Earthquake Disaster Relief

Projects Abroad made my time in Nepal volunteering so, so amazing! As a volunteer, I was supported so much by them throughout every step of my trip - before even leaving my country all the way through being dropped off at the airport at the end of my project. I had never traveled outside of the United States prior to this trip, so I was quite nervous about pretty much everything. I needn't have worried, however; the staff had planned out everything to make the whole process run smoothly, and were well prepared to take on any problems that arose throughout my time there.
On the Disaster Relief Project, volunteers stayed in large guest houses, with about 20 volunteers as well as the host family that lived there. Living conditions were, admittedly, a bit crowded with this many of us, but it was all a great part of the experience. Also, you really get to make some great friends with other volunteers from all over the world while living together, which is truly amazing.
At work, we were given the task of rebuilding a school that had been destroyed in the earthquake. I went in knowing nothing about construction, building, or anything of the sort, but with the help of other volunteers and the staff, you pick up on everything very quickly. We spent our days digging, mixing cement, passing bricks/buckets of sand and dirt, making walls, painting, and laying floors, among other tasks. On top of that, being monsoon season in Nepal, conditions were very wet, rainy, and muddy. Walking across the site often consisted of slipping through the mud, or sinking ankle deep in muckier areas. Everyone is in the same situation, however, which really makes it quite fun, and the rain provides some relief from the hot Nepal sun that can make all of the hard work even more exhausting.
Volunteers also have the opportunity to spend one or two days at the end of every week going to one of three sites - and children's HIV center, a malnutrition/earthquake victim center, and a school - and spend the day with the kids there. This is such a great way to have a direct impact on the children of the area, and it's so much fun, as well as a nice break from the hard work being done all week on site.
Weekends consist of either traveling to the major tourist sites of Nepal - Chitwan National Park or Pokhara - which is all organized by Projects Abroad, or staying in Kathmandu, where volunteers get to see many of the major attractions and sites around the city.
This project is truly so amazing. In the short period of time I was there, I watched the school we were building come along so far. It's really great seeing first hand the impact you're making. Projects Abroad does a great job taking care of their volunteers, and I highly recommend them to anyone looking to do a trip abroad.