Volunteering in Damdame - By Biswa Phuyal

During my most recent trip to Nepal I volunteered teaching English in the village of Damdame, a small rural village several hours north of Pokhara. I was there for one week with an American friend and two other Westerners. Volunteering in Damdame was a thoroughly rewarding and thought-provoking experience. The village, though poor financially, and rural (no electricity or roads), was extremely rich in culture, its inhabitants among the most hospitable to be found anywhere in Nepal during my trip. The people of this small community were mostly Gurungs and almost all of them farmers. They live traditionally with extended family and ate most of their food from the land. 

Being Nepali, surprisingly I found myself accepted by the family I stayed with along with the locals as a part of village life. They were very impressed by my Nepali and wouldn’t have guessed that I left for America at a very young age. Also they felt comfortable with my arrival since the other three volunteers spoke minimal Nepali and aside from the teachers in the school the locals didn’t speak too much English. So it’s fair to say both parties benefitted by my presence and the slight awkwardness that was there was suddenly replaced by curiosity as both sides began asking each other questions about their life with me translating.  The questions were endless and many responses drew laughter, curiosity, and bewilderment. And this was all on the first night.

Each morning after a light snack of popcorn and tea we headed to the school to teach English. The school schedule was informal. Basically we would consult with the principal who would let us know which classes were currently learning English and together or alone we would go to that class and start the lessons. The children I taught were very inviting. They are different from one another, some are more forthcoming, and some are very shy. First, I wanted to make sure they were participating in the lessons rather than staring at us and smiling since they are not used to having young Western volunteers teach them English regularly. What I quickly learned, however, teaching English three or four periods a day, was that ‘English-medium’ did not necessarily mean any of the students were accustomed to lessons being taught in English. The local teachers simply did not have enough confidence in their linguistic ability to teach in English — it was much easier to use Nepali. Communication therefore was an issue, not helped by the students’, especially the girls’, initial shyness. With a little creativity though, we soon found a solution — pictures as well as my ability to translate back and forth between English and Nepali. Drawing enabled us to move beyond the memorization and rote learning the students were accustomed to, starting to promote understanding and independent thought. It became easier, too, as the students grew more comfortable with us and vice versa. 

Aside from teaching English at the school there were regular breaks in the routine. We participated in volleyball and soccer matches with the locals. And if anyone is interested to know, the volleyball players from Damdame even if they are vertically challenged, are some of the best volleyball players I have seen with my eyes. We also went on day hikes around the beautiful village. Many of the locals would invite us to their house for tea when they would see us walking to and from the school.

Sadly the day came when we had to leave. Before we said our goodbyes, the family had a small departure ceremony for us and invited many of the locals, and if they weren’t invited they showed up anyway. The host family’s matriarch put tika on our forehead and placed flower garlands around our neck. The family and the kids that came to the departure ceremony followed us to the outskirts of the small mountain village and we waved our last goodbyes and blew kisses. It had only been a week but I was glad and proud to be able to help even if it was for a short time. I hope to come back and do it again.