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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyUFrBiLHM4)

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aedKPMH6skI)

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VOLNEPAL Intro Video

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Meet the women of Chainpur, Nuwakot. We had just finished up our meeting about organic ginger farming. Next week they will be done with their econ training and ready to take steps towards saving their own money, which will aid them in creating their own farming business.

We are working toward women being able to teach each other marketable skills, like farming. Running their own small businesses will promote women being financially independent and lead towards better livelihoods.

Find out more about our projects at http://www.volnepal.np.org/

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5 months in Nepal

I arrived in Kathmandu January 30, 2015. Very excited to finally be in Nepal. 

My five first weeks i spent in Kathmandu at a center for disabled children. The children are wonderful and the environment where they are living are very familiar. I spent around 4 hours at the center every day from Sunday to Friday, teaching English, doing creative work such as necklaces and painting but also gardening work and cooking class.

Trekking

My second month here in Nepal I spent trekking in the Annapurna region. First Poon Hill to watch the view of the Annapurna region and then my trek went to Annapurna Basecamp, 4130 m witch took me to the foot of Mt Annapurna, one of the most magnificent peaks in the world.

After the trekking I had a couple of days in Pokhara, where i did paragliding, went across the lake to visit the peace pagoda and I also spent a couple of hours by the lake, just enjoying my time in Pokhara.

Village

A 3 hour bumpy bus ride away from Kathmandu and I arrived in Devighat, Nuwakot. After crossing the river I reached Sirkhali. Sirkhali is the village where I was going to live and teach for the week and is located right next to the Trishuli river.

The school day starts at 10 am by singing the national anthem. After the students go to their class room and the lesson start. At 4 pm the school day ends and the students return to their home.

As we just completed our computer project in the school we had some basic lesson about the computer where the students practiced typing and basic knowledge in how to use the computer. The students learn really fast and were very interested and curious during the lesson. It is really fun seeing the kids so interested and excited in learning.

What I once again experienced here in Nepal is how friendly people are, Everyone offer their help

I have had an amazing time here in Nepal and i will definitely come back! 

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Asking for some advice and listening to some inside info on making it as a volunteer in the villages. A fresh group off to build some school structures after the devastating earthquakes in Nepal. Giving a helping hand and bringing a new wave of energy and enthusiasm to the locals. Good luck VolNepal team :) 

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Goodbye for now to our two fabulous VolNepal volunteers, we thank you for your unwavering dedication to the Nepali people and your friendship here at VolNepal. See you soon :D

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VOLUNTEERING IN NEPAL

I still remember the day when I read about the earthquake devastation that has struct Nepal on April the 25th. I just got back from an amazing time at Afrika burn and was starting to get ready for my next journey to Thailand. I was really touched by how badly the country was affected by this natural disaster and had I felt this big urge inside of me to go and provide help to this country and their citizens. I thought to myself instead of lying on the beach and doing nothing I should rather use my time well and give back.

I didn’t know much about Nepal before this and didn’t have a clue where to start to put my efforts into good use.  Since this was my first time volunteering I wanted to make sure I will put my effort and time to good use. Naturally I started researching for NGO’s that I could meet up with but it proved to be a real struggle to find a good NGO who was in need of my help. I ended up putting my faith into human kind and asking my friends on facebook wether someone can put me in touch with the right people, since we all know its not what you know but who you know. In the end I got in contact with 3 Americans who were by coincidence at  Afrika burn as well ( no we did not bump into each other surprisingly). They kindly involved me in their personal project which they raised money for supplies to rebuild community schools and houses before the monsoon season would struck in less than a month.

3 Days later I was at the airport on my way to Katmandu from Bangkok. Upon arrival I immediately realised how badly some of the areas were affected. I literally hit the ground running and by day 2 I was on my way to a village to drop of supplies needed. The main aim was to provide shelter before the monsoon season start and also help rebuild school for the kids to continue their education. I spent 3 weeks working closely with an amazing NGO ( Vol Nepal – NGO). They were so genuine and kind and grateful for everything and I would highly suggest one reach out when ever you pass through Katmandu on your travels.

(damage done)

(en-route to remote village)

(mornings at the villages)

I’ve never met a country with such resilience. They were so happy and grateful for anything and it was amazing to see that regardless of their situation they still managed to have a smile on their gorgeous faces. The scenery is also spectacular and it changes from place to place in an instant. The nature is absolute breath taking and gorgeous and Nepal now needs tourism more than ever. Do yourself a favor and plan your next holiday to this amazing country with its breath taking mountain and himalayas waiting to be explore by you. I’ve learned a lot from them such as you don’t need much to be happy and its the simple pleasure in life that count.

