Volunteer testimonies
As a Volunteer in Nepal, working in a school day by day I felt my whole being change.
I arrived in Kathmandu, jaded and tired from work, wondering what life was for. My children were grown up, my house full of material goods, my wardrobe crammed full of nice clothes, but my heart was very heavy. I kept asking what is the point of it?
I had made a decision to do something different. One day, for almost no reason at all I decided I had to do something for other people, something meaningful. It was a chance conversation with a friend that directed me to Nepal and to a school there where I worked as a volunteer teacher for just one month.
For the first time in my life I was amongst people who literally had nothing, and were thirsting not for TV's, washing machines, and so on, but for education and ideas. It was liberating, Sitting in the evenings over a simple meal of rice and vegetables discussing ideas, and waking in the morning to know that although equipped only with a piece of chalk and an old fashioned blackboard I was contributing more to a group of children's lives than I had done in the whole previous five years. Because in Nepal, speaking English is a passport to work, having an education is a ticket to a more positive future for indivuduals and the country as a whole.
In return I was given a new meaning to life. I witnessed gentleness, calm and deep spirituality in the poorest and most simple people. I saw how they took time to admire the beauty of their surroundings, they concerned themselves with their inner harmony, and however poor they seemed to have something to give, both practical and spiritual. For me it has been life changing, and I feel unwell if I don't return frequently.
My personal journey through life has been given a new meaning, Nepal the land of mountains and smiles has changed my life, and I am forever grateful for these gifts.
Geraldine, Volunteer, Samata Shiksya Niketan, 2004