Volunteer Global

Today's blog entry comes courtesy of Carleton Cole. You can view RCDP-Nepal's website here, and its Facebook page here. Thank you, Carleton!

On the last day of their summer camp, which ran from April 7 to 14, children are busy, quietly enjoying creating handmade Nepali New Year greeting cards for each other. At this orphanage beautifully set among the hills and fields of Lamatar town in the Kathmandu Valley, both the orphans who live here and children who are fortunate enough to live with their parents were engrossed over the last week with all kinds of holistic activities, such as meditation, chanting and singing plus more typical actions like games, sports and fieldtrips.

The camp is organized and funded by the Rural Community Development Program (RCDP), an NGO, and facilitated by Youth Society for Peace YSP, which it says in a brochure, was, “established in 2003 in collaboration with the youth of Shanti Sewa Ashram (SSA). In a society that sorely misses the contentment of a peaceful existence, it is becoming increasingly important that the youth of today (who are the leaders of tomorrow) have access to a community of likeminded peers who will mutually nurture their peaceful vision for the future.”

Jagannath Kandal, a YSP coordinator, adds “We offer different kinds of development: physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual,” which he calls specifically “child-friendly” versions promoting “oneness and unity.

“We are all human beings. We are all Nepalis.”

The days at this summer started early, with yoga and meditation from 6:30 to 8:30am. Kandal says that this helps promote a “pure heart” in the center’s young charges, which hail from Chitwan and Lamatar.

He decries how “the Maoists have used students to forward their political goals,” and says that the camp takes a small but significant stand against the arrogant, politics-as-usual approach.

The camp instills in its kids the facts that that Nepal needs new leaders who are not so self-centered, and that changes to society can be made without resorting to violence.
“In the afternoons we have morality classes,” says Kandal, “to promote positive values." Games played here are also hit home a message of sharing, kindness and respect. “We try to teach about peace and friendliness.”

Children at the camp were also taught that they should be sympathetic about others in need, such as Africans affected by HIV/Aids and hunger.

Of the few tens of children at the camp, three children came from the Hindu Vidapeeth-Nepal, which its newsletter calls dedicated to “working to bring up a generation of people who have holistic leadership qualities and clear visions and who can maintain and develop human virtues”—while four more youngsters came from the likeminded SSA.

The summer camp started last year with 30 children, had 60 children this year, and is projected to have even more next year.

Chanting, prayers and spirituality-bolstering sessions took place during the week from 8:30 to 9:30pm.

“I like the chanting in the evenings and the spirituality,” says Pratima, 13, a happy camper who took her time in creating three New Year cards to share with friends that she met at the camp.

Shivani, 16, also had a great week here, saying, “I enjoyed going to museums in Kathmandu.” I also liked the beautiful temples and historic palaces.” “I think I’ll be back next year. I made new friends here.”

In a ceremony on April 14 marking the end of the camp, a few speeches on the camp’s unique nature were made and a few traditional Nepali song-and-dance performances were put on. A few RCDP volunteers from Western countries who helped out at the camp said a few words.

“It was great to see you smiling and dancing,” said one, who had earlier gotten into the spirit of the holiday, painting designs and animals the faces of several younger kids.
“This was such a great experience. It has been amazing. You [the organizers] have given so much to the children,” another added.

Besides the summer camp, YSP offers several purposeful adventures—they group will pick up trash from Kathmandu streets on World Environment Day, June 5. The organization has also established peace clubs, for forwarding the same goals as the camp, in 20 schools around the Kathmandu Valley. Thirty more are set to open in months to come. The YSP is also working with the International Union for Conservation of Nature to take part in environmental conservation efforts.

Adina from Denmark volunteered in an orphanage in Chitwan for RCDP for three weeks, and then came to volunteer for the duration of the summer camp. She played with the kids for two three hours a day and helped a bit in the kitchen.

As to the role the camp plays, in not being overly educational in nature, she says “I think that the physical games are important because they study so much during the school year. I think they enjoy the physical action and playing group games. It’s been really fun playing with the children.

“The chanting was nice. I liked it when an instructor led the children in singing songs.”
In front of a backdrop sign with the character “om”, the aural meditational device, an instructor on a stage at the April 14 event lead the kids assembled before him in a song praying for peace (shanti).

If it is fortunate, Nepal may see some of its future leaders emerging from grassroots groups like YSP that can make a difference, make a constructive impression on one youngster at a time.

Images courtesy of Carleton Cole.