Print Journalism Experience in NEPAL:
I arrived at the VIN hostel in mid-March, and the welcome was immediately warm. The first week I was, of course, pretty disoriented. But thanks to the induction days, I managed to adapt and discover the rich Nepalese culture.
My project, Print Journalism, consisted of collaborating with Spotlight Magazine to cover social issues and raise readers’ awareness of various problems facing the country. I was quite free to choose the issues that interested me most and investigate them independently. I selected three issues, one for each week as the volunteer work lasted three weeks. The first issue I wanted to deal with was gender-based violence, as it is a serious problem in Nepal. I had to find out about the role delegated to women by the Nepalese cultural context, and for this I have to thank the VIN team who were very helpful, patiently explaining to me the condition of women in the country. I then decided to interview several women in Kathmandu, which allowed me to come into contact with those who have experienced or are experiencing violent situations. In this way, I believe I was able to sensitise the women I spoke to, informing them about their rights and the existence of anti-violence centres.
I then dealt with an issue that is probably less socially important but still part of Nepalese reality, namely handicrafts, which had to go through difficult times with the 2015 earthquake and the covid in 2019. Finally, I addressed the issue of brain drain, a phenomenon that is increasing in the last years.
I must once again thank the VIN team for helping me with the translations, as unfortunately many people interviewed did not speak English.
During the first weeks of my stay I was the only guest at the VIN hostel, but despite this I never felt alone, in fact everyone was very welcoming and friendly.
I hope I have helped to bring out some of the complex issues in the country, and raised awareness among the readers and the people I met and interviewed.
For me it was an absolutely enriching experience, I loved the friendliness of the local people, the typical food, the breath-taking landscapes. But especially I had the chance to confront myself with a fascinating culture that was completely new to me.
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