We were so fortunate and thankful for the chance to be a part of your school! Kavya school was a great volunteer opportunity that we will remember forever. While at Kavya school we were able to integrate right into the school. We lived on the upper floor and ate meals with the children. We helped teachers in both the elementary and higher grades. It was a great opportunity to build our confidence and teaching skills. We were able to work together with the teachers and students and felt like a valuable member of the team. We were able to develop a First Aid program and teach it throughout the higher grades. The children and staff of Kavya were a joy to work with. They were always welcoming to us! Through out this experience we really got to see a lot of the Nepalese culture and felt like a true part of the family. Anyone who is thinking of a great volunteer experience should consider Kavya school, you won't regret it! Kyle and Anna Crosland 290 Cambie Rd, Kelowna, B.C., Canada V1X 3J1

It has been quite some time since I visited Kavya School (summer 2012), yet many beautiful memories remain! I had a very welcome from Nawaraj, Indra (who makes the best momo) the teachers and all of the students and enjoyed working with them. Paul, a German volunteer who arrived shortly afterwards), and I enjoyed playing with the kids and teaching. Although we initially focused on the main classes (geography, history, science), we soon started to work on public speaking, sell esteem, teamwork and we set up a debating class! The students make long days, and I enjoyed reading books with the smaller children, Friday nights with the girls (be prepared for Bollywood movies) swimming, walking around the neighborhood and making school trips (scouting or visiting the elderly in Pashupatinath made enormous impressions). Personally I learned a lot about education, opportunities, volunteering (a perception that has changed), class differences, religion and nature preservation. The different students and diverse staff make Kavya a wonderful place to be, and I enjoy still following some of the students. I wouldn't have wanted to have this experience at any other school than Kavya! Anouk Int Veld Lives in Amsterdam, Netherlands

My time at kavya school: After I finished school in Germany i went to Nepal to do a 3 month volunteer service as a teacher at kavya school. Soon I noticed that I was not only welcomed to a school. I was welcomed to the kavya family. The school gave me a room to live in as well. I started to teach in grade 3-8 most of the times in Math and English. I never teached on my own, but always with other teacher on my side. As the school received some iPads I was able to give some basic instructions to the higher grades in the use of these tablets as well. Later on I drew a world map for the primary block. During my time at kavya school I got the opportunity to participate in a two week school trip through the country with grade 8 and 9, which I enjoyed and brought me closer to the country, the culture, the teachers and of course the students. All in all i was very thankful to got in contact with kavya school. I was treated at the best and I remember this school as a place were I always could come back to. Pascal Rüßmann Annweilerstr. 11 76829 Landau Germany

My time at Kavya was an incredible experience. The friendliness with which I was greeted and the happiness that I encountered every day was unique and made my stay very special. Before coming to Kavya I had never taught in front of so many students before, so it was a challenge in the beginning. Quickly I got used to it however and enjoyed my time with the students who were curious about their new teacher and interested to hear what I would say. The other teachers supported me throughout my stay as well and made it so easy to get used to the new surroundings. Because I was staying on campus also during the night, I was able to get to know the students much better than if I would have seen them only during class. I was living the same everyday routine as them and better understood how they feel being a part of Kavya. We ate together five times a day and often spend times together in the evening. I encountered all of them as very nice, polite and enjoyable students that are curious and playful in their free time. Finally, the openness and genuine friendliness of people was something that I did not only encounter at Kavya, but that accompanied me throughout my entire stay in Nepal. Whether in Kathmandu, Pokhara or Lumbini, I always felt comfortable and at home. I enjoyed getting to know Nepali culture and learning about its history. I loved the food and I admire its nature. Nepal is an incredible country that I will always hold close to my heart and where I will hopefully someday return. Lilly Uezsal Lives in Barcelona, Spain From Hamburg, Germany

Our experience at Kavya School When we first travelled to Nepal together in 2011 we were very excited. From the plane we could see the Himalaya rising up in the distance. We had a very long flight with two very long stops behind us, but our nerves and the warm, dusty air pushing into our faces, when we stepped out of the plane, kept us awake. After successfully finding our luggage, the first hurdle we had to take was to search in a big crowd in front of the airport for Nawaraj, who we had never seen before. In the beginning it all seemed very chaotic. Everywhere people, cars, motorbikes, scooters and bikes and to us it felt like they were all honking. After an exciting and a bit scary first drive through Kathmandu, we finally arrived at Kavya and the school felt like a safe, clean and welcoming place in this chaotic and loud town. As the first voluntary teachers at Kavya School ever, neither us nor Nawaraj had an idea how we could actually help. We started giving classes in Maths and German and tried to work on the cultural exchange. Most children don't have the chance to leave Nepal, let alone visit Europe, so we wanted to bring Europe a little bit closer to them, to tell them how it is to live and to go to school in Germany and in exchange we learned how life was in Nepal. During our stay we felt like we had found a new home and a new family. The children were eager to show us the pictures they had drawn and the dances they had learned in class. They were curious and asked thousands of questions about ourselves and Germany, some of which we had never thought about before. This welcoming feeling accompanied us during the whole stay and we felt that everyone in Nepal still has time to smile and drink chiya – something that in the busy world of Germany is often lost. We travelled so far not only to experience Nepal but to actually learn so much about ourselves and our home. Of course, in between we felt a little bit home sick, missed the organized and clean streets of Germany, and felt like we could not eat one more piece of rice. But we had found people, who made us forget those feelings, who laughed at us for being scared of a really big spider, but then came and freed the room from this monstrosity. The lovely and welcoming people and an environment, which is so different from Europe, made this a wonderful experience that we can recommend to everyone! The school stuff and ever one else we met, made it easy to feel at home. We hope that everyone could learn as much from us, as we learned from them. Since then I, Silja, travelled twice more to Nepal and I will always come back to meet these wonderful friends I have made again. I, Daria, just travelled to Nepal once, but I definitely want to go back in the future, just like Silja has. The experience above describes everything! Daria Herchner & Silja Gassmann From Krefeld & Munich, Germany

