My Volunteer Experiences In Nepal

An Indian Traveler

2 years ago

After exploring the Kumaon region in Uttarakhand, I travelled to Nepal. During my one-month stay in Nepal, I explored different parts of Nepal. In this post, I will talk about my volunteer experiences in Nepal at two drastically different workplaces and regions, i.e. as a guest lecturer at a college in the lowland region and a Tea picker at a Tea farm in the hilly region. It was a great learning experience for me. Read on!

**Crossing bridge between India and Nepal**

MY VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE AT A COLLEGE IN NEPAL

I crossed into Nepal on foot via the Banbasa Border in Uttarakhand, India. At the border, I was greeted by friendly Nepalese border police. Before entering Nepal, I was planning to take a bus directly to Pokhara, but at the last minute, I found a host on Workaway in the Far-west province of Nepal, and I decided to change my destination. I volunteered for around 2 weeks at the college. My work entailed writing and taking lectures on various topics(drawing from my personal experiences) and helping in the back office. Also, I conducted a 2-day workshop for the students about “Traveling as a career”. The college’s location is quite different from quintessential Mountainous Nepal. It is in the lowland region of Nepal and was quite hot during my stay in May. I truly enjoyed my volunteer stint at the college. I got an opportunity to tap into the untapped side of my personality. I was a bit nervous during my first lecture while addressing 40+ students, but gradually I got the hang of it. I started doing pre-writing, pre-planning, and pre-rehearsing of my lectures. Gradually, I started looking forward to interacting with students. I learnt many aspects of teaching. At some point in my life, I would definitely like to teach. I explored the town and nearby village during the off-days and after-school hours. I had a glimpse into the Nepalese culture, food and way of living. After working hours, me and PR ma’am used to go for evening walks. During our evening excursions, Ma’am told me a lot about teaching, Nepal and her life experiences. Truly enlightening conversations! Also, I was really impressed by the simplicity of Principal Sir. He treated me like a younger brother. Nutritious vegetarian meals were provided during my stay. I had a truly fulfilling time as a volunteer and will cherish the experience.

**Drying the leaves after rolling with hands**

**You don’t need a microwave to make popcorn 🙂**

MY VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE AT A TEA FARM IN NEPAL

I end my journey in Nepal with a week-long volunteer stint. Thanks to Workaway again, I volunteered at a family’s tea farm. The village where the farm is located, is truly serene and beautiful, populated with tea plantations. I quite liked the foggy weather which is also perfect for tea farming. I worked at picking tea leaves, tea making process(rolling, roasting, drying), cutting long grass, in the kitchen, and helping their son with the admission process. I totally enjoyed doing different tasks. I learned a lot about tea farming and tea making process. It was a totally machineless process, completely organic and the result was Non-CTC tea. Drinking tea from the dry leaves we picked, dried, rolled, and roasted was truly fulfilling. Also, I tried Chayote for the first time (locally known as Chow-Chow). It belongs to the gourd family. It is a staple food of the village. I enjoyed conversations on various topics with the family, especially with their teenage son. Such a bright kid. We spoke on diverse topics, or I merely tried to calm down his countless curiosities haha. A great place to work, learn, relax and rejuvenate away from the hustle and bustle. The more I travel to mountainous/hilly villages, the more I feel like I belong there. My two drastically different volunteer experiences were truly the highlight of my Nepal trip, but it is only one part of my journey in Nepal. Stay tuned to read about the other part of my journey 🙂