Introduction :
This article presents my journey with the NGO Volunteers Initiative Nepal (VIN) in the
district of Okhaldhunga located 250km east of Kathmandu.
About VIN, you will find below a presentation of the NGO and its goals written by VIN :
“Volunteers Initiative Nepal (VIN) is a non-religious, not political, non-governmental, and nonprofit organization founded in 2005 to improve the health and socioeconomic status of Nepal’s
marginalized communities, especially women and children. As women perform pivotal but
unrecognized roles as agriculturalists and primary caregivers, improving the conditions of life
for women and children is crucial to alleviating poverty in Nepal. VIN piloted its first program
in Jitpurphedi Ward of Kathmandu District, which is 12 km away from main ring road to Balaju.
It is a marginalized and shadowed community even though it is so close to the capital.
Feasibility and preliminary studies revealed that despite beingwithin proximity to Kathmandu,
the education level and the living standards of the people were very low. VIN chose this site
and has been working there since the beginning of 2007. VIN’s mission is to empower
marginalized communities by focusing primarily on women and children through enhanced
educational programs and community training; promoting equality, economic well-being and
human rights. VIN adopts an integrated, participatory development approach for the wellbeing of the community. It works with both local and international volunteers, implementing
different kinds of programs and activities under its four major projects:
• Women’s Empowerment (WE)
• Child Development (CD)
• Youth Development (YD)
• Community Health and Environment
VIN aims to give people the right tools and knowledge to help themselves. The focus is on
helping women and children through special educational programs and community training
projects conducted independently and/or in association with like-minded organizations. VIN
has adopted an integrated community development approach through voluntary services by
welcoming overseas and local volunteers.”
About myself, I was, at the time of this journey, a 22-year-old French student on a gap year. Attracted by the landscape and the philosophy of Nepal, I have long wanted to come here and was able to achieve this dream with the help of VIN. I spent 2 months from the 18th of November 2023 to the 16th of January at the NaraTika Community Learning Center in Okhaldhunga. I was a volunteer for the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) program, though I had the chance to participate in other missions
as I will describe in the following chapters. As since the epidemic of Covid-19, VIN struggles to be attractive in this remote place, the main objective of this article is to promote the Okhaldhunga working site by presenting life there. Also, by presenting my work and its results, my difficulties, and how I overcame them, I intend to provide key elements to the next volunteers so that they don’t start from scratch.
II- Description of the missions
a- Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
As I mentioned before, I came for the DRR project. This program is based on a survey conducted by another volunteer that evaluates the exposure and vulnerability to natural and non-natural
disasters of the local population of Nepal. According to this survey, more than 80% of the population is constantly exposed to those risks such as earthquakes, droughts, floods, landslides, wildfires,
extreme temperatures, and glacier lake outburst floods… as an example, you can see a landslide in the picture on the right. They are absolutely part of the landscape, which testifies to how
dangerous the roads are. According to the survey, in this area, wildfires, landslides, and earthquakes are the natural disasters that are most likely to happen. Therefore, I chose to focus my work on these
three topics. In addition, another key result for me from the report was the assessment of
how well the local population is informed about those three topics: how do they happen? Why
do they happen? How to prepare better? One can easily notice that an important part of the
population (especially among the youngest) either does not know how to react when exposed
to such events or has a wrong reflex (mostly “run away during an earthquake”). Regarding
these two observations, the purpose of this mission was to go from community to community
and from school to school to raise awareness and educate about earthquakes, landslides, and
wildfires.
The first difficulty was to build a session that fitted well for the youth and the children.
Indeed, I generally had between 1h30 and 2h to deliver the session to a group that I did not
know, and I had very little background regarding education and teaching. So how to keep them
interested? How to make them remember considering that they mostly do not speak a word
of English? To face these questions, I had the chance to be seconded by the local volunteer
who helps to understand better the youths and the children. They assisted me in the
construction of the sessions, giving me key points to captivate the youth, and delivering them
especially by being the translators (and magnificent tour guides!), as you can see below.
Over 2 months, I was able to adjust and improve my sessions thanks to their feedback.
Initially, I started with graphic charts containing key words that I would present to them, like
these.
What I found out is that the children are easily distracted, do not have a strong technical
background but are very eager to learn and quite competitive. Therefore, to keep them
entertained and focused on the sessions, I encouraged games and fun activities, as opposed
to a lecture to the board.
Another difficulty that I faced is that the children and the youths are excessively shy.
Indeed, most of them have never seen a foreigner with white skin or a Western name, which
makes them both a bit scared and intrigued by you. I realized that their reactions are to be
taken very lightly and with humor. Learning some Nepali words to introduce yourself, using
some acting and contextualization to make them trust you, and playing a little game at the
beginning of the sessions helps to break that shyness.
b- Water tank project
I also had the chance to participate in the water tank project that took place in a nearby village with another French volunteer. You can see a finished water tank that was where I was staying.
These water tanks are used for farming purposes. Indeed, during the dry season in April, water is
very scarce, so these water collectors are very helpful.
For 2 weeks, I was staying with a host family, and I was working as a laborer from 10 am to 4 pm. This job was very tiring and might have been frustrating sometimes because
you have to cope with Nepali time. Indeed, the Nepali people do not have the same perception of punctuality or time management as in Western countries. For instance, we often had breaks or some people were often “late”. Therefore, we could have the feeling that things took too
much time. To cope with that, bring a good book or play a card game if you are with someone.
c- Science classes, an opening for a future program
Finally, at the request of VIN, I conducted some introductory lessons to practical science.
