Staff Spotlight: Naresh Shrestha

I have travelled to some foreign countries like Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam, with my favorite trip being the one to Canada, which was my first trip out of Nepal. In 1995 I was offered a wonderful opportunity to visit this developed country for 3 months through an international cultural exchange program.

My placement was in Vancouver, where I did volunteer work for two different social projects. It was a great experience, not only to see a most economic and scientific developed country, but also to work together with multi cultural people from different parts of the world. I learned a lot about the western life and culture while staying with a Canadian host family.

After gaining a lot of experience in international volunteering and cross cultural activities I decided to start a new volunteer project on my own called Insight Nepal in 1992, with a new concept . Although it was a big challenge for me at the beginning, my self confidence was getting stronger gradually as I have a belief in 'learning by doing'.

From the time of establishment of this project till now, it has given me an amazing opportunity not only to meet many people from different parts of the world with various cultural backgrounds, but also to expand my understanding of their diverse cultures and backgrounds as well as the globe. I have been gaining more maturity, independence, and understanding. I have learned to rid myself of human discrimination as I believe that there is just'One world and one family'.

We had an older volunteer who worked in a community school in Pokhara teaching English. He returned to Nepal with his wife, two years after his placement. We came to know that he had raised a large fund after his return home, and donated it for the extension of the school building where he had volunteered. He had returned to Nepal to see the new construction of the school building. He was so happy and excited when he was welcomed as a esteemed guest by the school staff members.

If I could do any of Insight Nepal's programs I would prefer teaching. I love to teach the Nepali language along with social studies and English. English is an international language and it is very beneficial for the Nepalese students as they grow up into a continually more interconnected world.

In our volunteer program we not only organize working placements for volunteers but also provide a variety of outdoor activities, like hiking, trekking . yoga and meditation, and cultural sight seeing tours which are the part of our package program. It helps our volunteer to explore and experience the Nepali life and culture more closely as well.

We also feel happy as well as proud that our team has been providing services to several local communities who are in need for their better education, health care, women empowerment, homeless children through our volunteers . And some of them had shown their willingness to help their placements in raising a fund or to donate some valuable materials.