Sebastian Gallic’s Experience: When we all arrived in Nepal we were unsure about what we would be actually doing. Sure, we had hundreds of pounds of supplies to give out but still we were uneasy. Once leaving the airport we immediately saw the warm welcoming the Nepalese. They were easy going, yet motivated to get things moving on to the next leg of the journey. I will never forget one of the young Rotaractors saying, “ We won’t let you sleep!,”as we began our nine hour long bus ride (after 30 hours of traveling) to Pokhara. This type of energy became a theme on the trip as we realized even when our Nepalese friends looked tired they never complained, always were looking to help, and wanted to take a picture!
Throughout the following 2 weeks there were many opportunities for service but a few really stuck out as making an impact in my life. One of these unique moments was when we arrived at a school about an hour outside of Pokhara to distribute forty some-odd bags of school supplies. The children looked weary as we sat in the hot sun for hours but after giving each of them supplies they seemed to perk up one by one just as did their parents as they watched. A nice ceremony was done to hand the children the supplies which made it feel like an even more special time. Each school was different in how they held these ceremonies and gave out the supplies but they were all so grateful and happy that we were there to help. These types of moments resonated within me as we made our stops to different service opportunities.
Another moment that has impacted me happened just after we ate at a wonderful resort a generous Rotary member hosted. After we ate we had to go outside the resort to wait for a bus. So close to what seemed like paradise yet the area we stepped into was nothing less than the slums. We sat down and began waiting for the bus and occasionally snapped some pictures of the
people around us. Two young girls began to fill around 20 empty liters full of water. After a few moments I joined in and began helping them. The one aspect of this act of kindness was that there was no formal thank you’s, no picture taking, no formal ceremony ( which were all good and healthy); just a human helping another human. This moment was why I went on the trip; I have found that on this trip the informal acts of kindness not recognized by all seemed to be the most impactful moments in my own life.
Each part of the trip had its own flavor yet there was one thing we could always count on: an overwhelming kindness and helpfulness orchestrated by Sujan Regmi. Without his continued support and his attention to detail I do not believe that this trip would have been possible. From orchestrating where we ate to getting someone to help me get to the Catholic church on Sunday afternoon, Sujan did everything with joy. I am extremely grateful to call him, and all the Rotaractors that I met over the course of the trip, my friends. Til next time DHANYABAD
The Asha Project 