Why did you decide to volunteer abroad with Diamond Hill Academy in Nepal?
Daniel: I read about Shamser’s project online and it appealed to me. Nepal is a beautiful country with a very rich culture, but the people in the villages risk being left behind as the country develops. The project aims to provide the children in the village with a better education while ensuring that the larger community in the village is taken care of, whether in financial or domestic assistance. The range of activities available, for volunteers to choose from, also attracted me; I could choose to work in the fields, work on the house, or teach at the school among other activities.
I was also interested in going to a new country to experience and learn about its history and culture. Volunteering abroad made perfect sense as it gave me the opportunity to live with a local family and take part in their daily activities. I had never been to Nepal before and I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity for me to be introduced to the country and its way of life.
Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.
Daniel: I spent the bulk of my time teaching at the school so I would usually spend my mornings in the school before returning to Shamser’s house for lunch. Mornings in the school would be spent teaching English or Math across different classes and levels. With the recent introduction of the homework class, I would then return to school in the late afternoon to help with the conduct of the class for students who require more help with completing their homework. The time between having lunch and returning to school in the late afternoon would be spent resting and relaxing at Shamser’s house.
However, there is no schedule that we must definitely follow and this is what I liked about the program. No two days are similar and day to day activities can be different if you decide to do something else. I had the opportunity to work on the house, where I did some sanding of windows. I also joined Shamser and his wife in going to the fields to prepare for planting rice with the season approaching, but I have to say working in the fields is not easy work and I got exhausted pretty soon!
Has your worldview changed as a result of your trip?
Daniel: Definitely! I am a city kid; I was born into the concrete jungle and grew up within it. Spending time in the village up in the mountains exposed me to a whole new world outside of cities with skyscrapers and paved roads. Here, the pace of life slows to such a nice leisurely pace that I had trouble getting used to it initially! I saw how the villagers built their lives out of the simple surroundings that they lived in, how they were content to just sit at the front of the house or under a tree and talk for hours on end, and how they found their own entertainment by making use of what they could find around them. This trip has made me appreciate the things in life that I have taken for granted previously and has also made me realize that despite having "less", what these villagers do not lack is their care and concern for the people around them, friends or strangers.
I would be hard pressed to say that this is the best trip I have ever gone on, but this is definitely one of the most interesting experiences I have ever had on a trip. The amount of local interaction and learning that I had on this trip has definitely changed me, as cliché as it may sound.
What did you wish you knew before going to Nepal?
Daniel: Nothing much actually! I went to Nepal not expecting much as I just wanted to be open to enjoy the experience. I figured that if I knew and planned everything down to the very small details, the trip would not have been as interesting and exciting as it was.
What was the best moment of the entire trip?
Daniel: There are so many moments of the trip that could have been the highlight, from riding on the incredibly packed local bus to sharing food with the locals on long journeys across the bumpy roads. If I were to just name one, I would think it is the time I spent sitting under the tree outside the house and looking out into the valleys and mountains. It was just a very peaceful experience and one that I would never forget.