Namaste Nepal: Destination 2013

Sorry folks for being away for so long! But I am back and with great news. My work placement for Nepal has been finalised. I am going to Nepal in the September with five other INDEVOURS and will be living in Kathmandu till April 2014. My placement has been finalised with an organization called Centre for Microfinance, Nepal. I will be working as a documentation intern with them and my duties at work will include researching, making and writing reports and going on field visits to credit recipients.

I chose to work in a Microfinance organization because I have previous experience and personal interest in the sector. I interned at a microfinance institution called Akhuwat based in Lahore, Pakistan in summer 2012 and realized that I was more interested in economic and financial side of development. I always believed in creating opportunities for the most destitute so that they can stand on their feet like dignified human beings. There’s no better way of making people feel proud of themselves other than giving them economic opportunities such as employment and small business. When people have more choices, then they can move forward to a more just and equitable society. Microfinance is a very controversial topic and it is also true that it hasn’t delivered to a great extent. However, I do believe in the philosophy behind the concept of microfinance and am really exciting to understand how the sector works in a Nepali context. Overall, I am so excited for this opportunity to actually work, learn and live in a developing country other than Pakistan where I grew up.

Nepal will be a considerably different experience for me. Although, it is very similar to Indian diaspora in many ways, it is considerably different as well. The spoken language is Nepali. Sari is the preferred dress for married women and Shalwar Kameez for the ones who are unmarried. It will be a great chance to wear the clothes I have been craving to wear since I moved to Canada some five years ago.

The tentative agenda of THINGS TO DO other than work is as follows:

·         Attend at least one traditional wedding.

·         Visit Mount Everest Base Camp

·         Visit all historical sites in Kathmandu (At least these 61 sites)

·         Explore the city by foot and by public transport.

·         Try all traditional foods.

·         Make tonnes of new friends

·         Improve my henna designing skills

·         Visit Ajmer Sharif Shrine in India.

·         Take time out for self growth (after all it’s the land of Mahatma Gautama Buddha)

Although I am really excited to accomplish the entire list mentioned above, but I am also a little bit nervous of settling in a new country even though it is only for a brief period of time. Going so far away from my parents and brothers upsets me a bit but it is also true that their support is vital to me in this important mission of my life. Migrating to Canada in my late teens from a developing country and living here for 5 years has taken away all fears of distant lands from my heart. I consider myself to be: a citizen of nowhere yet from everywhere;  a global citizen who knows her life is destined to be nomadic and of course a scholar gypsy ready to live, learn and experience foreign cultures.

The ultimate goal for the scholar gypsy is to learn to be a better human being no matter where she is. The greater vision is to create difference in my own life and of those whom I will be meeting in my work and personal life.

Let’s see to what extents do I accomplish my goals.

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