Meet Carli – Volunteer in Nepal

Since being exposed to women’s and gender studies early in her college career, Carli has pursued opportunities to put what she’s learned into practice. She came across a United Planet Quest in Nepal that involved living and working at a counseling center for young girls who were survivors of abuse. She saw this Quest as a great opportunity to get immersed in the day-to-day life of these girls and help them overcome the challenges they face. Having not traveled abroad much before, Carli liked that United Planet offered a very structured volunteer experience with a good support system.

During her Quest to Nepal, Carli was stayed directly at the counseling center located about four miles South of Kathmandu, the capital of the country. She was lived alongside twenty girls aged between 3 and 19 years old. As part of her volunteering project, she helped the girls with homework and gave them her love and attention.

The children were so happy to have me there. These girls live a completely different life than we do in the U.S. and are so joyful, kind, and lighthearted. They have so much less than what most American children grow up with, yet they are laughing and having fun with what they have.

Traveling to Nepal was a big cultural challenge for Carli. She had to adjust to the living conditions of a developing country, overcome the language barrier, and get used to the way the local people behave. When she first arrived in Nepal, she was afraid to talk to strangers.  But as she got to interact with the people and see how friendly they were, she started to trust them.

People are very friendly in Nepal regardless of whether they know you or not. I have heard stories of fellow travelers who said that they got sick and a complete stranger offered them to stay at his home and gave them his share of food. The host would not eat that night but he would be fine with that. The generosity that this culture holds is mind-blowing to me.  I fell in love with the people and the culture and I would love to go back to Nepal to volunteer there again.

After working at the counseling center, Carli traveled back to Kathmandu for Tihar, a five-day Nepalese festival. There she stayed with a host family: a woman who runs a local orphanage, her husband, and two teenage girls. While in Kathmandu, Carli was able to travel to the surrounding cities, admire the architecture of the temples, and experience the local culture and traditions.

Carli said that she was especially impressed with one of the nights of Tihar, which she described as “Halloween and 4^th of July combined in one night.” On that night, children go door to door, sing and dance for candy and money. She watched how the kids rehearsed their dances and songs at the orphanage and then got to see them perform all night long.

Carli said that her Quest was a life-changing experience. It made her reassess her values and outlook on life. After her Quest to Nepal, Carli is planning to pursue other volunteer opportunities. She is going to be mentoring middle school aged girls on the topics of leadership, identity, and healthy relationships.

I realized that what matters in life is not the things, it’s the people.  I learned that it is important to help people without expecting anything in return. I was taught about humanity and what it means to really be a human on this planet, merely through the every day kindness, generosity and hospitality that was offered to me on a daily basis. I realized in the busy life that I live back in the United States, these basic qualities are so underrated, but if practiced are wildly influential in attaining a fulfilling, happy life. Not only for yourself, but for fellow man.

You can read more about Carli’s volunteer Quest to Nepal in her blog.