Guest Post: Kelsey Bourn
This is a guest post from Kelsey Bourn, who volunteered at the orphanage and the nunnery between February and March 2009.
I was fortunate enough to spend two months in Nepal, yet it did not seem nearly long enough time spent with the fifteen beautiful children living in the orphanage supported by Padma. I started going to the home on Saturdays to help in any way I could, teaching English or playing, but what it came to be was mostly me learning from them. They all come with different backgrounds with some similarities, and looking at them now you would never be able to tell the hardships they have survived to become the extremely loving and beautiful people they are today. The words I taught them that they didn‘t already know were few and far between, their understanding of English was amazing to me and it was easy to believe that they were successful in their school. The loving people that care for the orphanage do an amazing job at keeping them organized and focused on their education, health and ending the cycle of poverty.
The one thing that I hope I left with the children was hope, and the possibility to dream. One project I did asked the children what they wanted to be when they grew up and not surprisingly the children had big goals- doctors, pilots and teachers were common among the list. It amazes me still the way they seem to be such a family, working together, communicating freely, eager to learn and their appreciation for life and their new “family”. Because they knew so much English already, it was easy to concentrate solely on songs and games that they could play after I had returned to the U.S. They particularly enjoyed “Red Rover” and, because they are all so bright, I only had to show them one time before the following weekend, on the arrival to the home, I could see them already outside playing it on their own.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Nepal with these great children. It was hard to say goodbye to them but it made it easier knowing that there were and still are good people looking out for them, completely supporting them and I only hope I can give back to them as much as they have given to me.