Nepal is really a magical country. In here, I can’t help smiling everyday. From the beginning i felt alone and anxious, but now this felling has disappeared. The warm and kind people in here and the kind leaders, teacher, and students in Kavya School changed this. I like to hear the sincere praise from my students, I enjoy to share something with students about China, I love the moments spent with the students. In the class, I am a cute and interesting Chinese mam in their hearts, and after class, I seem like their beloved mom. The children are interested about Chinese and Chinese culture. As long as I talk about Chinese Kungfu, Chinese songs and traditional dance, students will become excited. They are lovely students, and it seems that there are infinite questions in their heart. Sometime they ask me “Mam, what is the national animal of China?”, “Do you know Kungfu?”, “Will you use chopsticks when eating?”, “Where you live in China?” ,“What is your father’s name?” When learning the new words, they take the initiative to learn pronunciation. They become happy and satisfied after hearing the praise. They are willing to ask the teachers when they are confused. In the free time, they try their best to communicate with me in Chinese although their Chinese are not very fluent. After a long and intimate communication, I find out that Nepali students are creative and they are good at painting. They are so smart that they can learn new things quickly. Beside, they love their country, so they bend themselves to protect their traditional culture. I like their patriotism, kindness and confidence. Although Nepal is just one of the member of many countries in the world, it owns it’s special charm. 12th September, 2017 Chinese Teacher: Meimei

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” – Saint Augustine “Why would you go to Nepal? Isn't it still suffering from the earthquake a while ago and don´t you think it´s dangerous to go there?” Many people from my hometown asked me. When I heard this, I had to laugh often. Yet, in the end of my journey, as surprisingly as it may seem, I had to agree with them. They were partly right. I mean not in the sense that Nepal is more dangerous than any other countries. In a way, they were right that entering Nepal means literally entering a different world. When we first came to Nepal it was stunning. Everything was new, the air was more polluted, every where were these tiny, little shops and being run over by a motorcycle seemed to be the most normal thing. I must lie if a say coming to Nepal is like crossing the border between Germany and the Netherlands. It was not that way and obviously is took us a while to adopt to the foreign. However, in the end we both agreed upon one statement, a single insider, one short German sentence: ”Es tut mirleid Pocahontas” Translated in English this roughly means: “he who only sees the smock and he who only hears the noise does miss the most important thing – its character.” We want to use this space here as an opportunity to thank our former, honorable principal Mr. Nawaraj Baskota, my former colloquies and my former students. The voluntary project, you allowed us to be part of, not only let us to gain detailed insides of a Nepali school´s everyday life. It allowed us to be part of the Kavya school´s everyday life. Teachers became friends and students became listeners. Yet, we must not forget volunteering also means exchange. So, we hope, as much as we learned, we could also share some of our knowledge, our culture, our views. Making the world the best place is probably an endless piece of work. Yet, if we all work together, if we are all open to the new and if we are all willing to share the best of us every single one can bring about a meaningful change on this long journey. We wish you all the best for the future and a successful time in Kavya school. Thank you Your friends from Germany Julian Schäfer Philipp Bertram

Dear Nawaraj Baskota, Principal of Kavya School New Baneshwor, Kathmandu, Nepal It is a pleasure to know you and your staff. Your dedication and commitment to your students enables your students to know that you are all there to help them succeed. The expectations of Kavya students to excel is visible throughout the school. On my recent visit several of your staff members were taking their personal time to learn how to do project based learning for on-line global projects with IEARN(International Education and Resource Network). They participated in several on-line projects with students this past year. It was a huge success for the students and teachers. It is evident that there is a lot of love and support for each and every student who attends Kavya School. Students are able to participate in the arts, martial arts, science and math projects, environmental programs, Boys and Girls Scouting, and computer research. Academic success for all students is the main focus of Kavya School. Respectfully, Christine Hockert, Educator Chattanooga, TN USA Advisor