Volunteer Society Nepal : The best experience for volunteers, the best value for Nepal.
Suzanne and Menno came back from Tibet and just arrived in Kathmandu when they contacted Volunteer Society Nepal. Together we discussed and planned a program in which they would be able to use Suzannes medical skills and Menno’s construction skills. Suzanne is a doctor and Menno wanted to do construction work. They decided to do a more remote trekking from Jiri along Pikey Peak and Dudh Kunda and then finish the trek in Salleri. This trek is less touristy but still goes up to 4600 meters, where you can see the reflection of the mountain into a lake. Dudh Kunda means ‘milk lake’ in Nepali and it is one of the most beautiful and sacred sites of Nepal. When you trek to Dudh Kunda you will be the only tourist there, as this beautiful place has yet to be discovered by the tourists…
In Salleri, Volunteer Society Nepal offers volunteering at schools, the medical center and the monastery. Once Suzanne and Menno arrived and explored the village the went to work at the school there. They started conducting the health checks together. Suzanne would do the doctors work, checking the kids lungs, vision and teeth. While Menno would do the measurements of height and weight. Together they checked hundreds of kids! Among their findings were many children with dental issues, underweight children and children with sight problems. Suzanne would provide advise for these children on paper, to give to the parents. In some cases she would consult with the school and parents on how to take better care of these children.
The biggest and most severe discovery was a child with a cleft in her mouth. For this child it was very necessary to find surgical treatment. Together with Volunteer Society Nepal we arranged for the child to get free(!) surgery at the Kirtipur Hospital. Without treatment the chances for the child to choke and die at some point of her life would have been very high. This is just one example of how the Volunteer Society Nepal health checks can save lives!
Besides the health checks Suzanne and Menno gave presentations and workshops at the school about health, hygiene and practical demonstrations on brushing teeth. They also brought some money with which they would buy materials needed such as first aid kits. Last but not least: they looked at the water supply at the school. They decided that to provide the kids with warm water at the school would give a lot of relieve during the cold winters. Volunteer Society Nepal stayed in contact with them throughout their time there. Staff member Gelu bought water dispensersi n Kathmandu and managed to put them on a flight to Salleri. They were there in time for Suzanne and Menno to donate.
Some volunteers can do more than you ever imagine. Suzanne and Menno are like this. They have not only done the above medical work, but also helped with small organizational support for VSN. Thanks to them the medical health check form is improved and there are new materials at hand for future volunteers. We want to thank them for their time spend with us and wish them all the best for their future.