pitched in to help, I sat and just enjoyed the atmosphere of co-operation and pride. At sunset we returned, just in time to see the last load laid, and the completion of a job well done. We sat in the twilight and drank tea with some of the local committee. Asim, by this time was bursting with pride too. GANANGAGAR After leaving Patihani in the afternoon, Asim and I returned to Gananagar, for me to meet my Host Family for the night, and to do a bit of tidying up, both inside and outside the building. Asim also had a meeting with some of the local people. This community has also been very active, with assistance from INFO, building a wildlife viewing platform and picnic area in the Sitamai Jungle, with the hope of attracting tourists. I had read of the project in the August INFO Newsletter . I was keen to see this, so onto the Motorbike and off we went. The access road was blocked, no this doesn’t deter my Nepali Boss! We head off cross country! A Honda 125 is a good little machine, but not really designed for a rough life Well that’s what we in the West might think! We went over sandbanks, along shingle spits, across small stream, up another sandbank and into the jungle. The footpath was one of the one foot in front of the other variety! These guys certainly know their local conditions. I was delighted to see the project, another great example of INFO provide the co-ordination for local initiatives. Next stop was to visit the home of one of the INFO scholarship children. The family is very poor, has no land, and the mother has poor health. The sponsored girl was very bright and just loving the chance to attend school. As well as fees, INFO assists with uniforms and other clothing. Later in the day we also called on the Principal of her school. Then on to the Tharu community who live by the banks of the river, in very basic mud huts. The only access to income these families have is fishing, and the hope of then selling the catch. A very hard life. INFO had a long term volunteer working on very basic hygiene issues with these people about 2 years ago, and the photos taken at the end of that time, showed a big difference in the people. However, since then, no volunteers have come to Nepal with both the expertise and time available , so the community has slipped back into the old ways. Another on INFO’s plans is to be able to sponsor some of the children in this community Our next stop is the Gananagagar Tharu Village, for Asim to meet with the Youth Club Leaders to choose 10 young girls for a sponsored education. Girls in this culture get few opportunities for education, and in a community such as this, the poorest tribe, none at all. It was agreed that we would return very early next morning for the list. At 7.15 a.m. the motorbike was at my door, we arrived at the Tharu village as the people were cooking their meal, a few grains of corn, poked into the embers of a small fire, until it pops. The committee must have stayed up all night! The list was complete, each of the girls was photographed, alone and also with her family. INFO will now set about seeking sponsorship for this new project. CHORMARA After the village we called in on Lucy, who was happily teaching her first class, with Sagar there to help. The motorbike was returned, we got on a bus to go to Narayangad, and on to Chormara, the home of Bhoj Raj, my District Co-ordinator when I was at Amarapuri. Chormara has also been working hard on a new library building, this is all but complete, with just the windows and the interior painting to be done. Tim and Sarah were not involved with classes, so it was great to see their home too. Tim has artistic talent and is going to paint, maybe a mural, on one of the new interior walls. Sarah, a Nurse, has been busy organizing a Health Camp, which will take place in a couple of weeks. This will be a 3 day camp, involving 50 families and 120 kids. I saw the huge box of toothbrushes and toothpaste that will be given out. The really basic and regular hygiene Practices will be taught and demonstrated , also drama and games are used, and prizes are given too. It sounds like a great programme. We had to get a bus back to Amarapuri, collect my luggage, then on to Narayangah and Kathmandu. An incredible journey from start to finish.
BARBARA - Kiwi I am a New Zealander traveling away from my country for a year, until now most of my time has been spent teaching in China with as much traveling tacked on as possible. Before I left New Zealand I knew I was coming to Nepal and I was keen to do some voluntary work within my limited capacity, INFO Nepal caught my eye and I applied, was accepted and here I am straining my brain to make it all happen in an orderly and useful manner - first mistake ! - nothing is orderly here....I am on a huge learning curve. My predecessor Rose had left large shoes to fill at the Amarapuri Library, and I hear constantly about HER predecessor as well !. Rose left the Amarapuri library with new life, the walls were decorated and the children environmentally aware. I have come with the instructions to pin them down to grammar and conversation....not quite as severely as that but whilst they speak English, and read and write beautifully their tenses and sentence construction is sadly lacking, imagination and creativity in speaking and writing is also a battle, they are quite happy to copy one another's work, or let me think up the ideas !. The two junior classes are a total delight, their enthusiasm is wonderful and they learn even basic grammar quickly - I brought with me a cassette player which has been a blessing and a curse in some ways, the children ADORE dancing, and we incorporate it every class but music and dancing is becoming their focus and they can be pretty strong in their demands, in the meantime I am getting fitter and it's a great way to get warm on a foggy autumn morning. The senior class is more challenging, they are teenagers, their minds are frequently elsewhere and they see any serious work as a huge threat not fun or a challenge, I find things the junior class latch onto and embrace readily the seniors throw their hands up and say "too hard miss !"....I'm working on it but I think there's effort required on both sides. The children are all wonderful, I love their joy for life, and their pride in their homes and villages. The village has been warm and welcoming - peoples curiosity about who I am, why I'm there and the texture and colour of my hair has been endless !!. I have taught them to dance to the Beatles and they have taught me to dance for Diwali !! - in fact as I traveled round the village one evening with a group of performing teenagers I was made to do my warped impression of Nepali dancing at every stop !. What I am aware of is the community spirit, there are no fences, doors are not a boundary in a house to neighbours or friends, someone may and probably will walk into your room at any time !. People are constantly coming and going, people work as teams on gardens, farming etc etc, and of course Diwali has added flavour and excitement to all of this....while the mature people play cards for hours and hours I have been playing "fish" and "snap" with my host family's son and his mates...their interest in playing anything, be it cards or ball is insatiable. I spent a day in the Government school last week, a real eye opener for me, I was totally intimidated by the grammar lesson, even I was struggling as the grammar terms were tossed about. I did give one class but other than that I spent a lot of time singing the New Zealand national anthem, so not only is the village subjected to my dancing but my singing as well, if I don't improve their English I hope I have at least made them smile!
