Lidewij Van Den Berg

I had a very good time in the community. It was very special to experience life of the women there. I enjoyed working with the women, talking with them, coming to their houses and having tea with them. Also my time in the host family was very special and a unique chance to really take part of Nepali lives and culture. All people were very nice and warmhearted.
 
I accidentally read about VIN on a blog of a Dutch guy who volunteered at VIN. I then checked the internet for VIN and decided to join them as well. VIN seemed transparent to me and I like the integrated approach; to empower a community on different parts at the same time. The Women Empowerment program interested me most because I heard about the big difference between men and women in Nepal and the bad position of women in Nepali society. I wanted to contribute to the empowerment of women and give them new chances to become more independent and have better self-esteem, in order to get a better quality of life in the future. Coming to Nepal was a big culture-shock to me, Nepal is so different then Europe. It took time to get used to all the different aspects, like the language, the climate, the way people work together, but also to see the lack of so many things, the poverty and the hard live the women have in community. Because the WE program has very divers parts, it took some time to get clear what tasks would be most beneficial for the women and for me in the beginning. But once started I had a great time in community. It was very special to speak to the women, come to their houses, and see how their daily live is. All women were very nice; they offered me tea and food and were curious and kind. Especially the English class I conducted was very nice to do and it was great to work together with the women, who were so eager to learn.
 
I learned a lot during my volunteering time. I had to be open minded, curious, outgoing, take initiative and make my own proposals and discuss them with the staff. I also learned to be patient and flexible, very useful in Nepal. I think I will not soon forget my time at VIN, and all the people I met. Working with the staff of VIN and see their dedication to the women and the cooperative was also a great experience for me. It is not easy to describe all the things I learned. Working in a country far away from home and live at a host family in a complete different culture then at home is an experience you cannot learn by books. I think it is useful for everybody and I would encourage everybody who thinks about going abroad for a while to get the chance to volunteer. It’s not easy all the time, but very special for sure.