Some schools have a laboratory with some materials and chemicals but never use them as the
teachers are not trained for that. Thus, the children learn about chemistry, mechanics, motion,
or mathematics without ever practicing.
This mission was one of the toughest for me because I had to cope with the shyness of the
children, the lack of resources from the schools, and the lack of help from the teachers. Once
again, VIN’s members were very supportive and helpful, and I managed to overcome the lack
of resources by using everyday items, drawing inspiration from some videos. I personally think that it could be very interesting to develop more of these kinds of activities for the children in schools. Indeed, it can help them acquire new skills such as organization, rigor, and open up their curiosity.
Conclusion
To conclude, I have faced difficulties that I had almost never faced before in my life, but
at every step, I received the help and support that I needed from both VIN’s staff and the other
volunteers. That made me learn a lot about myself. Teamwork and solidarity are at the heart
of the Okhaldhunga working site. Also, you will always find a local person to discuss all the
cultural differences without embarrassment, which is very important. Indeed, Nepali people
do not teach, learn, play, and think like most Western countries. Therefore, discussing and
sometimes laughing about that (in both ways) with local people as open-minded as VIN’s staff
are key elements to the success of the mission
III- The life in Okhaldhunga
a- The NaraTika Community Learning Center (NTCLC)
Located in the village of Nishanke, on top of a hill, the NTCLC is a great place to stay. It
offers very comfortable amenities and a pleasant cohabitation with the local host and the
other volunteers. Here are some pictures of the place and some of our best moments.…
You will enjoy your own bed with a very comfortable matteres and nice meals prepared with local food, coming directly from the garden. One point that can be hard sometimes is the fact that you will be eating dal Bhat every day, almost three times a day. To cope with that, there are some shops in the village where you can buy some sweet things, some pasta or noodles… and there is the momo restaurant where they can make you the best veg and chicken momos! Also, though I don’t have pictures to attest, the center offers very good sanitary conditions There are some basic rules to facilitate cohabitation, but it’s not much. Once in a while, you will help with cooking, and once a week, everyone has to help clean the living floor… But looking at those two tasks below, it does not seem very bothersome, does it? From the rooftop, you will be able to admire the Himalayas on clear days and a wonderful sunrise every morning and sunset every night! If you come during the winter, take some warm clothes, gloves, scarves, and a beanie because the building is not insulated, so you will be cold. Also, there are often power cuts, so do not forget your torch (even though everything needed is there, it can be useful to have your own). Otherwise, once all of this is said, you just need to enjoy with everyone!
b- Life in a host family
During the two weeks when I was on the water tanks project, I had to stay with a host
family because it was too far from the center to work and make the walk every day. That was
an absolutely different experience than living in the center and, I would have to say, much
more challenging for me. Indeed, I think it was the first time I really experienced (and not just
witnessed) the cultural shock that you find in the way of living. First of all, my bed was not as comfortable, and the duvet was colder, but I had my own room and a mosquito net. I should say that I had everything that is essential but nothing more. I would advise coming equipped with warm pajamas and a sleeping bag just in case.
Furthermore, the sanitary conditions are much more precarious. As you can see in those
two pictures, the shower and the toilets (that do not have a toilet flush) are outside in the
same room. The water from the shower is cold and undrinkable, and the smells from the toilets
are very strong.
One last thing that is different from the center is the social life. Indeed, once the sun sets
and it is dark, around 5:30 pm, everything stops (people go to sleep, there are no places to
hang out or chill, and generally, no other volunteers). Therefore, you should bring a good book
and some games that can be played with a few people.
Except for those three points, the rest was quite the same as in the center: the host family
is very nice and welcoming, VIN’s staff is always there (on the phone) to answer if you have
any difficulties, and the food is correct and sufficient.
c- The things to do on your days off
Most of the time, you will be either outside for your mission or inside to prepare it, but
what to do on your days off, which are Saturday and Sunday (Sunday is not a day off for the
local people but is for the volunteers)? First of all, get lost in the jungle near the center. You will
have the chance to discover very beautiful landscapes, and the people from the village will always be willing to help you find your way if you get lost. Once you have visited everything around the village, you can go on a hike to Halesi. It is a very holy place where you can admire Buddhist caves. To go there, you can find a local guide; it’s quite tough (5 to 6 hours walking and more than 1000m of elevation gain) but very rewarding!!
On a Saturday, take the jeep to Okhaldhunga city and spend your day there. First of all, the jeep ride will be an adventure. Second, you’d rather go on a Saturday because you will enjoy the very colorful market. Also, you will find a stupa that offers a nice view and the best restaurant: “the big smoke.” Also, in one day, you can ride to Pathale. On a sunny day, you will have the best view of the Himalayas and the opportunity to discover another type of landscape.
Finally, even when you think you will not have anything to do, you will have the surprise of being invited somewhere: at a wedding, at a festival, or at a football tournament.
IV- Conclusion
This journey has been absolutely amazing, full of new experiences, emotions, and new encounters. I had the incredible chance to achieve my dream by coming to Nepal. As it was my first time traveling alone, I really learned a lot about myself, and every step seemed like a small victory.
Therefore, to anyone who hesitates, I would say just go for it! Also, I want to thank everyone from VIN because I would not have been able to do all this
without them!
Member of