MELINDA - New Zealand Well I finally extracted myself from the metropolis of Amarapuri - what an experience! Thank you for the training and the placement. I think I learnt more about buffaloes, Sugar cane and Baby goats than my students did about English (I think!) I made many friends and enjoyed all three areas of my teaching and also helping with the new building. In exchange for learning how to eat with my hands I taught Amarapuri to make pikelets and banana cake The highlights: - a picnic at 4 am in the Jungle with the kids - a visit to Lumbini with class 8 - reading Tin Tin with Ashok and Pratiksha - eating the same amount of Dhal Bhat as the rest of the family (finally) - falling out of an ox cart! - learning Nepali songs and dancing - riding on the top of a bus - going to a Nepali wedding and the Sarawati puja - walking 2 km to a telephone (while in Chomara) in the dark watching out for snakes - jumping from the top of the house into the hay with my Nepali family!
Our two weeks volunteering
experience with INFO Nepal
Where do we begin???? Our experience in
Nepal has
been so amazing, filled with such a huge variety of new
experiences. We spent our first few days trying to find our
feet in the chaos that is
Kathmandu. Probably the most difficult thing was keeping warm
at night time. No heat and very limited hot water meant this
was quite the challenge for those who are so used to
luxuries such as central heating! We really enjoyed our time
at Happy Home, playing with the children, meeting other
volunteers and learning the basics in Nepali language. Our
teachers Rama and Bimala both deserve awards for patience
and perseverance! We also got used the eating dal bhat
Nepali style – with our hands! At first it felt as if we
were going against everything our parents tought us as
children but by the end of our time in
Nepal
we were pros. Quite a liberating feeling actually. Just as
we were beginning to feel comfortable in Kathmandu, we moved
to Dhulikel to begin our village training. We were placed
with an incredible host family consisting of 16 members,
three buffaloes and some goats. We spent most of our time
playing with the children and trying our best to interact
with the adults. Thankfully Bimala and Rama paid us a visit
so we could brush up on our Nepali language skills a bit
further. We also did some sightseeing, visited one of the
local schools and watched the sunrise up above the
Himalayas. Next on the itinerary was our placement
experience in an orphanage in Sauraha, Chitwan. From the
moment we walked onto the property we were surrounded by 16
children aged between 7 and 18. On our first night the
children all danced and sang and welcomed us into their
home. Our week in the orphanage went far too quickly as we
busied ourselves playing, dancing and singing with the
children, helping with homework, helping with the sweeping
and chopping vegetables for the evening meal. We also got a
glimpse of the library nearby and helped Sylvia (another
volunteer) with some of her morning classes. We spent
Christmas in Sauraha which was a real treat. Being in a
Christian orphanage, the day was celebrated from5.30 am
right through to midnight. Just as we do at home, we watched
the children open their presents in the morning. They were
so excited as this seemed to be the only time of year that
they receive gifts. They each got some new clothes and a toy
to play with. The orphanage was filled with bubbles, and
games and noise for about 3 hours until all of the batteries
finally ran out. Then we joined them for their church
service for more singing and dancing and laughter. By the
end of the day we were completely exhausted, never having
been surrounded by that many excited children for that many
hours!! Some of the children were still celebrating as we
called it a night. The next day we met up with the rest of
the Info Nepal crew who had traveled to Sauraha for the
International Elephant Race. Ryan (another volunteer) rode
the Info Nepal elephant to third place in his heat
qualifying for the semi-finals the next day. Unfortunately
our elephant was injured before the semis and refusing to
ride an injured elephant, Info Nepal withdrew from the
competition. We created quite a stir when the race began and
our elephant simply sat down on the starting line. Before
we knew it, it was time to pack our bags and return to
Kathmandu. We had originally planned to travel to Pokhara
but the series of strikes that had recently occurred in the
area made us a little uneasy with regards to getting back in
time to catch our flight home. So we traveled straight to
Kathmandu and spent our last few days in Nepal doing some
sightseeing, relaxing and making the most of the hot showers
on offer at our hotel (the one thing we found most difficult
to live without). We also managed to organize a mountain
flight to get up close and personal with Mt Everest. We had
to wait hours for the fog to clear but it was truly worth
it. What a sight! As we prepare to return home, we are
filled with mixed feelings. We can’t wait to return to some
of the luxuries we so often take for granted such as our
bathroom complete with hot shower, lighting at the flick of
a button and a flush toilet, power that works round the
clock, and central heating!! On the other hand, it is going
to be so difficult to say goodbye to all of the wonderful
people we have met in Nepal. Even though we have only been
here a short time, the relationships we have formed have
changed us forever and will always have a special place in
our hearts. We shall never ever forget our humbling Nepali
experience or the faces of those lovely children we had the
opportunity to work with. |
Website, updating
information. I surely didn't think part of my volunteer time
in Nepal, would include learning new computer skills. Rabyn
is both an excellent teacher and a "Computer Whizz" Other
tasks have included English editing, and adding Volunteer
comments into the computer.