My volunteering experience at NECO Foundation
My name is Caro, and I am a 23-year-old student from Austria, and I have spent the last 2.5 months volunteering at the NECO Foundation in Nepal. Although I was fortunate to explore many places in this beautiful country with Bishow and Samjhana, the most special part for me was every moment spent with the children here. From my very first day, I already felt at home, since the kids greeted me with so much warmth, excitement, and curiosity. This never changed, and even after being here for 2 months, they continued to greet me every morning with so much joy on their faces.
During my time here, we did many fun and enriching activities together. I had the opportunity to celebrate the two biggest festivals in Nepal, Dashain and Tihar, with them. These experiences taught me a lot about their culture and gave us plenty of free time to play and get to know each other. We also did lots of sports together, whether it was going on a morning run, swimming, cycling, playing soccer, or dancing. I was very impressed by their boundless energy and how happy they always seemed despite going through so many hardships.
One of the things that struck me the most was their eagerness to learn. The kids participated very enthusiastically in the English class I held during their vacation and were always happy when they practiced reading with me and even asked me to prepare quizzes for them. They truly valued every opportunity to learn and improve. I also noticed how curious they were about me and my family. They would ask me questions about where I came from, what my family was like, and how life was different in my country.
Another thing that impressed me was the way the children cared for one another. The older kids took great pride in looking after the younger ones, but even the youngest displayed remarkable compassion through small, thoughtful gestures. They were always eager to share, not just with each other, but with me as well. A simple “no, thank you” was never enough; instead, they would come up with creative ways to trick me into opening my mouth so they could share some sweets or special snacks with me. A moment I’ll always cherish is when, after a long time of eating Dal Bhat, two of the girls surprised me with noodles they had prepared all by themselves after finding out that my favorite meal is pasta. This spirit of community, generosity, and care was something that deeply inspired me.
Looking back on my time in Nepal, I feel incredibly grateful for the opportunity to become part of the NECO family. The kids taught me as much as I hope I taught them. I am already looking forward to coming back soon and building a long-lasting connection. I highly recommend volunteering here to anyone who is passionate about experiencing new cultures and has a genuine love for working with children.