Perspective: A Journey to Nepal {part 2}

The following is part 2 of a special guest post from my younger sister. You can catch up with part 1 here.

I brought a duffel bag full of toys and items that I picked up at a 99 Cent store. For a couple bucks out of my pockets, those children will have countless hours of fun. They had never before seen a jump rope or sidewalk chalk or bouncy balls.

I had the pleasure of watching them use all of these things for the first time. We covered the entire roof patio with colorful drawings.

Hours of fun with chalk

It was nice to give the children the things I did but I am positive that they would have been fine without them. They are happy with what they have and they are just fine playing for hours with nothing but some dirt.

Because dirt plus water makes clay in their world. Or scrap paper can become several different origami pieces. And there are always the traditional songs and dances that they take very much pride in.

Karishma adored this volunteer

Mealtime was especially humbling. Because I was a guest, I was always served first. It was heart-wrenching to watch the kids wait patiently for their food while they stared at mine.

Mine always came in separate dishes, which is the authentic Nepali way. But for the children, everything was piled onto one plate for them. A heaping pile of white rice, curried vegetables, and lentil soup was served for every meal. Sometimes mustard greens.

Every Meal

Even though they always ate the same thing, they could not wait to get their food. The second the plate was put before them, their eyes lit up and their hands dug in. I literally mean hands because they do not use utensils. They move all the food around on the plate and make little balls by squishing it together and then they go for their mouth. There is definitely an art to it.

The children would finish their plates very quickly and the cook would come around and serve up more. They always wanted more. I’ve never seen children eat so much but it is because they are used to not knowing when the next meal could be served. I never saw one grain of rice wasted. When the food ran out, mealtime was over and the kids cleared the table and washed their plates and their hands.

The Squatter

Another thing they don’t have is a toilet. Instead, they use a squatter. I still do not fully understand the proper way to use one, but it does not involve toilet paper, which was my main difficulty.  Buckets of water are used to wash everything down. There is a very distinct smell of urine throughout many Nepali buildings.

Bathing is not done very often at the Maya center. This was hard for me to accept. They didn’t change their clothes and they didn’t bathe. I would pray every night that I’d wake up the next morning to see them in a new outfit– but it was always the one I had seen on them the day before. And there I was always wearing something different.

My time in Kathmandu was truly rewarding and could not have been a better learning experience. I hope that what I had to offer the children and staff at the center was beneficial. I will never forget the memories I made and I will share them with all that are interested. I think we can all learn some valuable lessons from other cultures, especially those that get by on much less than we do.

A sign of hope remains

Several readers have inquired about donations or ways to help the children of the Maya Counseling Center. Jessica’s volunteer work was facilitated by United Planet. You can read more about volunteer quests in Nepal here. They also accept monetary donations.

We are seeking an address and will update with further info. In the mean time, follow United Planet on Twitter and help spread the word about volunteering abroad!