Volunteering in Nepal: Life-story of brick and mortar

It can very well come across as a plan full of naivety, what we felt was all about audacity. We were after-all a bunch of dozen over-enthusiastic, highly qualified but under-skilled people travelling across the sea on a mission. We were not sure how and when we would be able to accomplish the task but I am sure none of us had any doubts. It is strange, as many people were involved- in front or working at the back and even the collective wisdom could not see beyond  the valor. And with all this, or rather despite all this, we did it. I think we could because we were simply building hope, and that needs more than just strong cement foundation.

So it started after a massive earthquake hit Kathmandu early in 2015 and devastated the beautiful city irreparably. Amidst the efforts of world organizations to pour in help, VolunteerinUAE got involved too. I am a part of this wonderful organization and when they told that they wanted to send a team to Nepal to help build a medical center for a fellow organization run orphanage and the village, I was more than just excited. Honestly speaking I wasn't excited out of the ready mix fodder available to feed into my compassion for human kind or anything like that. It was purely out of adventure. I like to travel and Nepal had been on my list. I thought, alright let's do it. Travel a bit, experience countryside, make a side trip and tada- you have a perfect vacation. Such a foolish!

It took a while to smooth-en plans and organize and bring the people and itineraries together but eventually we were put into two teams and sent there one after other for a week each to tackle this task. You know it's fun. It is a picnic. We all got on a plane and clicked pictures and found ourselves in new terrain. It was  great adrenaline rush for the upcoming week. I am not sure what were reasons and expectations of others and why they chose to be there. I just know that we all joined in for our own reasons but all left as one. We all left as one because for at least a moment, we were feeling, thinking and hoping for the same. We had a week of our lives that will be etched in heart for a long-long time, if not lifetime. We were all involved in the love story of the brick-and-mortal.

The routine was simple. We stayed at the orphanage with 21 kids. Our job was to walk early morning to the site and work all day. Get back drenched in cement, dust and sweat. Real struggle started after this when we would queue up to take shower in ice cold water.  This was followed by dinner. End the day with a nap in cold sleeping bags before you wash your eternally dirty T shirts.The beauty is that our routine actually looked much different. 

Wake up earlier than required and realize that your feet have been cold all night. Go out and sit near the fire where tea was being prepared. Have endless chats with nando bhaiyya and others till kids were up for the exercise. Join them for workout and then set off for work. Day went off quickly as shoveling and wheel barrow became heavy and started to retaliate. Come back and of course curse and sing while you clean yourself in dark under cold shower. Then spend time with kids again while you teach them or play with them. Then you serve food to kids and see them eat. Finally it was our turn to eat and spend more time with kids before they go to sleep. This was followed by bonfire or endless 'bluff' games. This cycle continued.

From first day itself, the whole village was a friend. The endless 'Namaste' on way to site and free oranges from cutest kids ever was common. This is it. I am not sure if I could make it sound hard. Frankly it wasn't hard. It was wonderful. We were all eating after a tiresome work when we were famished and sleeping after we couldn't keep our eyes open. The efforts were all self initiated as they made things more beautiful than they already were and the daily tan. bruised skin or stretched muscles were horrible yet not a deterrent.

Why was it so special? 

We all strive to travel to different places. We reach a point where we want to do something beyond norm. Countryside is usually on top of that list. Then we take it a step forward and try to get involved and live with people, understand their culture. We did all of that except we lived as them. I am sure they would have been fascinated that these people have come all the way to their small villages and doing labor-work. But after knowing them, I was more fascinated. It is one thing to say that simplicity is best and simple living is a bliss. It is another to witness and experience it. We were all affluent enough to go wheresoever in the world and experience luxuries. I understand nature resorts are good idea too. But here, we were not given any special treatment. I loved it.

It was always about villager's need and kid's comfort. Kids get hot water and food first. Things are as per villagers' consent. We were just laborers hired without money. And that is why everyone accepted us as part of them. I wonder why they behaved as if we were there forever...and kids are so stupid, they didn't even cry or said they'll miss us when we were leaving, They just don't know the concept of emotional baggage.They asked if we will come again and believed when we said yes. They don't really think beyond that. They just keep on being themselves. Playing and kissing and smiling and asking for swings and posing questions with little intention of knowing the answer.... 

...and then there were others we met. Grown-ups at the orphanage, our cooks, all the villagers. How different were they...?

I met people with wonderful hope backed by baseless reasons. I met people with no aspirations out of ignorance. Playful and disciplined kids who would share everything given to them without fail. There were no small talks or fake smiles or obligation to talk or ask for a cup of tea. There were no hidden agendas or motives of a favor or even a false exchange of phone numbers. There was no pretense of keeping in touch or complain of not keeping in touch. No-one took offense at anything or played around or wanted to be street-smart. Maybe it was because there were no streets!

We left after a week. I left after spending the most highlighted week of my life. You don't usually get a week out of your life which you live with both- a reckless abandonment and a responsible compassion. I saw faces of 'Sandhya' and ' Deepika' on flight back home and wished they do well in life. I promised myself to go back again in few years- after long enough to inculcate the nostalgia. I feel overwhelmed at the thought of going back to those walls that we built together. I  would look for that one stone I laid with my own hands while my helmet was slipping out as I looked up to a bunch of happiest kids as they called me up for nothings.