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Volunteering with Nepal's rural communities.
Added: (Sat Aug 28 2004)
If you take a public bus south from Kathmandu, after about forty-five minutes, the houses begin to change from slightly modern structures, packed with such facilities as adequate water supply, decent toilets, electricity, phones, and even cable and internet access, to much older, more traditional homes that are held together as a closely as the communities themselves. Large cement structures, housed mainly by the families of members of the British Gorkha Army, give way to skinny, redbrick buildings, stacked as high as three or four stories, and time begins to slow down. This traditional Newari redbrick architecture flourishes throughout Thecho village, where I have been living and working for the past two months, through Volunteer Society Nepal.
You do not have to go from the capital city to experience the thriving cultural life of Nepal's rural communities. Thecho is split by one main road, which itself ends in the next village, leaving only footpaths that lead into the nearby hills of Kathmandu Valley. The western half of the village is filled with small brick paths, sharp bends, and interesting corners where only the locals can navigate with complete ease, while the east reveals the stunning beauty of the valley's many open rice fields and rural village homes.
I myself have been staying with an amazingly sweet Newar family, who live just east of the main road and within five minutes walking distance of the public secondary school where I teach English six days a week. The cultural submersion that is possible through volunteering is nearly unparalleled, and by respecting the culture and volunteering your skills and services, I have received incredibly sincere respect and appreciation from the local people. While at home, I learn more everyday about the language and culture, becoming a family member myself and settling into my surroundings; while at work, I find myself facing challenges and obstacles that spawn, inside of me, creative solutions and dedication.
In the morning, from 7am to 8am, I teach an adult class, consisting of about 12 students, who come on their own time, just before they commute to their respective jobs. From 10am to 1pm, I teach two classes at the local public school, which is by far the most challenging and rewarding of all my responsibilities. The afternoon is my time to relax, but also to plan for my evening class, which begins at 5pm and is for all those students who are unsatisfied with their English or who simply want more practice. I have also helped to organize a children's club, which mainly focuses on environmental and health issues in the community and meets every Friday afternoon, with programs usually taking place on Saturday.
As a result of the efforts of Volunteer Society Nepal, the volunteers, I have seen as many as three at a time living in Thecho, and the community people, we have already created a community library, funded by the VSN and the members of my morning English class, who pay a minimal fee, all of which goes directly to the library. We recently formed a committee to address garbage and sanitation issues in the village, and I believe that the coming weeks will produce some positive changes in the village. Progress is, of course, slow; however, our work and dedication is paying off and it is all I can hope for as a volunteer. I have three months left in Thecho and I am optimistic that that time will include even more projects and meaningful change in this culturally rich and wonderfully complex community.
Samuel E. Bronson
Volunteer Society Nepal
August, 2004