Hello beautiful people!

The construction of Birds of Passage Shree Jana Primary School, built by Good Earth Nepal is truly on schedule! We have completed the first stages of the schools foundation, which consists of a rubble trench with courses of gravel bags already laid to form a water resistant foundation. Yesterday was an exciting day for everyone as we started to lay down our first course of earth bags!

I speak for everyone involved when I say that every day is incredibly rewarding. We work very hard, fuelled by a deep sense of purpose that is only strengthened working right next to the children as they continue their studies in their temporary classroom.
It hasn’t been smooth sailing but we finally understand that this is to be anticipated in Nepal. Tools, materials and local labour/tradesmen are difficult to source and are low in quality in comparison to Australia. Our site has also presented challenges in regards to road access, water access and necessary amenities. Many of the tools we are using are not ideal for the nature of the work as they are of a much lower quality than the volunteers are used to such as nails that bend on the first strike. Materials delivered have been cut at incorrect sizes and holes in angle ties drilled in the wrong spots, all of which occurred despite clear, concise and correct instructions guided by Good Earth Nepal. These challenges are the result of poor infrastructure and lose procedure within a ‘developing’ country like Nepal. Despite these minor setbacks, our project is still on schedule thanks to Good Earth Nepal’s technical support and especially to our incredible team of dedicated volunteers from around the globe, trained and provided to us by Good Earth Nepal. Thank you to Kateryna, Baris, Roshan, Manish and Tara from Good Earth Nepal for making this possible.

Life long friendships have already been forged and the ‘anticipated’ challenges have served all of us as we have all been thrust into a situation of accelerated learning with the need to problem solve daily as a team, but we are more than just a team. After only a fortnight together, I can honestly say we are a family. Our volunteers are truly the most incredible collection of souls and our environment is nurtured and supported by the altruistic and selfless nature of every individual involved in the project. I am truly humbled and will be forever grateful for the opportunity to support Nepal with my second family… Julie (onsite yoga instructor, sugar, spice and everything nice distribution, labourer), Aleksandra Maria (architect, frustration diffuser, onsite photographer, labourer), Ewen Beard (natural builder, comedic relief, mountain mover, labourer), George (technical support, onsite storyteller, labourer), Irene (hug distribution, daily entertainment, labourer), Greg (natural builder, technical support, don’t forget to carry the 1 monitor, labourer), Yana (architect, human bag stitcher, labourer) and Kitty (onsite motivator, human soil sifter, labourer). We are all in this together… Thank you all for your unwavering dedication.

Our family is not restricted to the volunteer’s campsite but extends throughout the entire local community. We share each other’s space, drink from the same water source, bathe outdoors, we wake to the same roosters alarm and welcome the same sunrise, we labour in unison, we laugh together, wine, dine and dance together, we experience the same feeling of vulnerability in the midst of small earthquakes, we welcome the heat of the fire together sharing songs, stories and jokes, but more than anything, it is the overall togetherness we share that is truly overwhelming. As all the volunteers are from ‘developed’ western countries, we often seek the privacy we are used to at home, but upon reflection it is this communal living and togetherness that has made this experience so special. We are all in this together.