Living out my mother’s bucket list as an unemployed college graduate, I ended up halfway around the world inside the walls of a Nepali orphanage. We arrived in Kathmandu in a nightly blackout surrounded by the yelps of dog packs and screaming Nepali voices. We hesitantly got into an unknown man’s car who displayed more or less an accurate spelling of our names thinking it could very well be our last car ride. As we teetered seatbelt-less over potholes and winding dirt roads I looked over at my mother who had a death grip on my arm; let the adventure begin.

We awoke that morning with a view of a different land. The concrete rooftops were filled with children flying kites for the Dashain holiday, woman hanging clothes, and men sipping milk tea. It was a beautifully slow paced life that would challenge our aggressive and hurried American ways. We were immediately at home inside OCEAN Nepal, an orphanage founded by an inspired man with a fiery heart. The ‘palace’ rests against the hills of Balaju Heights in Kathmandu and is filled with the wide eyes and curried hands of Nepal’s loving children. As a result of internal conflict dividing the country and leaving many in a state of terror, Rajendre Prasad Subedee has dedicated his life to the abandoned children of Nepal unseen by his own government. Recognizing the answer did not lie with mere shelter and food, Rajendre and his family continue to make sacrifices to provide a better and brighter tomorrow through education for the fifteen children currently in the orphanage. From ages four to seventeen, the children work incredibly hard with a rigorous academic schedule that begins with two hours of tutoring before their eight hour school day. As volunteers alongside others from Australia, France, Holland, Germany, and Canada, we helped with the morning dhal bhat, walking the children to school, and helping with English homework that had me question my own grammar, but no task was done without endless Nepali singing and dancing. It is an experience that will open your eyes to how fortunate we are in some respects, but how too often we overlook some of the most wonderful things about life.

Rajendre takes incredible care of his volunteers, including airport transport (yes, the blackout car ride was legitimate), flights, travel between cities, exploring ancient sites like Bhaktapur, and even arranging treks and adventures with his company, API Himal Treks & Expedition (of which 25% of the cost goes directly to the OCEAN Nepal children). Starkly contrasting the littered, hectic streets of Kathmandu, the Himalayan mountains shoot out of undulating rice fields like the temples of  gods. We had the pleasure of exploring the Ghorepani trek in the Annapurna range with his animated (once Nepali pop star) brother, Bajendre and his cousin, Ghotem, as our porter. In Nepal family is everything. And to Rajendre, life is about his big family: the beautiful faces of nepal’s lost children, his cousins, his brother, his sister, his wife, his parents, and in making a difference in the lives of our next generation.

So if the mystery of Nepal is calling your name, if the sacred mountains and radiant smiles of children touch your heart, Rajendre and his family deserve all the help you can provide. Whether volunteering, trekking, or exploring the history of a culturally rich country, he will take care of you, and you can provide a little something in return.

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OCEAN Nepal’s Website:

http://www.oceannepal.org/

API Himal Treks & Expedition

http://www.apihimal.com/

Living down in New Zealand for the next few months, I’ve been keeping busy working with Talisman Structures located in Nelson. I’ve designed the logo with the rich Maori koru designs and innovative ideas of the company in mind. Talisman Structures, think outside the box.

Dr. Horgan & Associates

I entered into this contest on a whim and was the winner!

Thank you to my future rent payer!