Nepal Here I Come!

Ok, less than a week away and a lot of people have been asking me about Nepal and what I’ll be doing there!  So here it is!  PS. Thanks for following me on this journey.

I’m volunteering through the RCDP (Rural Community Development Program).

Poverty and past conflicts in Nepal have seriously affected the people living there. This situation has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people and turned many children into orphans. The situation is even worse in the villages so thousands of children arrive in urban centers like Kathmandu and Chitwan in search of jobs and a prosperous future.Unfortunately, the reality of city life is very different from the charmed life they’ve imagined. The children face danger and exploitation. Many of them work over 14-hours a day in industries,hotels, and restaurants and many of them sleep on the streets.  There is no government initiative to protect a child’s fundamental rights and privileges. In response to this crisis, concerned citizens have opened orphanages and tried to house, care and educate the children. RCDP Nepal has also recognized this reality and established Child Welfare Centers in Chitwan and Kathmandu. In addition, RCDP Nepal has also been working with more than 15 local organizations to rescue these children from a life of poverty and degradation.

Asa volunteer in the RCDP orphanage placement position, I will work tobetter the lives of these children by caring for them and teaching them life skills.  Although this is not an RCDP English teaching placement position, I will be tutoring English (me teaching English, ha!), sewing (does sewing on a button count?), painting (right up my alley), tailoring (not so much), crafting (ok I’m in), typing (sure), and computing (definitely). Also during my stay, I’ll be providing basic care for them which will include a focus on health, nutrition, and hygiene.