Beautiful experience

IVHQ Nepal team has been really helpful the moment I arrived at the airport. I was well taken care of from one point to another, right from the beginning till the end of the program. During the orientation period, we had tours around famous spots in Kathmandu and a lovely cultural dinner at a local restaurant.

I joined the teaching program for students in Chitwan, Padampokhari. Although located far away from the town area, the village is a very peaceful place to live in. I grew up in a city, and staying in Chitwan for a week was quite a change of lifestyle for me. I learned to live in harmony with the living things that existed around me like spiders and frogs, and to be content with the basic comforts provided in our homestay. What I love about this place so much is that I felt so welcomed among the villagers, especially the children.

I was teaching English at one of the school and also helped out in the After-school program where I assisted some of the children with their homework in the evenings. I enjoyed teaching very much as I realized there is a lot of potential for the children to learn and improve if only they have enough guidance and materials to study. The students enjoy interactive lessons, so incorporating games and songs are really helpful. They can get very competitive too sometimes when deciding the winner of a game.

When we first arrived in Chitwan, there wasn't much to do as school is closed on a Saturday so my friend and I spent our time walking around the village and lots of resting. The next day, there was a heavy downpour and parts of the village was flooded so school was closed again. Electricity was cut off quite often too during rainy season so there was nothing much we can do in our first few days in the village. But after getting to know the children there, we had so much fun in playing games together and chatting with them. I really miss the children in Chitwan and would really look forward to returning again soon. Life in the village was so simple, yet it brings so much joy to me when I was there. The villagers were so welcoming and we often greet each other as we passed by their houses, little kids would come and say hello to us. It was a really beautiful experience for me and I learned so much from them in return.

Tips: July and August is the monsoon season, so if you are planning to visit during that time, be sure to bring waterproof jackets and shoes, flip-flops are useful too as they are easy to dry. There are lots of insects in the village area so insect repellent sprays/creams are really useful. Also, do bring along some books to read or things to do to fill your time at night or when it rains where you have to stay indoors.