Volunteer Experience: Help in the Himalayan Region
Sophie, Matthijs, Linda, Peter, Filip Froyen, Giel and Mirjam came from Holland to Nepal. They were among our several other volunteers from different nations. They preferred to dedicate their time, knowledge and effort in unspoiled nature and enjoy living in a warm and welcoming village. We have therefore send them to Salleri in Solukhumbhu District in the Himalayan region. The volunteers were involved in teaching English to small children at Mt. Everest English School and to Buddhist monk children at a monastery. Most of the volunteers were also involved in on going re-construction project of “Chhulayamu Primary School”. This school was completely damaged by the devastating earthquake.
Earthbag building in Salleri
Earthbag technology was implemented during the reconstruction of the Chhulayamu Primary School. Polypropylene bags are filled with soil and stacked properly by creating the necessary wall shapes & sizes. Earthbag walls are so substantial, they resist all kinds of severe weather and also stand up to natural calamities such as earthquakes and floods. They can be erected simply and quickly with readily available components, for very little money. The volunteers helped by filling and carrying loads of earthbags and stacking it properly by creating perfect walls. Very soon the children from Chhulayamu Primary School will be studying in new safe classrooms.
Donations
While volunteering in Salleri, the volunteers had the chance to get good fresh air. But also to break a sweat and become acquainted with the geography & culture. With the money they have raised and brought, volunteers Matthijs and his partner Linda helped in installing solar water heater at the monastery and solar light at Mt. Everest School in Salleri. They donated a set of toiletries to all the monk children at the monastery. They also donated teaching materials and carpet flooring at Chhulayamu Primary School. Lastly they donated some money to a fire victim at Salleri. A fire broke out in a house at Salleri and with this money they could get proper treatment of the wounds in Kathmandu.
Blog
“We choose for volunteering through construction work and teaching. Simply because the need for practical measures after the earthquakes. We started with small painting chores at a kindergarten and a center for disabled children in Kathmandu and eventually did the real deal by rebuilding a classroom ‘earthquake-prove’ in the Himalayas. In addition I taught at a primary/secondary school and a monastery because children are the countries future. I focused on English, following a learning plan combined with games and Western Society. Besides volunteering we helped with small projects financed with personally collected donation money.
During construction work we experienced very poor and unsafe resources that people work with. Although it stimulates creativity (carrying 60 Kg of stones on the back instead of a shovel).
Linda and I participate in the daily and very basic lives of local Hindu and Buddhist families and its traditions, this broadened my perspective and puts my life back in Holland strongly in perspective. Above all, this experience brought me an enormous feeling of fulfillment as the people are very grateful. On the projects both Linda and I were given the strong feeling of a meaningful contribution by helping people get on in life with practicalities and knowledge and at least by giving the Nepali a fine experience. Although I probably will never find out, maybe in the future I will form one of the connected dots in the life of a Nepali.”
Volunteer Society Nepal, together with Monastery, Schools and local community in Salleri would like to thank all the volunteers for their hard work and help.
Do you want to volunteer in a remote area? Please visit our location page here.
