10 Days Full of Laughter in Nepal Volunteering at Libraries

2014 Global Volunteer Leadership Workshop 

& Univ. Students GPM Camp

10 Days Full of Laughter in Nepal Volunteering at Libraries

From Jan. 10 to Jan. 20, 8 directors and managers from 5 different chapters of Mindlle, SFP Korea adult volunteer group, and group of 5 Korean Univ. students participated in 2014 Nepal GPM Camp did volunteer service along with Nepali volunteers in one-on-one pair. 

The places we carried out volunteer activities at this time in Sarlahi, Nepal was at Sotikhola Village which only 25 household reside in, at Children & Youth Library in Barahathwa town center, and at Hariwon DreamCatcher Children’s Center.

Volunteering Story One

Sotikhola Village Library, Revived by Volunteers’ Effort 

At Sotikhola community in Sarlahi, Nepal, there’s an unfinished library building constructed by Service for Peace with Henus fund which required additional $2,000 to complete the construction. After the volunteer leadership workshop participants heard the story that Sotikhola library needed extra money to install the front door & windows and to plaster and paint the walls, they raised enough money through fundraising activity in Korea to finish the construction before they leave. And, they also did painting work with local volunteers when they were at Sotikhola community. At the same time, the collage volunteer group did educational activities such as mask making with the children from Sotikhola community. 

Did they read our volunteers mind that we wanted to heal the wounds of Sotikhola village people who have been treated contemptuously long time as the untouchables, the lowest class in caste system, and to give the opportunity to overcome the hardship through education? The volunteers from Barahathwa area who worked in one-on-one pair with Korean volunteers are touched and pledged to do the volunteer service continuously. A local council member Mr. Binod Khanal visited the volunteering site and expressed his interest to support the library after he heard the news. He said “I am ashamed that I didn’t do anything until Korean volunteer group raised money and came to this area to do the volunteer service although it is essentially our job to change.” He also said, “From now on I will endeavor to make the local government to support the library”. 

Volunteering Story Two

“Sichalle Lastalai Matti Utchallcheo!!”  

A Vigorous Roar That Announces Completion of Children & Youth Library

 The completion ceremony of Barahathwa Children & Youth Library funded by KOICA scheduled on Jan. 16. The Korean adult volunteer group Mindle visited the Children & Youth Library on Jan. 14 to campaign the importance of education and to the completion of the new library to the local residence. Students in the community who will use this new library and the local residents who graduated from Women’s literacy class which run by Service for Peace with KOICA fund joined in this campaign. 

The slogan the group shouted together while parading through the town streets was;

“Sichalle Lastalai Matti Utchallcheo!!” (Education Raises the Country!!)

Volunteers held the pickets made by the DreamCatcher Children’s Center children in their creative art class. On the pickets there were slogans that advocates the value of the education like;

“Reading is the power of country”

“Education gives us knowledge”

“Education develops country”

 While the volunteers loudly shouted the phrases with the pickets the children’s center children made, the staff from Service for Peace Nepal handed out the invitations to the ceremony to the villagers who were watching the parade. The volunteers marched through the streets, shouting the slogan, till everyone in town heard the news that a new library opens in their town.

 

Volunteering Story Three

An Untiring Day with Dazzling Smile of the Children 

In Sarlahi, Nepal, Service for Peace Nepal runs DreamCatcher Children’s Center, supported by the aid from Community Chest of Korea at the beginning and now supported by Daewoo International, for the warfare child victims. When volunteers began cleaning the center, children showed up with cleaning supplies and started working together before requesting. It seemed like they were so excited about the fact that somebody came to help them to clean their place. Because as soon as the volunteers finished cleaning one place children dragged them to another place, the volunteers seemed little tired but they still looked so happy.

In the afternoon, the volunteers divided into three groups to get ready for the Peace Party. The first group taught how to play recorder to the children with the recorders they brought from Korea. The second group organized the goods to sell at the bazaar. The third group prepared the dishes for the Peace Party. 

Finally when Peace Party started around 3:30pm, the party ground was crowded with a lot of local residents.

The Korean Volunteers and the children from the children’s center could not rest any moment because people constantly came to purchase items from the bazaar. Nevertheless, the volunteers who communicated with the locals in body language spent rewarding time while local residents delightfully browsing and buying the items that they brought from Korea and the items donated to the children’s center.

While locals did shopping at the bazaar, the Children’s center children delivered creative performances on the main stage.  They staged various performances like dances, plays and speeches that longing for peace, etc. The audience responded with laughter and applause at children’s performances that make them laughed and touched. In the past, the locals, who could not know how the children’s center operated, spread the rumors that the children’s center locks the children in and abuses them. But, after children’s center holds the Peace Party once a year and see the children being so bright and happy they realized that the children at children’s center are raised sound and healthy. Now the image that the children at the center are war victims who needed to be protected is disappeared. This is something SFP wants to show to our supporters. 

On Jan. 16, besides the local community membes, 10 VIP from local community and numerous women volunteers who participate in SFP Volunteer Festival in December came to the building completion ceremony of Barahathwa Children and Youth Library. 

This year’s global volunteer leadership workshop and college student GPM camp not only did volunteer service but also delivered the solar powered lanterns to the local community. This is part of the Alllights Village project that GFP Foundation campaigns. The volunteers raised ₩3,000,000 by making and selling natural soaps and received 600,000 won contribution from Vomy club CHAD. And, they bought 115 lanterns from Korea and donated to the children’s center and 6 local communities.

The volunteers, after finishing the entire service program, traveled Nagalkot to see the Himalayan sunrise and visited historical sites, left Nepal on Jan. 20. Wishes that The memories of working together serve as momentum to make Sarlahi area a happier and more affluent place to live…

 

Thank you for everyone who participated and supported this program.