Disaster Response Nepal Project #26773

Empower and support nonprofits in Nepal

by GlobalGiving

Project Report | Jul 22, 2017
Last Week in Nepal!

By Mihika Chanchani | Nepal Field Traveler

With my new friends from The Small World

Hello everyone!

Its been an absoultely amazing and interesting two and a half months in Nepal. Till now I have:

Visited 23 non-profit partners (with 3 more to go)
Conducted 2 succesful workshops (with one more to go)
Traveled to 6 different districts in Nepal (and many remote locations)
Gotten addicted to Nepali dal bhat, and,
Bungee jumped!!

I've learned so much about this beautiful country and its amazing people but also about how complicated and difficult the aid and development situation is here. I will be starting an MSc in Violence, Conflict and Development at SOAS, London this term and will use my experience here to work on how I would like to affect more change in the future.

Nepali people are probably some of the most welcoming and supportive people I've encountered. The warmth with which I've been received in so many different situations is extraordinary. The buggest thing that Nepali people have taught me is resiliance. The ability to keep going on even though there might be no real progress in sight. Their resiliance after the earthquake is really heartening to see. I have a new respect ofr people's capacity to keep going on after extreme davastation.

In my last week here, I'll finally have some time to think and relfect on this experience, on how much it has taught me and how it has changed me. Nepal will stay with me forever and I would encourage you to get in touch with me if you'd like to know more about my time here!

I would like to thank all of you for making this possible for me. Your donations have allowed me to reach so many people and places safely. I have personally seen the positive impact of my presence in Nepal, the ability to see projects face to face, and learn directly from the communities has benefited both the organisations I've visited and me! I would not have been able to do any of it without you!

With love from Kathmandu,

Mihika.

Received like a queen in Nuwakot

Exploring mountain water projects!

With the lovely Rudralaxmi (Bhaktapur)

Bungee jumping!

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May 21, 2017
First 10 days in Nepal!

By Mihika Chanchani | Nepal Field Traveler

The children at Ramailio Jyothi School

Hello friends and donors,

Its been 10 days since I arrived in Nepal and I have to say its been an absolute whirlwind! I am instantly struck by the rush of motorbikes as my Airbnb host Raju picks me up on his bike from the ariport. The second thing I notice, almost everyone is wearing masks. The terrible pollution in Kathmandu is a sad consequence of the growth this valley city has seen in the past few years. But this is overshadowed by the amazing warmth and kindness of everyone I meet in Nepal.

My frist field visit to Solukhumbu (in the Himalayan foothills) to visit the projects of The Small World, Edge of Seven and dZi Foundation was unforgettable! It was a trip of many frists:

11 hour journey is a stuffy jeep where I got to have an interesting conversation about spirituality with some monks
Walking up mountains to reach projects that tested the extreme limits of my physical capabilities
Accepting the limits of my body and cancelling a visit which was a day's walk up a "hill" (mountain)
But meeting some of the most amazing people who live in probably some of the most difficult terrain I have ever encountered but who greet you with a smile and a lovely cup of black tea!

Having walked the two and a half hours up to a school reconstruction projet by The Small World, I got a glimpse into the challenges of the task. The sheer will and power it would have taken to physically transport bags of cement, bricks and other building materials to the site is amazing. They managed to do it, and the smiles of the lovely students there shows how much it means.

I also conducted my first GlobalGiving workshop for current partners in Kathmandu on 20th May. We had 11 amazing non-profit partners in attendance and I showed them effective ways to create fundraising strategies, and how to make full use of the GlobalGiving platform.

I am so grateful to you for donating to my project and giving me the opportunity to do this! Follow me on Instagram @mihikachanchani to get updates about my journey.

Khada is the traditional Nepali thank you gesture

Lovely children at Himalayan Hope Home

Salleri Bazar Saturday market

First Workshop!

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