Not much more to tell than I spent 8 exceptional months working with Alliance Nepal in Pokhara, with a lot of other volunteers from England, Denmark, China, Germany, Australia... Krishna, its President, masters every aspects of our placements, kindly smoothes every kind of issues we may encounter or even generate, kindly supervises our accommodation with Nepali families, and takes care of our well being at all time.
Krishna was there as well as his family and friends to support me with the language, culture issues, and... everything in fact. I never felt alone nor homesick but always cared and loved. And as for reckless people like me, he always keeps an eye on me to keep me safe.
When there I taught in a primary school in Lamagaun, where, as a professional teacher, I had to adapt myself to Nepali educational system and to the poverty the children live in :
I was supposed to teach... They taught me more.
I also worked during my free time in a children center from the Child Labour Eradication Program as well as in a small orphanage.
In these 3 places I found more love, care and fun than in my whole life. And we, volunteers, do so little but nevertheless so much to lighten the situations we are dealing with.
Just be aware that one smile you share is a whole sunny day for these children. And a smile you receive is a sunny life for you as you will cherish it in your heart as a dear and precious souvenir.
I just can say I now have a loving Nepali family, many friends and many, many, many grandchildren that I will soon live again with as I plan to go back there next year.
Nepali people are such a humanly rich people that us, westerners who have it all, can only learn from their kindness, their smiles which hide their misery, their courage and their generosity.
I left Nepal just after the earthquake and from France I followed up all the work Krishna and his team did on the field, with the far but steady and loving help from his former foreign volunteers who were all eager to support in one way or another. No better proof of the deep and sincere links that were created between them and Nepal, thanks to Alliance Nepal.
To conclude, I will also say that living with a Nepali family is the best way to see and understand Nepal from the inside. But (yes, there is a "but") Nepali language is SO difficult!!! (as to make full understandable sentences) but every try of speaking it is worth for the wonderful smile you will get in return!
Thank you Alliance Nepal for the awesome experience you've allowed me to live. I'm longing for working again with you next year.
If you are considering spending time in Nepal and want to get involved with a volunteer program then I would strongly advise you to use volunteers alliance Nepal, I spent 5months living and volunteering with this organisation and it was one of the best decisions I ever made!
I think what initially attracted me to using Alliance Nepal was the flexibility which it allowed. I knew I wanted to spread my time exploring the country whilst volunteering on different projects. Krishna immediately was so warm, welcoming and fantastic at allowing me to be flexible with the time I had.
The early days of arriving and getting used to being in such a different country and culture were all eased by the support of Krishna and his team. I was able to spend some time learning a little of the language before I moved in with a Nepali family.
I spent the first 3months of my trip living with Krishna’s family in a village about an hour north of Pokhara. I think being able to live as part of a Nepalese family was a huge bonus in being able to fully understand what ‘real Nepali’ life is like. Although slightly overwhelmed at first, I felt extremely welcomed into the home and absolutely loved my time there. I learnt so much in those first three months and my language was certainly tested as Ama had very little English! I never thought I would actually wake up and look forward to a plate full of rice and curry but I grew to love eating Dahl Bhatt.
Whilst living in the village, I spent my days teaching English in the local school. This was a real eye opener into the world of Education in Nepal and very different to what I was used to in England, however I found the pupils and staff very warm and welcoming and have fond memories of discussions over Nepalese politics with the staff!
As previously mentioned I’d wanted to spend some time exploring more of the country and decided to do the Annapurna circuit trek which took around 2 weeks to complete. This was such an amazing experience and it was wonderful to be immersed in the awesome Hilmalaya seeing some of the most breathtaking sites. Krishna helped me organise the trek and I linked up with a couple of other volunteers who wanted to do the same trek. Being able to share your experiences with other volunteers in invaluable and will create memories that you will never forget.
For the final month that I was in Nepal, Krishna organized for me to spend time in an orphan home. There were only 9 children at the home, which meant that you could really get to know them individually and build great relationships. Some of my favorite memories from this time are going out onto the lake and swimming with the kids and taking them to make batiks. The children are wonderful and have such open hearts which makes it difficult when you have to say goodbye.Overall I had the most amazing 5months in such a beautiful country and was extremely touched by the loving nature of all the Nepalese people. I gained treasured family and friends, who I hope to see again and again in the future. The support from Krishna throughout the time I was out there was just amazing and the projects he run are so invaluable to the communities out there.
Mel Cassidy
Volunteering with Alliance Nepal was one of the best experiences of my life. Last year I spent 3 months working at Bindhyabasini School and living with Krishna, Bimala and their delightful children. During my time there I fell hopelessly in love with the country and its people, made lots of new friends (local people and fellow volunteers), learned how to make the best of a much simpler life, rediscovered the joys of teaching and hopefully made a small difference to the lives of some very special children. Many thanks to Krishna for welcoming me into his family, to Alliance Nepal for being so efficient and supportive, to my colleagues at the school for accepting me as a member of their community, to my students for being so enthusiastic and receptive and to my fellow volunteers for their friendship and good humour.
It’s a joy for me to be able to work as a volunteer in Nepal. The experience I have gained will always be remembered and cherish.
Firstly, I have no reservation in recommending Alliance nepal to family and friends. The staff is friendly and efficient. They are trustworthy and reliable. Every 2 or 3 days one of the staff from Alliance Neapl would come and visit or call to check on me and another volunteer, David from Germany. In short, this is what I called “Personalised Service” which I received from Alliance Nepal.
It was wonderful that Alliance Nepal had arranged for me to stay with a very nice host family. Throughout my stay with my host family, I was able to observe their local cultures and traditions as well as I enjoyed eating Nepal’s national food, daal-baaht.
I was placed to do my volunteer service at “Annapurna Child Home” with 22 children. My first impression of “Child Home” was shocking. I regret to say it has very poor facilities yet it has given me a better insight and a valid reason that I could do something to help the local volunteers and children there.
David and I were honour to be their first batch of foreign volunteers at “Child Home”. To be honest, although both of us are inexperienced in volunteering and caring the children, we did our best to teach and play with the children. I should mention here that communication with the children is a HUGE problem as most of them are young and do not know how to speak English. Nevertheless, when there’s a will, there’s a way.
One of our biggest project or achievement in “Home” was to brighten up the gloomy girls’ and boys’ room. We had a wonderful time in painting some cute cartoons in each room, including the kitchen. The end result was beyond words to describe. We also discovered some kids are talented in drawing and crafting. I truly hope these kids will be given an opportunity to explore whatever talent they have been blessed into a skill which will come in handy when they grow up.
Although I’m back in Singapore now, I never stopped thinking of the children and people I met in Nepal. May all sentient beings in this world are blessed with loving, kindness and compassion.
Andrew
Email : andrewsmith.jack@gmail.com
I had the most amazing couple of months of my life volunteering through Alliance Nepal. I could not have asked for a better experience. I loved the school I volunteered at . The teachers and pupils alike were so welcoming, honest and kind. My host family, Krishna and Bimala were like a second family. A home away from home. Made some life long friends, some locals and fellow volunteers. Look no further than Alliance Nepal if you are thinking of Nepal as your destination! Go for it you won't regret it.
Niamh, Ireland
I've had such a great time in Pokhara, Nepal with Alliance Nepal. The volunteer work was a wonderful experience, I've met so many friendly people + I have always been made to feel welcome at Alliance Nepal, a home away from home...
Just wanted to say a BIG FAT THANKS to Krishna and keep up the good work!
Hope to see you again.