(early morning farming)

(smiles)

(school project)

After a little bit more than a month I had to pack my bags again and make my way to India to start my Yoga Teachers Training 200 hour course in Rishikesh. But I am sure of it that I will be back again sometime in the future to come and spent more time with the Nepalese. Their pure state of mind and inner happiness is so contagious and it felt so good to do something good for those in need.

(beautiful scenery)

(trekking beauty)

(pano of beautiful Anna Purna region view from Poon hill)

Also my general advice for those considering any volunteering project is to make sure that you find a good organization and to know that anything is possible. When you hit a dead end in your search to join up with a NGO, have faith to know that you have all the power in your possession to do anything you feel you need to. There is always a way. Ask around on social media, or sometimes just booking a ticket to the country and making connections with the locals will guide you in the right direction. Its part of the adventure. Do not shy away from the act of giving when the tough gets going, the juice is worth the squeeze, I promise you that.

Xoxo

Follow Alicia’s travels at 

https://aliciabodington.wordpress.com/

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The Final Countdown! - Lily Eally

Lily just back from Pokhara “know as City of Lakes”, Read below to see what she got up to! 

It's been awhile since my last post, so sorry about that!

I just returned from a little "retreat" in Pokhara, Nepal (about 200km from Kathmandu). I spent a few calming days there, a much needed break. It lies in the more mountainous region of Nepal. I was even able to see the Himalayas early one morning and as I was leaving on the bus, beautiful!

I was able to go and see Devi's Falls, a beautiful waterfall in Pokhara as well as the Gupteshwor Mahadev Gupha Cave.

Not only that but I took a beautiful boat ride across the Fewa River, to the base of the "hill" that leads up to the World Peace Pagoda/Stupa. After steep, rocky 1.25 km trek up the hill I arrived at the Peace Pagoda, which was truly beautiful and a very calming and moving experience. 

Overall, Pokhara was an amazing retreat from the noise and pollution of Kathmandu, and an excellent way to kick off the last two weeks of my time here in Nepal.

Friday I completed the four weeks that I spent shadowing and assisting the resident unit at Kanti. It was a bittersweet goodbye, because although I'm excited to be in a new part of the hospital for the last two weeks, I learned so much from them and formed relationships with the group, that I will definitely miss them.

I can't believe I have less than two weeks left here in Nepal. In just 10 days I will be boarding a plane and headed back to the United States.

 I'm so excited to be back home! A big part of my experience here in Nepal has been learning to be okay with the choices I make. This journey and time here in Nepal is my own, and I don't have to worrying about pleasing others, I just have to do what's best for me and what makes me happy. Because even if I've spent afternoons in my room reading or journaling or watching the world go by out my window, it's still an experience because I'm in Nepal. Every moment is an experience, one that I won't have anywhere else, and being able to remember and hold on to that has been a life-saver here in Nepal, especially as I cling for comfort. 

Whenever you travel, you open yourself up to something new- a new place, a new culture, a new opportunity. And of course, having traveled to many places in the United States, I already knew this (to a certain extent). But let me tell you- going 8,000 miles away from home, crossing the ocean, and taking on my first abroad experience alone, has definitely been a challenge. Especially the first week, when I had it all planned out to change my plane ticket and fly home a month early. And now, that seems crazy, because I would of been gone by now. I wouldn't of had the chance to have some of the hospital experiences I have, I wouldn't have been able to see some new parts of Kathmandu and Nepal, and I wouldn't have these last moments to soak in everything about Nepal- the culture, the people, the hospital and most of all the lessons.

The countdown is officially on. See you in 11 days, America.

http://wanderlustlulu.blogspot.com/2015/07/its-final-countdown.html

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When life gives you Earthquakes - Grace Mulligan

My journey in Nepal started in March of 2014. 

I spent 5 wonderful months here, working alongside the locals, living in remote villages and trekking. Nepal opened my eyes to the abundant beauty of the world- Here I fell in love. You can’t help but feel humbled by the sheer presence of the Himalayas; there is something magical about that feeling of gratitude you have when you stand so incredibly small, next to something as organic and powerful as the Himalayas. 

(picture by Grace Mulligan)

As my journey in Nepal came to an end in august 2014, I knew it was not goodbye.. I arrived back in Nepal just in time for the 25th April 2015- The day of the powerful 7.9 earthquake. Amongst the chaos and uncertainty one thing shone brighter that any dark day could ever black out- Humanity and kindness in the highest forms. Groups of wonderful people, from all walks of life came together with a collective desire to help rebuild a country that had stolen their hearts. This is where my journey with vol Nepal started. 

The team was full of radiant people with a vision for long term development. From day one it was clear they were with the people, for the people-It seemed everyone we met was working with Vol Nepal or wanted to know how to get involved. 

 It ‘s a special kind of place that invites you in as a stranger and farewells you as a friend. A place where you are valued, a place where your contribution is celebrated. 

