The best choice I have ever made.

I just returned home from volunteering with The Mountain Fund at Her Farm for two months. Working with them was one of the best decisions I have ever made, for several reasons.
During my time, I taught English at the Mountain Fund School in the village. We have three classes, broken up by age and English language proficiency. Students attend classes as a supplement to their regular schooling in order to make sure that they are actually getting the attention and language training that they need (English in village schools is often sub-standard or nonexistent). I had a wonderful experience teaching here. It was my responsibility to come up with lesson plans and take care of everything necessary for the classes to run smoothly, but I always had support from the staff whenever I needed it. It was incredibly fulfilling work. The children come to these classes voluntarily, and truly appreciate learning. It was wonderful to get to know them and watch their English improve. I developed relationships with the kids that I feel were mutually beneficial. I taught them English, but I also learned a lot from them about their culture, gratitude, friendship, and love, simply through my interactions with them every day.
Scott and Sunita, and the rest of their staff, are thoughtful people who are creative and passionate about their cause, and it shows. They are making marked and consistent progress toward their goals in the village – there are contractors out at the farm right now building more housing for staff and volunteers, a kitchen for the school, a future computer room, and water tanks to support improved year-round crop irrigation. The work is monitored closely and is moving along quickly. The new buildings are key in that they will provide space for Mountain Fund to grow, thus expanding the organization’s efforts, methods and reach. The staff also works incredibly hard on keeping the farm running smoothly every day, and they do a wonderful job. When I wasn’t planning lessons or teaching, I helped with the housework and farming. I participated in harvesting rice, millet, and mustard, I cut and carried grass to feed the animals, I helped cook and clean, and generally did whatever else needed to be done on a given day. I followed their lead and learned as much as I could from them.
I have never met such a group of dedicated people who work so hard, yet truly enjoy every minute of it and are so unmistakably happy. It was an amazing experience to work alongside these young people. Her Farm provides a safe, encouraging environment for its staff to support themselves, make their own choices, and have the freedom to be who they are. The values exemplified there are closely in line with my own, which is one reason why it felt so good to be a part of that community. From the very first moment, I felt right at home at Mountain Fund. And, beyond being treated with respect and kindness at every turn, over my time there the staff became some of my best friends.
I lived very comfortably in the volunteer house. I slept in a shared room with other volunteers on a decent bed with a provided mosquito net, sleeping bag and pillow. There is a western toilet downstairs, as well as a shower and outdoor sink for washing up. The water is cold, but that is not at all difficult to get used to. I came to enjoy the cold showers. I fell in love with the whole life – the routine of drinking tea, teaching, farming, cooking, talking and laughing, watching the sunrise every single day, enjoying the moon and stars every night, and staring at the beautiful mountains fading into the distance all around me.
It is difficult to describe adequately in words how wonderful my experience at Her Farm was. The best thing I can say is that I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to participate in truly fulfilling work, and to have found a home and a family on the other side of the world. I would recommend this organization to anyone wanting to volunteer in Nepal. You can be sure that the work you are doing is real, and you will be in good hands for every moment of your stay. I feel that working with Mountain Fund also brought me very close to the country and the culture. I learned so much about Nepal, the world, and myself, and walked away with the incredible, cherished gift of new perspective. I plan to go back and volunteer with them again as soon as I can.