Nepal: Why I Went and What I Learned

This  past winter, when the fact that I was going to be actually graduating from college hit me, I started to seriously contemplate traveling somewhere for an extended period of time. I've spent the past four years learning about public health: health in communities, primary prevention, maternal and child health, and environmental health but never had the chance to experience the conditions and lives of those living in a developing country first hand. While  I began to look at different opportunities half-heartedly, the final push was traveling with my best friend and boyfriend of (almost!) six years, CJ, to Santiago, Chile in January. I was only able to stay in the country for ten days, but the sights, smells, tastes, and places I experienced during that short time was enough to give me an itch to experience cultures other than my own.  CJ stayed in Chile for almost two months, and hearing his stories  after his return sealed the deal - I was going to take a few weeks after graduation to learn more about how others live across the world, taking enough time to be immersed in another culture, and helping in any way I could. So that (with a lot of help from my parents) is how I ended up in Nepal for three weeks  to spend my time working with at-risk children at a school.
Fast forward to June - after reading (a little) about the country, buying my tickets, and packing (not enough clothes) I said goodbye to my family and friends and boarded a plane to Kathmandu, Nepal, not really sure what to expect but excited to experience, learn and volunteer my time.

I arrived in Nepal with no expectations and only two goals: to learn about another culture and to serve. Through the organization I volunteered with, The Mountain Fund, I learned that I would be spending my time at Orchid Garden School in Kathmandu, Nepal. The school, founded by a  very passionate woman named Bina,  teaches  and cares for children from infancy to 12 years old, and is hoping to expand in coming years. Although the children are extremely energetic, joyful and full of life, most, if not all of them, come from extremely impoverished homes. Most parents  work as day laborers  and would be forced to leave their children at home if they did not have  a safe, positive place to bring them during the day. A common occurrence is Nepal  is  the existence of "paper orphans". These are children who are living at orphanages and considered orphans even though have a mother and father - their parents simply cannot afford to provide for their children. The Orchid Garden serves as an environment where children growing up in these situations can not  only survive, but thrive.

When I arrived for my first day of volunteering, I  immediately began to compare the school to what I knew - and noticed all of the differences between Orchid Garden and my experiences as a  student and day care teacher: the classes  were open to the outdoors with concrete floors, students were taught using posters  and a chalkboard, babies  and toddlers had the freedom to crawl around the courtyard, and the  children in my class (3 and 4 year olds) could recite the entire alphabet and numbers  up to 100 in not one but two languages. However, much to my surprise, it took less than a day to look past the differences and start noticing the similarities.

After flying halfway around the world (literally) , the biggest lesson I learned during my three weeks in Nepal was that kids are the same everywhere. I've spent a lot of time around children - from working at a Baptist daycare, to babysitting for young professionals in the DC suburbs, to coaching a girls' running team in inner city DC, to now volunteering in a classroom of three year olds from at-risk families  in Kathmandu, Nepal. Looking back at all of those experiences, it is easier to find similarities between each group than differences. All of the children I have worked with have the same  positive energy,  endless love,  and desire to play, learn, and just be kids. The only difference between what children are able to accomplish and become as adults is the opportunities they are presented with. Every kid  I had the chance to work and play with in Nepal had a unique, vibrant personality and the desire to soak up new information to learn. Luckily, with the existence of the Orchid Garden, each child had the opportunity to learn English (as well as receive an amazing education in math and science), to play and socialize with their peers, to receive guidance from extremely compassionate teachers, and to pursue higher education.

During my time at Orchid Garden, I was amazed by how much the school, Bina, and the teachers  did to change the circumstances of each and every student's life - they were excited to learn, try new things, and strive for perfection in their work (and I mean perfection- you wouldn't believe how many time each kid would erase his or her work because they weren't satisfied with it). It really showed me how it is possible to make a change in the world- but it takes the dedication of passionate people day in and day out. Every adult who made the children at Orchid Garden their lives' work was extremely compassionate, enthusiastic, and most importantly cared about the children.  These individuals are giving every child at the school the opportunity to be something and do anything they want to with their life. Through her dedication, the teacher in the classroom I volunteered in, Kaplana, is giving the children in her class  the skills, attitude, and change to pursue their fullest capabilities.

After three weeks of spending my days teaching nursery rhymes, helping with school work, leading English lessons, and being showered with hugs and calls of "Jenna Ma'am", it was extremely heartbreaking to say goodbye to the kids, teachers and school.  However, it was extremely inspiring to see what a school like Orchid Garden is doing for the children who attend it, and comforting to know that the passionate teachers will lead these children down the right path and towards bright futures. I hope that I was able to help the children during my time there ( I know they certainly had fun playing duck-duck- goose and singing the hokey pokey), but I can't imagine that I taught them more than they taught me. These incredibly bright and intelligent shining stars might not be attending school and headed toward a life of struggling to survive were it not for the Orchid Garden. I learned that every child has an infinite potential, if they are given the tools and opportunity to reach it. I also learned that through the work of driven individuals, real and lasting change can be made. My time volunteering made me 100% positive  that I want to work to provide children, both in the US and internationally, with the opportunity to succeed in school, participate in extracurricular, be confident in themselves, and follow their dreams.

More pictures to come from my adventures in Kathmandu, the rest of Nepal and St. John! If you want to learn more about the Orchid Garden's mission or activities, or find out how you can help visit wwww.orchidgardennepal.wordpress.com