Joshika and Sahana Volunteering in Nepal – May-July 2014
I spent 5 weeks at MVEF with Govinda and Chetana, along with my friend Sahana. Here, I got the chance to learn a great deal about organic farming and sustainable agriculture, but also hear about Govinda’s vision for educating his community about a sustainable way of supporting one’s family without having to leave Nepal. The sustainability of the farm itself was also very cool to see – everything that can be is reused. The cow urine is used to enrich the soil, and Govinda is working on a project to use waste to generate fuel. If you’re at all interested in farming and sustainability, this is the place to visit! Although we visited during the monsoon season, we were still able to help out on the farm when it wasn’t raining, with things like picking vegetables, weeding, and planting seedlings. Sahana and I also taught at the local government primary school, teaching English and math among other subjects. Teaching was definitely not easy! Although we faced several challenges, such as the huge language barrier, I learned a great deal about the government school system in Nepal, and I loved the chance to spend time with some of the children of this community. The kids we taught were so sweet and loving – they were
always so excited to see us every morning!
While I was there, I visited the Lekhnath Community Hospital, where I learned about some of the health problems faced by villages in Nepal, such as sanitation, hygiene, diabetes, and anemia. This hospital is pretty new and is just getting off the ground, but it was very interesting to see how hospitals in small communities operate. Govinda and Chetana, as well as Sharada Aama and their nephew Saugat, were very welcoming to us. We had many interesting conversations with Govinda and Sharada Amma about Nepal and Lekhnath, picking up words and phrases in Nepali. We had so much fun with Chetana, learning to make chapatis and different type of tea and vegetables, and listening to music. If you want to learn about organic farming and about Nepal from a family that knows and loves this beautiful country, then visit and volunteer at MVEF. This was an incredible and eye-opening experience for me, one that I definitely will never forget!
Joshika & Sahana
