Hello to all the readers, my name is Ginny and you are going to be hearing from me throughout this entire trip as I have been tasked to be the official blogger. You have already met one of our volunteers Mei Chion, so Ill be introducing to you the rest of the team going to the village of Namkheli. (All entries are backdated, I apologise for the lag!)
Mei – I’m Mei who simply loves travelling and if possible to travel with a purpose. I have always wanted to go to Nepal and finally found a great opportunity with Project Bean Sprout where I can trek, enjoy the scenery, know the locals and get to help them. Im fortunate to have met a group of fun and creative people. I’m really looking forward to the trip and meeting the people in Namkheli!
Esther – I love trekking and this is my third time to Nepal. I am looking forward to re-visiting Nepal and meeting the children in the school!
Xin Min – Xin Min was supposed to join us but unfortunately fell sick just before our departure and was unable to join us!
Sox – The lady behind everything. She, together with Lester are the masterminds behind the school in the village. She will not be joining us this time round as she has work commitments. She already went up earlier in March this year!
Ginny – That’s me! So I’m a doctor-to-be and I have always wanted to go to Nepal. Being able to join this team was truly serendipity at work as I only came to know about this trip totally by chance. I love travelling and outdoor activities and I have wanderlust that compels me to travel as much as I can and experience as much as I can. I love eating and reading. I can lose myself in books for days at a time. I am really looking forward to experiencing the sight, sound and taste of Nepal as well as meeting the wonderful people of Namkheli village.
Kian Beng – Kian Beng works in civil defence. He was also originally supposed to join us but other commitments cropped up. However, he has been playing an active role in helping train us during the weeks leading to the trip. He has also helped out with the logistics!
Alynn – I’m Alynn, I work as a freelance art director, designer, online shop owner and blogger. Some of my biggest passions in life are taking pictures of my 3 p.m. breaks & everyday life, long walks, drinking coffee and travelling. This is my first time visiting Nepal and i’m really looking forward to meet everyone in Manjushri-Singa Primary School. ( She will also be supervising the painting of the world map in the school walls!)
And last but not least, Lester – This will be my 7th trip to Nepal, a place where I can truly find serenity while marvelling at the magnificent mountains I dream of climbing. Yes, I love the great outdoors. I am also an IT geek struggling to avoid tipping towards nerdiness. I hope the volunteers will find this an enjoyable experience – discovering Nepal and themselves.
And so 5 of us will be going to the village in Namkheli, so do pray for us and wish us all the best!
In the weeks leading to the trip, we have not been idle. The team has been busy with training. Lester, our slavedriver has been organising weekly trekking trips to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve so that we will at least have the stamina to trek and not feel utterly miserable over there. He has also been organizing various administrative issues and also logistical issues. Esther has also been helping him out with the logistics as well as preparing the materials needed for her lesson plan.
Alynn has been busy preparing the materials for her lesson. Being the creative one in the group, she made a set of masks that are going to be given to the children in the school.
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She has also been busy finding the materials needed for the painting of the worldmap on the school wall.
Mei has also been busy preparing flashcards for her lesson with the children. She created beautiful flashcards in both English and Nepalese that are colourful and fun using pictures of animals and plants. She has also been helping out with the buying of miscellaneous items.
As for myself, I will be doing some basic healthcare and first aid for the villagers when I get there. There will also be a Spain nurse helping me out. As such, I have been trying to obtain suitable materials for the villagers as well as choosing skills that would be more relevant to them to teach. I have also come up with a lesson plan for the children. And it involves lots of interaction with them and getting to know them better.
Sox herself has been invaluable always offering her advice and suggestions to the team. She is one of the persons most familiar with the children and their abilities. So she has been guiding us with regards to our lesson plan. Besides, shes a teacher so we defer to expert opinion. =)
So, it has been pretty hectic. But now the day has arrived for our departure! Do watch this space and I will try to update it with the various happenings if possible!
