A refreshing and interesting volunteering experience

Coming from Singapore, where the city life really gets to you, it was indeed a very refreshing experience I had during my stay here at Gaunshahar with Shamser and his family. The many opportunities that I had to experience the Nepali culture from taking the local bus up to the village to attending the wedding ceremony of a local villager really opened my eyes to a whole new world. I came with the idea of offering assistance and help to the community in whichever ways i could but at the end of it all, I received a lot from them too.

Shamser and his family are very hospitable and made sure that my stay here was a very pleasant one. The rooms and facilities, though basic, were by no means uncomfortable. Food here was great and Shamser's wife, Kalpana, prepared fantastic dal bhat and was always happy to offer us tea/coffee. They have a really sweet son, Pujan, who I'm sure everyone will have a lot of fun playing with.

Regarding the volunteering activities that I did here, I really liked the flexibility that was afforded. Shamser took note of our preferences and made sure that we could do an activity that we wanted to. I did quite a bit of teaching at the school and was really pleased to see that so many children could receive education in the environment of a school. I experienced some problems communicating with the children though, but Shamser and the other teachers were always ready and happy to help.

I also really liked Shamser's enthusiasm and passion to learn and improve himself. He is always on the move, looking to implement ideas that will help the children and the entire community. As a whole, it was a great experience to volunteer at Gaunshahar with Shamser and it provided me with a wholesome experience of what it is like to live in a Nepali village.