My volunteer experience in Nepal is one that I remember by the quality of friendships that I made during my time there. Everyone that I met during those seven weeks- from the Hands for Help staff to my Nepali family to the other teachers at my school- made me feel very welcome and at home immediately, even though I was in a country where I did not speak the language and looked very different from almost everyone.

I arrived in Kathmandu with a fellow volunteer, my friend Tara Hill. Anil met us at the airport and escorted us to our hotel in Thamel. Tara and I spent the next day exploring the hot and noisy city, taking in the tourist sites of the Monkey Temple, Boudinath and Durbar Square. For the next four days we participated in orientation at the Hands for Help office. During this time we stayed in the adjoining flat. We were immersed in lessons about the Nepali language, culture and health care system, and we received training in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL)- all of which proved extremely useful throughout our stay in Nepal. It was not all work, however! Tara and I enjoyed eating our meals with Anil and Badri at the various Thamel hot spots, and one day, Badri took us to a local orphanage to donate flip-flops for the children.

Tara and I then traveled with Anil and Badri on a slow and crowded bus to our placement in Pokhara. Upon arriving at our destination, I noticed how much calmer the city was compared to the chaos of Kathmandu and was very thankful for my new location! Tara and I both stayed with a Nepali family, the Pants, made up of a mother and father, a young son, two nieces, and a grandmother. All of the family members spoke English very well, and they had a “Western” style of living. Throughout the next six weeks the family made Tara and I feel as if we were one of them. We were given our own room and were soon partaking in the local cuisine- dal bhat- morning and night. They made our favorite snacks, took us to tourist destinations on the weekends, and included us in special events like birthday parties. We spent hours together playing card games, watching television, practicing our Nepali, and discussing differences between the American and Nepali cultures. Tara and I even cooked two American meals for them. They didn’t enjoy our food but we always enjoyed each other’s company!

I was assigned to teach English at Kanya School, which was only a short walk away from the house. Kanya is an all-girls government school that is affiliated with the neighboring Kanya Campus (an all-girls college). For the first three weeks that I was there the school was closed for summer vacation. However, the students were so enthusiastic to learn English that they attended the special classes that I taught, for which I was allowed to use my own curriculum. I had classes 8, 9, and 10 (five, 1-hour classes each day). I spoke only English during the lessons, and I found that the students had very good comprehension skills and strong vocabularies. During those weeks we worked on grammar, usage, and pronunciation. At first the students were shy and apprehensive about a foreign teaching style, but they soon became very engaged in the classes and enjoyed participating in the assignments and games.
After the school year resumed, I co-taught classes 2,3,4,5, and 8 with Nepali teachers, which provided a very eye-opening look into the Nepali education system. The administration and all of the staff members seemed very appreciative of having me as a volunteer and they included me in their group as if I was a full-time staff member. They encouraged my participation in school events, and every day during “tiffin” (snack) time, we all chatted about a variety of topics, especially politics and our families. They taught me many Nepali phrases (such as “I ate so much I am suffocating”), and I helped them practice their English.

At the end of my six weeks there, I received letters, cards, flowers, and gifts from students. The 9th grade students even arranged a farewell picnic for me as well as Tara, and another volunteer, Thomas. They all brought food from home to share, and we spent the day eating, chatting, and taking pictures. The girls also showed off their traditional Nepali dances. A few days later at school, the faculty honored me with a reception where I was presented with a beautiful Nepali souvenir. I was very touched with everyone’s generosity; despite only being there six weeks and not knowing the language very well, they made me feel very special. It was hard to say goodbye!

After returning to Kathmandu (by plane this time!), Tara and I spent our final days sightseeing at Patan and Baktapur and spending time with the Hands for Help staff- Anil, Badri, and Rupesh- as well as some other volunteers.

When friends now ask me, “How was your trip?” I find it difficult to put into words. Those seven weeks were filled with intense experiences and emotions that are almost impossible to describe. Instead, I talk about the little things I enjoyed- the sweet mangoes the family ate at meals, the peacefulness of Lake Fewa, sipping lemon tea at a local restaurant, and the majestic Annapurna mountain range that towered over the town. Of course, the precious schoolgirls with the white ribbons in their braids, the friendly local shopkeepers, and the endearing little boy in our family who beat us nightly at games of Uno, take a special place in my heart. And when I think of them, I start planning my next trip back to Nepal!

If you would like to ask me questions about Hands for Help Nepal and my experience with them, please e-mail me.

-Brianne Miers