Nabin Pokhrel

The journey has been full of surprises and unique experiences. Before leaving Kathmandu, I had named this journey a 'Journey for change', and I am glad that it has been so indeed. I was very curious and excited to find out how the outreach would be. I feel lucky to have attended the wedding ceremony of Puja Sha, where I got a chance to experience a culture that was new to me, as well as to examine my flexibility outside of my comfort zone. Like, sharing a single bed with five people, having non-stop loud music around for 24 hours a day, eating very spicy food, and so on. I also got an opportunity to interact with local people, to capture them in photographs, listen to their stories, and have tea together in a small tea shop.

Staying at Bardibas was in contrast with what I had experienced in the remote village Chaulikha. In Bardibas I got the chance to meet many young people from a social studies college and youth groups, with whom I got a chance to share my change stories. This was the time when I discovered my strength of sharing and connecting. Living in the moment of sharing with people and meanwhile capturing them on camera felt like meditation to me.

Some of my best memories come from the challenging moments that we have shared with the team; like how we struggled to attend meetings without proper internet connection, waking up at six in the morning and having to rush for a meeting, or skipping lunch for a program. I was out on this journey to discover the life of Madhesh, and in that process, I also discovered more of myself and gained a deeper connection with my inner self.

The main challenge during this trip was to stay calm and healthy in all situations and give my hundred percent. It was very inspiring to see how friends around the country were ready to commit to joining the local outreach team. It is difficult to express in words all that I have experienced and learned in one month on the road. My major takeaway from this journey is that every new experience comes with new learnings which helps us grow. Every ordinary person can do extraordinary things with huge impact when he/she starts with inner change.