I believe that traveling around Nepal for two weeks before commencing my volunteer placement was beneficial. It allowed me to get a taste of the local culture, the local food, the local language and the general vibe of the country.
Having already experienced Sauraha as a tourist a week prior to being sent back there for my placement by INFO Nepal, something told me that I would enjoy revisiting the warmer weather, relative peacefulness and relaxed vibe of the town and the locals.
I didn't have to wait long before my love for Sauraha was confirmed, as both my host family and the children at my placement made me feel more at home than I could ever have hoped to feel.
The INFO Nepal Resource Centre was a 15-minute bike ride or 25-minute walk from my host family's home at Sauraha and I strongly believe that team-teaching with Sarah (another INFO volunteer) was extremely beneficial, as it allowed us to branch off to help individual students or break up into two groups if we needed to. The genuine willingness to learn shown by the majority of the children at the INFO Nepal Resource Centre at Sauraha, especially the Grade 5s, 6/7s and 8/9/10s, was inspiring to me as was the fact that, for many of these kids, they were turning up to their designated classes voluntarily.
The one main issue we had at the Resource Centre was the lack of electricity. I was told that power to the building had been cut a few days before I arrived and that it was in the process of being sorted out. Two weeks later and there was still no electricity. Therefore, for the whole period of my placement, we were without light and, considering morning classes began at 6am and evening classes finished at 6:30pm when the sun had yet to rise or had already set, this proved a challenge. Torches and candles were used, but these were not the greatest substitutes for lights.
Although we as volunteers were their English teachers and hopefully taught the local students at least a little bit, I feel like the children taught me a lot about making the most of what you have and to appreciate the opportunities that you are provided with.
My host family were the second major reason why my two weeks as a volunteer was as wonderful as it was. I was made to feel right at home as soon as I walked into my host family's home and, from the very first night with no power and a single candle lighting up the living room, I believe their hospitality and care towards me was beyond their call of duty as a host family. They went beyond providing me with a bed and food - they also provided me with a home and a family. The time spent in their home will stay with me forever and, like the children at the Resource Centre, I hope to be able to visit them again in the future.
My host family were also very willing to share their mother-tongue, Tharu, with Sarah and I, which created a lot of laughter both in and outside the home as words were often mispronounced and confused with other words to create much confusion at times. One day when I was meeting one of their cousins for the first time, I said "Your name is alcohol, I am a monkey," when I was trying to say "My name is Darrell, I am a monkey."... I was given a number of nicknames by the two girls, my sisters, in the host family. They not only taught me a bit of Tharu, they also taught me a bit about life.
Between teaching the local children some English, being given the opportunity to stay with the most beautiful host family, and enjoying my time and having fun with everyone I met during my stay, I cannot say enough positive things about my two-week placement in Sauraha.
Joined: 05-16-07
My time in Sauraha Resource Center - Dec 2007
I believe that traveling around Nepal for two weeks before commencing my volunteer placement was beneficial. It allowed me to get a taste of the local culture, the local food, the local language and the general vibe of the country.
Having already experienced Sauraha as a tourist a week prior to being sent back there for my placement by INFO Nepal, something told me that I would enjoy revisiting the warmer weather, relative peacefulness and relaxed vibe of the town and the locals.
I didn't have to wait long before my love for Sauraha was confirmed, as both my host family and the children at my placement made me feel more at home than I could ever have hoped to feel.
The INFO Nepal Resource Centre was a 15-minute bike ride or 25-minute walk from my host family's home at Sauraha and I strongly believe that team-teaching with Sarah (another INFO volunteer) was extremely beneficial, as it allowed us to branch off to help individual students or break up into two groups if we needed to. The genuine willingness to learn shown by the majority of the children at the INFO Nepal Resource Centre at Sauraha, especially the Grade 5s, 6/7s and 8/9/10s, was inspiring to me as was the fact that, for many of these kids, they were turning up to their designated classes voluntarily.
The one main issue we had at the Resource Centre was the lack of electricity. I was told that power to the building had been cut a few days before I arrived and that it was in the process of being sorted out. Two weeks later and there was still no electricity. Therefore, for the whole period of my placement, we were without light and, considering morning classes began at 6am and evening classes finished at 6:30pm when the sun had yet to rise or had already set, this proved a challenge. Torches and candles were used, but these were not the greatest substitutes for lights.
Although we as volunteers were their English teachers and hopefully taught the local students at least a little bit, I feel like the children taught me a lot about making the most of what you have and to appreciate the opportunities that you are provided with.
My host family were the second major reason why my two weeks as a volunteer was as wonderful as it was. I was made to feel right at home as soon as I walked into my host family's home and, from the very first night with no power and a single candle lighting up the living room, I believe their hospitality and care towards me was beyond their call of duty as a host family. They went beyond providing me with a bed and food - they also provided me with a home and a family. The time spent in their home will stay with me forever and, like the children at the Resource Centre, I hope to be able to visit them again in the future.
My host family were also very willing to share their mother-tongue, Tharu, with Sarah and I, which created a lot of laughter both in and outside the home as words were often mispronounced and confused with other words to create much confusion at times. One day when I was meeting one of their cousins for the first time, I said "Your name is alcohol, I am a monkey," when I was trying to say "My name is Darrell, I am a monkey."... I was given a number of nicknames by the two girls, my sisters, in the host family. They not only taught me a bit of Tharu, they also taught me a bit about life.
Between teaching the local children some English, being given the opportunity to stay with the most beautiful host family, and enjoying my time and having fun with everyone I met during my stay, I cannot say enough positive things about my two-week placement in Sauraha.