With curiosity and generosity at the heart of the SWPS community, 20 intrepid explorers took off on an epic adventure to Nepal over half term. Supporting a very worthwhile cause to improve education for local children, our students embarked on a mission to work alongside local builders, staff and locals with the aim of providing long-term infrastructure to rural communities in the Kathmandu Valley whilst experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime 14-day expedition.
The team of SWPS volunteers enthusiastically engaged in the business of helping to complete the build of a playground for a local school. With no tools or machinery, the SWPS volunteers were met with the challenge of ‘thinking outside the box’ and pulling together as a team to ensure that bricks, sand and water was transported from the top of the school to the playground area. The more artistic students painted a brightly-coloured mural, inviting one or two of the local children to help. At the end of the five day project, and much to everyone’s delight, the team were rewarded with fun and games in the playground with the local school children. The challenges of physical labour brought huge reward and satisfaction, along with teamwork and camaraderie.
On returning to Kathmandu the group experienced an authentic, genuine immersion in the local environment, the culture its markets and visited temples and other famous Kathmandu sites including the UNESCO World Heritage Site Swayambhunath (known as the Monkey Temple) and Durbar Square, eyes were opened to the experience of living and working in Kathmandu. Their time in Kathmandu coincided with Dashain, Nepal’s grandest and most widely celebrated festival. The group were able to witness and experience local families coming together, exchanging gifts and blessings and elaborate pujas.
The group spent the next few days trekking through typical Nepali villages, taking in incredible vistas with amazing scenery and spectacular views of the Himalayas and staying in Teahouses along the way. Whilst exhausting and testing as an experience, it was also incredible in terms of celebration and achievement.
A valuable experience in building self-confidence and independence, students benefited from exploring a completely new environment and way of living and were rewarded through the fulfilling volunteering work. More photos from the trip can be seen at www.swps.org.uk/academic/co-curricular/tripsandvisits
