From the leader Alissa…
Greetings from Chahare Dovan —
Internet here is SUPER SUPER SLOW and power outages are many! I have attempted many times to send photos (which have failed), so here is a brief blog update with photos to come later either from Kathmandu or Bhaktapur…
After an amazing hike in Langtang National Park, the group journeyed towards Kathmandu and began the one hour hike down to our homestay village of of the main mountain road that snakes through the hillsides of Nepal from the mountains towards the capital. Located near Ranipawa, Chahare Dovan is a small rural Tamang village steeped in rice terraces. The group was greeted by villagers as we descended to the school where we were welcomed by all of the students of the village and representatives of the homestay families. After the first night’s homestay, filled with many ‘firsts’ including eating with hands, going to the bathroom with the water bucket system, and sleeping above water buffaloes, the group arrived at the worksite ready to get started with huge smiles on their faces.
After only a few days of work we have already helped to lay the foundation for the secondary school we will be building while in the village – in fact, the structural stone walls are already starting to rise! The group will also be painting the primary school and designing decorative murals including a world map for students to learn from!
Last night GR students celebrated the Tamang harvest holiday of Sangratti alongside their family members and were able to partake in the local traditions of the festival, which included eating delicious offerings of sweet mango!
Notes from the village…
Sophia and Michelle area staying together and did laundry the other day with their host sisters: they noted that hand washing with a bucket and a stone not only cleaned their clothes but provided
exercise, satisfaction, and community building! Valentine, Kelly and Madison were treated to a trip to a local waterfall with their family, while Caleb and Ian get closer and closer to milking the water buffalo
that lives inside their home, just below them! Meanwhile, Dan and Lonya continue to explore the rice paddy terraces that surround their walk home from the worksite!
All are well, healthy, happy, and most importantly actively learning and exploring through the program. Stay tuned….
Namaste
