My first meeting with the girls of ‘Little Gems’ was hectic. All of the girls were curious about me, some were very shy whilst others were not at all reserved. I settled down immediately helping them with homework and talking to them about my country and impressions I had of theirs.
Thomas Williams
Nepal is an ancient country north of India. It is the only completely Hindu country and is home to some of the highest mountains in the world, including Mount Everest. Nepal is also one of the poorest countries in the world where children are often forced to work long hours doing manual labour. Organisations such as Help 2 Educate try to make a life for these children and give them a basic education in the hope that they will get stable jobs and improve their standard of living. Little Gems Hostel, in a small village called Bungmati, is an example of what Help 2 Educate have achieved.
On arriving in Kathmandu I was very nervous about what to expect and how to behave in such a foreign culture. After three days in this fascinating city, Rabindra, the hostel warden and charity co-ordinator, picked me up and took me to Prem and Ramita’s house where I would be staying for the next two months. Everyone was very friendly and soon I felt at home in such a relaxed atmosphere.
My first meeting with the girls of ‘Little Gems’ was hectic. All of the girls were curious about me, some were very shy whilst others were not at all reserved. I settled down immediately helping them with homework and talking to them about my country and impressions I had of theirs. I decided I would be happy teaching English and Maths and on starting work at Tri-Ratna school I was thrown straight into a class of twenty five children. Never having taught before, this was, at first, very nerve racking and on occasions I found it hard to teach the children in ways they could understand. However, as I got used to teaching and as I got to know the children better, I found that my classes were far more successful.
The scenery of Nepal is stunning. I loved visiting the lakes of Pokhara and the flatlands of the Royal Chitwan National Park, where one can have an elephant ride for a very reasonable price. One of the highlights for me was the Himalayan flight which is organised by Help 2 Educate. I was expecting the mountain ranges to be spectacular but nothing can prepare you for the sheer scale of them.
I can confidently say that I will treasure the experiences I had in Nepal for the rest of my life and I recommend it to everyone. If you wish to see the country for what it really is there is no better way than teaching in the beautiful village of Bungmati.
