Exciting to see way of life in Nepal

- Elena Samonova, Russia
Human Rights Research
April-July, 2011

 I came to Nepal for 3 month to make a research about child rights for my university thesis. When I first saw Kathmandu I was surprised how it was different from all what I’ve seen before. Cows on the streets were the biggest mystery for me, because I couldn’t understand what they are actually doing in the city. But in few days I used to see those laying on the streets and now I don’t notice them at all. 

During my internship I visited libraries and offices of local and international non-governmental organizations to collect information and have interviews with some stakeholders about the situation with child rights (especially I’m interested in bonded child labour) in Nepal. I am very thankful to staff of Internship Nepal, because without their assistance I couldn’t organize my work on thesis in such effective way.

Despite of hard-working on thesis I have also enough free time to discover Kathmandu and Nepali lifestyle. Someday I was walking in the city and saw the graffiti on the wall “Welcome to land of contrasts”. I think not only Nepal is a land of contrasts but Kathmandu is the city of contrasts too: there are ancient temples and palaces and modern buildings from glass and baton, modern shopping malls and small shops, hundreds of cars and motorbikes and rickshaws…  all these create a unique atmosphere in the city that I loved from my first days here. 

Short one day treks, organized by Internship Nepal gave an opportunity to see another side of Nepal – a rural country of green hills, rice fields and pine forests. It was so exciting for me to see the way of life that is so different from my own.

Living in volunteers’ hostel also give an opportunity to know another lifestyles and communicate with people from all parts of the world: only in two month here I met young people from Germany, France, Britain, USA, China, Maxico and Japan. 

My internship was not only useful for my university study but also gave me a lot of new experience. I wish that one day I could return in Nepal. 

Email: elena2087@mail.ru