From 4th to 17th July, 23 students and three members of staff from Ardingly College travelled to Nepal for a life-changing experience.
In the capital, Kathmandu, pupils received an introduction to Buddhist philosophy by visiting temples in Kathmandu and also visited a variety of excllent NGOs, from the Kevin Rohan Trust which provides a platform for the vulnerable and marginalised in Nepali society to a women’s cooperative where students got the chance to try their hands at cooking local cuisine, we headed into the beautiful rural hinterland to Jwalamukhi Basic School. Here, our objective was to paint the school buildings and dig a hole for the installation of a rainwater tank; however, most importantly and successfully, Ardingly students thrived in their role as bridge-builders between two cultures, excelling at interacting with the pupils who attend the school. Following their rewarding but hard work, pupils were treated to a safari in the sweltering heat of Chitwan National Park, where highlights included getting very close to the highly endangered one-horned Asian rhinoceros and seeing crocodiles from the relative safety of a dug-out canoe. As mentioned before, a truly unforgettable experience for all involved.
