From Melbourne to Kathmandu
The day I arrived in Nepal I was immediately overwhelmed with culture shock,
the incredibly busy roads, the shops, the people, the smells, the poverty. Although I was experiencing all of these
things, it didn't change my mind about why I came to Nepal - to volunteer in
child homes and orphanages to help out any way I can.
I spent about 3 months volunteering in Nepal. For 1 of those months I was lucky
enough to be invited to volunteer in the CCRC - Community Children Rescue Centre
which is funded by The Asha Foundation.
At the time I was volunteering here there were about 7 toddlers and 20
young children from about 2-13yrs old. All of these children were extremely
welcoming to me, a foreigner from a land far away. As well as that Abigail
(CCRC Manager) and the Didis, who care, cook and clean for the children were
also extremely welcoming, friendly and funny.
During my time at the CCRC, I helped the children with their homework, we
played games, read books, player soccer, did drawings, colourings and all other
things kids love to do! The thing that amazed me about these children is that
they are so happy even though they have so little. They were so thankful to me
and so motivated about their schooling - it was like a breath of fresh air
coming from a developed country such as Australia where people tend to take
things for granted.
One day stands out for me - I decided to buy the children some
pencils and colouring books to have a bit of an activity after they had
finished their homework. The kids were so incredibly excited when I started
handing out the colouring books. In Australia you would have thought I had just
bought them all a new Wii Game or a mobile phone or something. However, it was merely just a few coloured pencils and
some drawing books that got this reaction.
My experience volunteering and living in Nepal has greatly changed the way I
live my life, the things I worry about and the things I hope for. I think sometimes people get too caught up in
insignificant worries and forget to look at the big picture.
These children at the CCRC have next to nothing and yet they are aiming so
high. These kids deserve to have enough money to buy water to wash
regularly, to have some fruit and vegetables daily, to go on outings
to see the sites of their country that many tourists see all the time and to be
able to draw and colour when they feel like being creative. However, since
these children are living in such a poor country these things are not possible
without the generosity of sponsors, volunteers and donations.
Laura has seen what child sponsorship can do for these children.
Interested in helping The Asha Foundation improve the lives of children - please click here
