Syd and Arjan Volunteers from Holland - Volunteer Nepal

Added: (Sun Apr 09 2006)

Pressbox (Press Release) -
After our final exams we concluded that we disliked school. University, or "UNI" as experienced travellers seem to like to call it, was not an option,
so we decided to do some volunteer work! Through Google we happened upon the Info Nepal website. We discovered that this particular NGO offered a three month stay at a so-called host family, Nepalese language classes and the chance to help an underpriveliged community at a reasonable price. On February 1, 2006, Aryan....Erjon....Allp....Arjen and I flew to Kathmandu under the assumption that we would be working in an orphanage in Chitwan. The moment we got there the staff "casually mentioned" a different orphanage, their living circumstances were poor, the children were so cute and would we mind working there for a month. How could we refuse without being caricatured as heartless demonoids from the west? So with two weeks of language classes under our belt we were armed with an extensive vocabulary and a healthy sense of self-confidence. The placement turned out to be two placements (both in Kathmandu); one at the orphanage and the other at Stephens International School . Every morning we would get up at 6.30 (with a little help from the maid and her vast supplies of "KALO CHYA CHINI CHHAINA") and meander down to the orphanage. Here we would order the children to clean their rooms or when the mood took us, the kitchen. At 9.00.
we made sure to be back at the host family's place where the schoolbus would be waiting. After a gravity-defying ride with the enthusiastic but incapable busdriver, we would be deposited at the school where our tasks included teaching, playing with the children and correcting faulty pamphlets. At 15.00 we would have a break at home and at 17.00 head back to the orphanage. No cleaning this time, just playing, helping with homework and teaching the children mindless pop-culture. We certainly came to regret the day we taught the kids: "That's some funky shit!!!!" The month flew by and before we knew it we were being awakened every morning by the sound of trumpeting elephants. Sound like an unlikely scenario? Not in Chitwan. We are living in an orphanage in Sauraha opposite several elephant stables. Even more amusing than the elephant's incessant bellowing are the elephant drivers. It never fails to bring a faint smile to my lips when I see one dig his feet into the back of the elephant's ears and vociferate: "HAKATHAKATHAKAT". The children have just completed their term exams and our now free to do what they like.
Apparently, all they like to do is swim, in the exquisite lake not a ten minute walk from here. All in all our time in with Info Nepal has been groovy. We loved the orphanage and its inhabitants in Kathmandu, we love the kids here in Chitwan and we managed to remain tolerant of the students in
Stephens International (e-) School. There seems to be only one thing left to say:

WEEH! MUSA! CHITO CHITO!
Arjen the Space Penguin and Syd

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