Nina Chapman - Norway - Dec - 2008
We planned the classes the day before. The kids were very eager to learn, especially the second class. The teaching at the primary school seemed much needed, as they lacked teachers and as the kids really benefited from having English speaking people around. They were so eager to learn! I would recommend any volunteers going to Thulakhet to consider teaching at the primary school.

Sarah Looney - England - 23rd November 2008
I arrived in Sauraha in the afternoon after a relatively uneventful bus journey – it was only about an hour late! The previous volunteer was staying with the host family till the next day so I spent the night in a 'tower' in the jungle which was great!  We were woken up in the middle of the night as there was a rhino mother and baby grazing underneath the tower! 

Drac Garcia Palacios - Catalonia, Spain - 28 of June
So, yes, my wish is been fulfilled, I did have the opportunity to travel, go inside of the culture, meet a lot of people, and do something meaningful like teaching English, which I think is really important for them, because gives the opportunity to read more, discover new worlds, travel, get better education, better jobs, and hopefully better lives. So I have to give many, many thanks to Info-Nepal for the big opportunity that they gave me. They are doing a really good job.

Anna Drutschinin - Australia - : February 6th 2008
- I would love to go back to Nirmal Pokhari as I formed so many close relationships there and it really is a beautiful village. Now that I know what its like, I would go back more prepared so that I could make more of a difference - I feel that I spent my time there learning about the culture of Nepal and the issues it faces more than actually doing quality teaching.

Anne-Marie Parry - England - 30th June 2008
We did full medical checks at the school and at the orphanage a total of one hundred children, the local doctor at a near by health post came also to prescribe any medication the children needed. We also took some of the children from the orphanage to the dentist in Narangard.
I was very sad to leave my placement as the people there and the children were so welcoming and helpful it really felt like home. I do hope in the future I will return here and see how the school has progressed and how the children have grown up.

Danielle Soya  - USA  - 27 April 2008
Last year I left Gatlang at the end of winter determined to return the next year. It may be a few months later than I'd hoped, but I did return this year to spend the month of May teaching at Gatlang Library and school. I had suggested last year that INFO give Tamang language training to Gatlang volunteers since they don't speak Nepali. When I arrived, I was happy to find out that Durga (the Gatlang host father) was in Kathmandu to give me just that. It was difficult, but the even the few words I remembered helped control the kids and helped me relate better to their very curious parents.

Nina Chapman - Norway - Dec - 2008
Got up at 6.30 and had tea. First class at the RC at 7 am with the little kids, second class at 8 am with the older kids. Went back to the house for dhal bhat at 9.30. Taught at the primary school from 10am-1pm. After 1 pm: free time. Went hiking or visited the next village. 6-7 pm had dhal bhaat.

Edward Macey - England - 12th May 2008
At the library where we were given as much freedom as we wanted, we based the lessons usually around a topic such as time, weather, family etc and would then use various methods to teach it. The most popular method was drawing and some students managed to fill their books with drawings within a few weeks. Other popular methods included games such as hangman and pictionary. A methods which I tried to use only when necessary included writing on the board and they would simply copy as this is often employed at school and is not much fun or effective way of teaching for you or the students.

Tegan Burnet - Australia - 6th Dec 08

Take lots of things to do and read, as in the mountains there are less people to talk with, and if there is no school the days can be long. Be prepared to take the initiative and get involved. And be prepared with lots of ideas and resources at all sorts of levels as the children vary from no English to pretty good basics.

Simon Altman - German - Aug - 2009
And so my placement comes to an end…
It was a tough experience and to say I enjoyed it wouldn't be the right words. The isolation, freezing cold and very simple way of life definitely takes a big adjustment, and really tests your strength of character. But despite this, it's was an experience I'm glad I had. It taught me some valuable lessons, and made my understanding of the world and myself a little deeper.

Danielle Soya  - USA  - 27 April 2008
Gatlang is a challenging place for a volunteer. The weather can be extreme, and the lifestyle is worlds away from home, but you'd be hard pressed to find a more welcoming community. I hope the increase in volunteers willing to travel out to Gatlang continues to grow. I know they are eagerly awaiting the next set that comes through.

Edward Macey - England - 12th May 2008
The main issue was obviously the language barrier, especially when teaching in the primary school as you were trying to teach them from the books they were given and the exercises were far too hard for them. The books were also outdated and often had mistakes in them, which the teachers would never realise, and therefore the teachers would have already drilled this into them.

Shweta Parmekar - USA - July 2009
I loved the variety that volunteering in different parts of Nepal offered.  It exposed us to various health conditions and circumstances which gave us a wider perspective on healthcare here.  It also allowed us to practice the clinical skills we've gained thus far and allowed us to see conditions that we may not normally see in the States.