A day in the field with Vol Nepal is nothing short of an adventure- jeep rides and pit stops, hitchhiking and  pig farms all before our destination was even in sight.  Finally In Bhamara we were welcomed by the community and worked closely alongside the principle and students to rebuild the school. 

Vol Nepal encourages a community atmosphere and creates an environment where everyone, from anywhere is encouraged to be a part of the process. This collaboration is part of the reason working with Vol Nepal is so enriching, they understand the importance of community empowerment and sustainability. 

Vol Nepal make it their business to know everyone, which is perfect because literally , should you go to them with any enquiry, they probably have the contact need; Which was absolutely true for me.

 A few months back I came across two disabled boys living in conditions less than ideal. After weeks of trying to  a treatment plan for them I was running out of options. Anish, the director, of course had the answer. He connected me with a disabled centre for children, drove me there and helped me with the tedious process of moving the boys in smoothly.  I had searched for a facility like this for weeks and came up with nothing- The boys now have 24 hour care and access to therapy twice a week.  They are in an environment that encourages growth and healing and are excited for life has to offer them. Anish was the vital link that made it all happen. 

Again, as I prepare to leave Nepal, it’s not even close to goodbye. The past three months have been a whirlwind of emotions, on every possible end of the spectrum, but, together we got there. 

 As we helped heal Nepal, Nepal healed us too. 

My deepest gratitude to the Vol Nepal team, Past and present . Till next time my dear friends- May the sun shine down on you all.

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Happy Donors #2

Our primary concern after arriving in Nepal after the first earthquake was to find a reliable, trustworthy, local organization who we could partner with.  We talked to a variety, but VolNepal blew us away with their ability to move quickly, be flexible in their plans, and, most importantly, their knowledge of the social and political dynamics in the areas most affected by the earthquakes. 

We ended up partnering with them to help fund the reconstruction of a school in Nuwakot, and the project went extraordinarily well, with locals and volunteers from VolNepal working long days to get the school fully operational in three weeks!

We were all so impressed by the graciousness and hospitality of the Nepalese people we met in every village -- people who had suffered unimaginable hardship would still go out of their way to help us foreigners when we were struggling. 

Anish and Shiva from VolNepal were absolute rock stars and we are lucky to have partnered with them. 

I'd encourage anyone thinking of visiting or travelling in Nepal -- or thinking of donating money(!!) to have VolNepal as your number 1 option.

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Happy Donors #3

Adrien Boher, Anne-Laure Le Cozler & Olivier Quideau France

After experiencing two earthquakes in Nepal, a country I had come to love so much, it was impossible for me to leave without doing something. My friends and I raised some funds in hopes of supplying various villages with emergency relief and support. Clearly our friends and relatives were generous, as we raised more than enough to help three villages! We wanted to invest the funds in a long term project, so we decided to contact a like minded organization already established in Nepal. 

After one meeting with VolNepal, it was clear that we shared a similar vision, and that we would be a good fit for each other. “VolNepal works mainly toward the construction of schools for children and do so with excellent management and total transparency”. They know exactly what they're doing, and where to do it. We are glad to now be a part of this organization, and to be able to contribute to the relief of a wonderful country, and the amazing people in it. We would like to thank VolNepal, and encourage Nepal to keep progressing towards recovery! 

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Happy Donors #1 - Bea Trewick and Rudy Heddes

VolNepal was one of the first organisations we found that we're focusing of long-term sustainable solutions following the earthquake. When everyone was concentrating on immediate emergency aid, they were looking to the future to anticipate what would be needed next.

This forward focus allowed them to plan and organize projects in advance, with engineering design and governmental approval all being accounted for.

We happily recommended VolNepal to fellow volunteers and continue to do so. We we're involved in many of their first projects rebuilding schools after the earthquake and we feel confident and assured that all donations are utilised both appropriately and at great benefit to the local communities.

We were thankful that we were able to be involved with such genuine people and were in the position to contribute donations of friends and family towards two of their school restoration projects.

Likewise, volunteering with them has been a rewarding and enjoyable experience.

If you are considering donating or volunteering with VolNepal, we would wholeheartedly advise you to do so.

Bea Trewick & Rudy Heddes

For more information on our projects, please visit our website 

To donate, please click here

Any questions? email info@volnepal.org

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Heart of the Jungle - Lily Ealy

Lily Ealy is one of our World Internship medical (WI) students. 

 (read more about lily's experiences at www.wanderlustlulu.blogspot.com) 

 Here is her experience of her visit to Chitwan National Park, and her past week at the hospital:

Chitwan National Park. Chitwan means "Heart of the Jungle", from the two Nepali words "chit"- heart and "wan"-jungle. 

