I arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal on 2 April after travelling for about 15 hours from Dublin airport. Descending into the valley, I was welcomed by a landscape of hills engraved by terracing stretching across the width of the land, and houses mounted against the slope, almost camouflaged.
In spent the first few days walking the streets of Thamel, taking in a city alive with creativity, vibrancy enhanced by prayer flags, and business of every type, displayed and open. This movement and life has brought congestion and pollution, adding to the atmosphere of a country recovering from about ten years of civil conflict and a devastating earthquake.
At the end of the week I moved to a guesthouse by Swayambhu, i.e. the monkey temple, and like the name, it is a place protected by monkeys, roaming freely and living in harmony with the community. I was introduced to them on my first day there while walking from the market, naively with rice in my hand. When I got held up by a troop of monkeys and with less than a week in, I found myself engaging in a game of tug of war with a monkey without even realising what was happening. I learned an important lesson that day … to never travel with a transparent bag and the realization that there is a time and place for everything, including a game of tug of war.
Interning in the Umbrella Foundation office so far been an amazing experience. It has given me an insight into issues around ethical volunteering and child trafficking in Southern and Southeast Asia. Working closely in an office with the most welcoming Nepali colleagues has allowed me to get a greater understanding of the social, cultural and political environment. This intimate positioning exposes me to the everyday running of an NGO and the challenges they face.
My main tasks involves aiding in the design of a monitoring and evaluation toolkit for a scholarship and income generating programme. The toolkit will include plans and tools to carry out baseline and end-line surveys, beneficiary selection and programme evaluation. Working on this task has allowed me the freedom to practice programme design, and explore different methods, concepts and ideologies around monitoring and evaluation. Creating a sample project proposal for the programme has allowed me to think like a programme manager, outlining steps that will be needed for implementation and considering the different variables that are to be considered, such as availability of resources, human capital, cultural appropriate practices, values, etc. This experience has highlighted the importance of context in creating a programme design, learning that a framework that may make sense in one context is not necessarily applicable in another.
Fundraising has become a constant and fun part of my week with the hosting of a fundraising trivia night every Thursday to raise funds for youth activities. Organising this event on a daily basis, although slightly scary at first, has become second nature. It has allowed me to increase my public speaking and networking skills, but most importantly has prepared me for a life as the ultimate quiz master.
There are no foreign lands. It is the traveller only who is foreign.
Robert Louis Stevenson
International Development Placement 2019 