I arrived on project on Monday. There are other blog posts coming soon about my time in Kathmandu, the journey here and some more specific info about base and site. Unsurprisingly, the more interesting (blogworthy) things I do, the less time I have to write the actual blog posts!
There are currently 8 volunteers here plus 7 local masons and 9 staff (a mix of Nepali and international staff). We live in a big house (currently about 3 per room, but they are bunk beds so there is space for another 3 in our room – on the top bunks that we three currently use for storage). And a few people have brought tents and are camping in the yard. As I said, another post coming about base itself. But it is a great communal space to be living in. The people are great, the facilities are great. The scenery is stunning.
Tuesday was orientation and training plus a really awesome welcome ceremony at the school. There was dancing and singing and some speeches. And we were paraded along the highway from base to the school with some monks (lamas) playing drums and various pipe-type instruments, some medicine men (with drums), and some members of the community and some of the kids too. We were met at the school and given a tikka (the red smudge on the forehead) and a garland of fresh flowers and we walked through a guard of honour from the students. It was really lovely!
Wednesday I had a day on base with two other volunteers while the rest started on site. We’re here at the start of the project so there is some base set up that continues. I was inventorying all sorts of things!!
Thursday (the day I’m writing this post) there were two other volunteers on base for the morning, but they joined the rest of us on site in the afternoon. So I had my first full day on site today. It was great. I did a few different things and used muscles I don’t normally use! My gloves are definitely now dirty!
This community are so excited to have All Hands and Hearts here to help them rebuild their school. The school serves 250 kids and at the moment there isn’t enough space. It has been almost 10 years since the earthquake, which is a very long time to be coping in sub-standard buildings.
We’re building a new building that will have 3 classrooms in it. We’re also building an additional girls’ toilet and a water filtration system plus some work on the fence, playground and some landscaping.
So here’s another gentle request for donations: the building materials cost money, as do the tools, the local workers, the staff and the facilities on base. Volunteers provide a lot of the labour, but without donations there is no sand on the end of my shovel, and no rebar to put inside the footings! Many of you reading this will have already donated, or supported me in other non-financial ways. And for that, I thank you all. But in case you happen to have a few extra pounds floating around that you’d like to put to a good cause, please do consider donating to All Hands and Hearts. https://give.allhandsandhearts.org/fundraiser/5854950 Every donation is very gratefully received.
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