September 18, 2016
My husband Aaron
and I were looking for a volunteer opportunity while visiting Nepal. We were visiting Nepal for 2-1/2 months and wanted
to find a cause that we were passionate about.
After being introduced to Arati and learning more about Care and
Development Organization(CDO), we decided to volunteer with CDO Nepal for the
month of September.
Arati and her husband Pradeep
welcomed us into their home and were so generous to us during our stay. We shared meals with their family and slept
in the flat above their home. The flat
is very comfortable and beautiful view
of mountain, jungle and sunset from
house. We have enjoyed learning
about the Nepali culture and strolling around the beautiful town of Godawari. The food has been wonderful also; our
favorite treat has been the buffalo momo’s! Our volunteer work has consisted
primarily of teaching English to 1st and 2nd graders at a
community school in Godawari. Nepalese
children are eager to learn and their smiles brightened the classroom each and
every day. The children were always
eager to sing songs, play games, and read in front of the class. We were inspired by how the children look out
for one another and encourage one another in school. Nepalese people could teach us westerners a
few things about taking care of your friends, neighbors, and community.
CDO Nepal sponsors the lunch
program for the school we worked at and lunch was one of our favorite times. Some of the students come to school hungry
and they would light up as lunch was served.
Watching the children eat every last bite (some even licking the plates)
made Aaron and I appreciate all that
we have and sometimes take for granted back in the United States.
There are many school holidays
during the month of September. On school
holidays we were able to assist the CDO staff in various community projects,
such as their visits to nearby carpet factories and to local elderly
homes. During these visits the staff
provided educational lessons on different topics. These topics ranged from personal hygiene,
safe food preparation, and HIV awareness.
After the educational lessons, the CDO staff of trained nurses would
meet with each individual and take their blood pressure. The nurses would listen to health concerns of
each attendee and prescribe medication if needed. It was quickly visible to Aaron and I how important these community programs
were to the local people. Healthcare is
not easy to attain in Nepal
and many of the patients have no other way to get proper medical
attention.
We are grateful for the
experience with CDO Nepal and the generosity of Arati and Pradeep Singh. CDO is able to help so many people throughout
the Kathmandu Valley
and remote areas of Nepal. Thank you CDO Nepal for making this
experience so memorable for us!
