Developing World Connections - Volunteering in Nepal

The most meaningful part of my experience was meeting the children and women that our partner organization, called Creating Possibilities Nepal, helped buy out of bonded labour and funded their education. Just simply playing with kids at the school, trying to communicate, sharing stories and smiles motivated us to work long days in the hot sun. We contributed to building a classroom and teaching English at a small school in a rural village. On the weekends we experienced the breathtaking natural beauty of Nepal while sightseeing and jungle trekking. Nepali people are so friendly and always ready to lend a helping hand, all of our meals were homemade and delicious, our transportation was safely organized, we had lots of time to rest and reflect in the afternoons and all of the other volunteers I traveled with have become my close friends.

My experience in Nepal was an experience like no other.
I found the people there to be so friendly, whether it be in KTM or on site with the Tharu Tribes folk. DWC and Creating Possibilities partnered together and created an intimate experience that would be difficult to replicate on your own.

The day to day was as you would expect for working a project like this, but again it was the intimate details between jobs that make this experience so memorable. The school that we built was located beside functioning class rooms of another school so we were able to interact with the children on a daily basis. Our lunches were made by some of the local mothers. The food was good but it was the mostly the same food each day, and our group for the most part did not like spicy food, so this made the food even more monotonous.

The off days were filled with trips to Lumbini and we also had an opportunity to get to Chitwan on the way back to KTM. The accommodations throughout were above average considering how far off the grid you were. This trip is a grind, but with the right attitude could be the surprise of all DWC trips.
A review would not be complete without giving Nura a shout out. Nura was our facilitator from Creating Possibilities and in my opinion did anything and everything she could do to accommodate our group. Expect nothing and give it your all and you will come back a happy traveler.

We would begin everyday with yoga, which I just love, breakfast and then drove for about 20 min through the country side to the job site. We built rebar frames that eventually formed the support pillars for the second floor of the school. We hauled 6000 bricks, gathered water from the river to mix with the cement, hauled sand and stone, we got dirty, it was hard work but it was worth it........we helped build a school for marginalized children.

Its hard for me to think of just one highlight of this trip ......there were the kids, always so curious and willing to pose for pictures but no smiles. That is until you showed them the picture that you took of them and then they transformed into beaming smiles of sunshine. I had the opportunity to visit one of the women's homes and help make lunch one day. They have so little and yet so freely give of what they have. Their strong spirits are amazing and inspiring.

That was 4 months ago and to this day just talking about it brings back so many great memories and tears of joy.....I can't wait to go back.

I feel very blessed to have been able to participate in such a personal life changing experience, I truly hope that if you are considering a trip like this that you don't hesitate, you're doing the right thing.

Namaste

The Developing World Connections truly does provide an amazing opportunity to develop world connections. I was the team leader for 6 other volunteers to a newer partnership DWC has in Nepal. We spent some days in Kathmandu before heading into the Dang district for our project work, and returning to the capital city again before we left. Our project was lead by Creating Possibilities Nepal, our host partner organization that works for the realization of rights and education for women and children in Nepal, particularly working with education support for girls bought out of bonded labour and micro-financing groups in rural Nepal for women.
From our moment of arrival until and beyond departure from Dang, all of us were welcomed warmly and kindly by everyone. What we experienced throughout those next 15 or so days was life affirming, altering and amazing. Our hotel family in Lamahi (45 minutes from the worksite in Chainpur) opened their homes and hearts to us, learning our preferences for black and milk tea, accommodating our crazy Canadian requests (sleeping on the roof) and making sure our rooms were in top condition (which meant some very consistent air conditioning…what a bonus!). Our meals were provided by the family--traditional Nepali food of dhal bhat and occasionally roti, with our weekend excursions giving us the chance to try different things. I recommend trying everything (at least once!), but just a warning: if they say spicy....they mean it!!

Our purpose for being in Dang was to learn from Creating Possibilities Nepal (CPN) and help with classroom construction at Shree Higher Secondary School in Chainpur, Nepal. We were welcomed to the work site with beautiful flowers and tikkas that would become familiar to us over the next weeks from visits to the mothers that CPN supports through micro-financing groups. We worked for 6 days on brick laying for the second floor of the classroom, alongside two friendly construction workers and some of the girls whom CPN supports. We managed through pouring sweat and crazy heat to watch progress on the walls and the space we were helping create. Our typical day began at 6am, early enough to beat the intense heat, and we would work until noon, laying bricks, building scaffolding and mixing cement for our particular contribution. We played games with the schoolchildren after lunch (spicy, tasty, locally made by some of the mothers in CPN's mother's groups) before our jeep ride back to our hotel in Lamahi.

We spent another week teaching English for grades 7-10 in the school. Arrived around 10am and taught for two periods of the day (a special exception due to teacher's exams that week). There were difficult challenges for some of the volunteers in terms of how to teach and communicate effectively with such significant language barriers. It was fascinating to explore the differences between just speaking English (as it is all our mother language) and teaching it as a second or third language. This was a bonus project in our DWC experience, as things on the ground cannot always go as planned (i.e. we ran out of funding for more construction).

We worked with the guidance of Dinesh, CPN's program coordinator, while we were in Dang. He provided us with the inside scoop on development in Nepal and made sure we were comfortable and safe at all times. Great conversations, hilarious moments and some amazing experiences together have made us so thankful for having him there with us while navigating the narrow Kathmandu streets and open spaces in Lamahi.

Working so closely with our host partner was an eye opening experience into development and charity work in Nepal, allowing us to explore tough questions on the role of volunteers and foreigners as well as exploring this amazing country. DWC was essential in creating this opportunity for myself and the six other girls who volunteered and provided us with the chance for such an eye-opening and humbling experience. With the countless development issues out there that prompt severe criticality around volunteering abroad (and as a political science/international development student), I can safely say that this program with DWC was a dream for its dedication to fulfilling locally assessed community needs and remaining transparent in the learning process-- there was no "hierarchy of help" between us volunteers and the community. This is also thanks in part to Creating Possibilities, for being so willing to engage in the kinds of conversations we need to see more of in the volunteer and development sector. We were there on an amazing learning exchange that brought us unbelievable cultural experiences and created long-lasting connections with the community in Chainpur and our host partner. I would highly recommend a DWC program as your first introduction to volunteering abroad or a way to do something meaningful and conscious--the connections you will develop with the host partner and community will broaden your horizons, rearrange your perceptions and give you the chance to engage yourself in the world and realities around you.

It was my first time volunteering abroad so I was a little nervous going into it. However, as soon as I met Naresh (he was waiting for me as soon as I got off the bus in Pokhara), I knew I was in good hands.

The program was coordinated very well. My host-family was very accommodating. I enjoyed seeing the day-to-day life of a Nepali family, how hard they worked, and how beautiful the culture is. Naresh and members of my host family helped me to understand Nepali customs. I enjoyed the food (very healthy in my opinion) and learned a lot about religion and beliefs.

I volunteered and taught English at a school and I found it very rewarding. The children in Nepal are very interested in learning and I had fun teaching them games, rhymes and songs. I also became close friends with the teachers. It's very different there. They don't have much, so teaching capabilities are limited. When my program ended, they had a beautiful ceremony for me and showered me with gifts, flowers, presents and love. I became close to the students and some of them were crying when I left. It was one of the most heartfelt moments of my life.

I also appreciated Insight Nepal planning my side trips. I enjoyed trekking Annapurna and Jomsom. It's an amazing experience and if you're ready to push yourself and explore a new culture, I recommend you contact Insight Nepal. It was worth every penny and it's a trip that I will never forget.