General Impression
Overall Rating: / 10
A highly rewarding experience. I was very skeptical in the beginning, as i haven't done volunteering abroad, but after a month in Nepal i can now say it was probably my favorite travelling experience.Country
I always had a good experience when meeting people from this region ( only people from India, up until now) and i had this feeling that Nepali are very friendly as well. Truth is, you have to see it for yourself to believe it. People were smiling all the time, very open, very friendly. I believe that Greeks ( my country) are very warm and friendly, but i think Nepal tops us all.They have a special kind of mentality.That's what i miss mostly. Beside that, Nepal is one of the most beautiful countries i have been to. High mountains and an endless green landscape all around.
Project & Staff
My project was in a private clinic in Pokhara. The staff was very friendly and they made me feel like home from day one. I spent most of my time in the operation rooms (3 weeks in a 4-week program) and i had the opportunity to see different practices and learnt new things.
The family i stayed with was very warm and i had some nice conversations with the the couple and their kids . I didn't feel like i was just hosted there, after some days i felt like part of the family . It's a very different experience to stay there as a local .
Last but not least, i had all the help i needed with the LV staff, my contacts in Nepal. The orientation and my adjustment went all smoothly thanks to Manoj . He would come from the capital (Kathmandu) to check with me regularly.
The family i stayed with was very warm and i had some nice conversations with the the couple and their kids . I didn't feel like i was just hosted there, after some days i felt like part of the family . It's a very different experience to stay there as a local .
Last but not least, i had all the help i needed with the LV staff, my contacts in Nepal. The orientation and my adjustment went all smoothly thanks to Manoj . He would come from the capital (Kathmandu) to check with me regularly.
Tips
If you've done volunteering abroad before, then i don't have any tip to share with you. If you haven't, it's one of the best experiences someone can have . The only advice is to really want to do it. If you're 50-50 , you should prefer something else. The mindset prior those kind of trips, takes a vital role on what kind of time you'll have once there. If you're all about blending with the locals and absorbing a very different culture than you probably live in , things like cultural shock and difficulties to adapting there, will not affect you as much as you think.