“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive” – The Dalai Lama
In January of 2013 I began working on a project that would take me across the globe and teach me lessons I had never intended to learn. The Himalayas are essentially the Mecca for any person who enjoys the outdoors and beauty of nature. This would be the destination, but for what purpose? Of course there could be no better purpose than education, for only the educated are free. I would find a way to make this happen.
My knowledge of Nepal and the Himalayas was scant at best. I had no idea where to begin or how if in any way I could help. Of course my first idea was to turn to the internet. A few searches led me to what I thought was the least sketchy and exploitative volunteer program. An organization which would, for a fee of course, connect me with a group I could work with and help.
After months of research and fundraising I was on my way to a tiny monastery on a hill above Phakding. I arrived in October, completely stunned by the beauty of my surroundings. My role would be a volunteer teacher and friend of 17 adolescent monks and a handful of adults. For 3 hours a day the boys and I would spend time in a classroom covering lessons in math and English. We worked on reading, pronunciation, and proper spelling. Outside of class I marveled at their simple lifestyle, a mixture of Buddhist prayer, hard work and chores, and above all a devotion to playing and having fun 25 hours a day.
I couldn’t ask for better students, or ones with more educational need. The boys I worked with in the Monastery were multi-lingual (speaking Nepali, Sherpa, and English) and generally interested in learning. At class-time each day they would ring the bell, an old oxygen tank, and drag me into the dim wooden classroom to begin another lesson. Although they are ‘monks’ these boys are essentially orphans with living parents. Work and Buddhism come first and none of them are able to attend the local public school (funded by western philanthropists) of the village below.
The volunteer teachers would be their only access to education and I felt a heavy responsibility to give them my best effort. In the morning I worked on lesson plans which I would implement and adapt each day with the goal of improving their understanding bit by bit. Each class would begin with a review of the previous lesson and end with a homework assignment. Afterwards I documented everything into a journal which I used to track progress and improve educational outcomes. English is not an easy language to learn, and at the age 12 it’s hard to understand how important it could be through the rest of your life.
Life at the Monastery and its surrounding villages are all they know but most of these boys will not live the rest of their lives as monks. Some will go on to have families and run their own farms and businesses. Some will unfortunately go on to carry heavy loads for tourists and the more educated Nepalese. This is something I hope to prevent through teaching them basic math skills and a marketable language.
Classrooms are inherently boring so I worked to make each topic practical and useful to their world. As Ben Franklin said, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” When it made sense I held class outside, when a student was bored or struggling I pushed them harder to answer questions in class, and when teachable moments came up some days we had no class at all. One afternoon we spent our time outside just taking photos.
If the goal of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one, perhaps it is I who has benefitted most. One afternoon I met a man from Ohio. He, with a group of ten ambitious folks, was on his way to Everest Base Camp on a charity awareness-raising mission to fight a form of childhood cancer. As I thanked him for his efforts and for not being “just another selfish tourist” he made a valid point. No one is ever completely altruistic he told me. You’re preaching to the choir I replied as I shook his hand on his way onward.
Have my efforts improved the lives of these young men? Perhaps. Will anything I’ve taught them be of value to them in coming years? Uncertain. Did knowing me and playing with me help them get through a few months of their difficult youth? I sure hope so. Will they remember me a year from now? Doubtful. But on the other hand I will remember each of them for the rest of my life, and though they may forget my simple little lessons I will always remember what they have taught me. To have fun no matter what, and neither money nor status will make a person happy. Sharing love is happiness, and relationships are what matter most in this life.
I couldn’t have done any of it by myself. A big thank you and my gratitude goes to the other volunteers who I had the pleasure of working with during my stay in Nepal. Thank you Jenny, Lisa, Dago, Eva, Rosi, Kenneth and Alex. Another big thank you and I miss to everyone at the Monastery. And I owe a debt I can never repay to those who helped me with my fundraising especially the New Hampshire Outing Club. Thank you all so much.
This project, and in fact this entire blog, was meant as an educational tool to inspire others to live their dreams. A lot of people thought my project was a bit ambitious if not impossible. Never doubt yourself and never give up. There are too many beautiful places to see and so much good to be done in this world to take no for an answer.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.” Its corny to say it, but If you have the courage to achieve then anything is possible.
climb with crowley 