I just got back yesterday from a wonderful trip to the Chitwan National Park. I left early Friday morning (7am) on a bus, and arrived to Chitwan about 6 hours later. After having some lunch, and a couple hours of rest, the weekend events began. A member of the hotel staff, would be my guide for the weekend, Hari. He was an incredible guide, and did an excellent job at making sure my experience at Chitwan was nothing less than amazing.

Friday afternoon/evening we went on a jungle/nature walk. Starting in the small village of Sauhara and then through a bit of the jungle and prairie land, near the river. There was quite overcast, as it had been raining (Monsoon season) so we weren't able to see the sunset, but we did sit for a while at a riverside bar- and just take in the beautiful surroundings. The rest of my Friday was pretty relaxing, I just had dinner and settled into the hotel, and then went to sleep. The wake-up call came early Saturday morning at 5:30am, then breakfast, then a canoe ride down the river. 

After our morning canoe ride, we had another walk through the jungle. This time we went much deeper into the jungle, and even saw a fresh Bengal Tiger print. 

We hiked our way through the jungle to the Elephant Breeding Center. This is where the elephants in captivity are bred, for tourist and other work. I saw several baby elephants, one who looked like he had just recently been born, and some older elephants as well. 

After that we headed back to the hotel for some lunch and a little rest, before the main event that would come in the afternoon. The ELEPHANT SAFARI. For the elephant safari, I rode an elephant through the jungle for about 2 hours. It was such an incredible experience to be atop my favorite animal. It was also cool to get a different arial perspective of what the jungle looked like! 

During the elephant safari we crossed the river, twice, via elephant. It was a little bit frightening but awesome to trek through the water on an elephant's back, without even getting a little wet. One of the highlights of the safari, was getting to see the Rhino. We hadn't been able to see the Rhino at this point in our trip because of the on and off rain- meaning the Rhino's didn't have to seek water as much. But during our jungle safari, we saw one! And not only that, but it was a mother with her new baby- which the elephant keeper said he thought was about 19 days old!  

All in all the Elephant Safari was probably my favorite part of my trip to Chitwan, just because I was able to ride the elephant, and see so much of the jungle and the beautiful nature of Chitwan. 

That evening I headed back into Sauraha and to the Tharu Culture House to see the stick dance. Tharu are the indegenious people of Nepal- who were (and still are today) thought to be immune to Malaria. At the Tharu Culture House they perform the native dances of Nepal, including the stick dance- which is the dance that teaches boys how to fight. It was so cool to watch the native people's dance- especially as a dancer, which made it even more enjoyable for me!

My weekend in Chitwan was nothing short of fantastic, and I'm so glad I took a break from the noise and pollution of the city to spend some time in nature. 

This week at the hospital I am with the same resident unit as I was shadowing last week. I finally figured out more about how the hospital works- the wards, patient care, financial side of things. So each resident unit has a day/night that they are on duty. The resident unit that I am with are on duty on Sundays, meaning all the patients that are admitted throughout the day and night on Sunday (or a particular day) are patients of that resident unit. There are many wards in the hospital- some specific wards: NICU, PICU, Oncology- that only have one type of patient, but also some more general wards. The Special Cabin ward is for patients who have more money, it's a quieter and more private wards. The Paying Ward is for those patients who would be thought to be more middle/basic class, they pay to have a bed, but it's a more crowded area. Finally the Medical Ward, is for patients who are much poorer. The beds in the Medical Ward are free, but patients/families do have to pay for some medications. It's great to be with the residents, because I see so many types of patients, so I've been able to get a better grasp on medicine and all the types there are- even within pediatrics. I've also been able to see a couple procedures- Bone Marrow Extraction and Lumbar Puncture- up close and personal, which has also been an amazing, and eye-opening experience. Today I got to see another Bone Marrow procedure (making that number 3), and was able to get a photo. 

This needle is inserted into the back (typically) and then blood is suctioned out to be used as a sample for testing. Bone Marrow tests are usually done to determine if a patient has cancer, leukemia. 

Tomorrow will be a similar day with the residents, then Wednesday we will spend in the Medical OPD, seeing loads of patients who are returning for a follow-up after seeing doctors a previous Sunday. Then Thursday and Friday will also be similar days as today. I haven't decided what my weekend plans will be, but I'm sure I will think of something fantastic.  I've officially completed 3 weeks in Nepal (as of Friday), and each day I'm feeling more fulfilled with my decision to come here. I'm learning so much (about medicine,life,myself) , and growing as a person every day. The next 4 and a half weeks hold so many new lessons, experiences and opportunities for me and I couldn't be more excited. 

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Namaste readers.

I’ve always had Nepal in mind for a travel destination, however it had been put to the back of my mind after visiting Thailand, as I’d expected to stay there a long while and visit Nepal and India in a separate trip. After hearing about the...