Just some thoughts

When we first got to our volunteer placement I thought I was surrounded by idiots. The volunteers were hopeless - well meaning and full of good intentions but still idiots.

It started with a great deal of excitement and hype over a bamboo chicken coop. It never progressed past a pile of broken bamboo and rope. Then there where plans to fix the solar water panel so the children could have warm showers. Once the glass was priced that panned stalled too. The lessons on bathing the children more then once a fortnight ended after one talk. Nobody mentions the goats which were promised. And a wooden moveable chicken resort keeps getting more elaborate with every new set of plans.

The American couple who were staying at the home had no idea how to interact with people, let alone people from a developing country who are relying on you to deliver. Everyday it was a new project. They would get the couple who ran the home all excited about something, send them off to get quotes and materials and then... nothing.

Maybe I sound conceited. I studied development planning at university but I KNOW I don't have the answers for these people. I also recognise the dangers of promising something you can't deliver. I only discuss projects I know can be completed with the very limited funds and knowledge I have here in Nepal. I will only be here for a few weeks, there are limitations to the long-term improvements I can offer. As they say Rome wasn't built in a day and Nepali orphanages don't magically transform to a comfortable standard because a couple of volunteers arrive. I think it would be arrogant to assume we can have a sustainable effect in only two weeks when the Nepali couple who live here and run the home everyday have been working on it for 12 years.

The Americans have left now. We have had some new volunteers though. A Tasmanian couple, Adam and Jen, who were lovely and donated some money to help us buy the children mattresses. Then came Dan, a cynical American who's general negativity is puzzling as he is here in Nepal volunteering his time to help others. Lastly the Israeli girls, Tess and Maya arrived. At first I was worried. They complained a lot - the hot water didn't work, it was dirty, the power was off, they didn't eat rice. Despite that they were great with the kids and turned out to be lots fun at meal times.

Now that we have moved to the Monastery I have started to miss the constant Hebrew chatter, the enquiries as to when the hot water will be back on, even being constantly corrected by our expert on everything from the US.

Dan and the girls were supposed to be visiting tomorrow but we hear there may be a bandas – a strike. No cars or buses for three days. This is terrible news. I was looking forward to their company.