The summer enrichment projects 2012 in Nepal and Guatemala created an opportunity to understand the bottom level of volunteer humanitarian organizations, seeing how money and volunteer resources are filtered from a larger scale to the individual project site. Desiring two extremely different cultural experiences, there was also an emphasis on directly benefitting the community I was working with instead of solely receiving personal growth. The New Zealand organization International Volunteer Headquarters (IVHQ) places volunteers directly with pre-existing local sites in several countries. In Nepal, the orphanage New Youth Children’s Development Society (NYCDS), which is based in Bhaktapur (a small city outside Kathmandu), takes care of 45 children from ages four to twenty. In Guatemala, the work site at Pastores building a daycare/house created supplemental education in addition to daily Spanish classes. Overall, these two very different experiences clarified how one must live inside a culture, gain trust, and then ultimately suggest positive changes while still respecting cultural boundaries and traditions. Additionally, the importance of language (both Nepali and Spanish) became apparent in gaining trust and completing objectives. The main impact of these two projects was seeing that educational opportunities can vary significantly depending on cultural norms for gender and socioeconomic status, regardless of child’s level of intelligence.

1. Cultural Connections for Development: Nepal and Guatemala
Madeleine Loney, Class of 2015
PROJECT EXPECTATIONS PROJECT CONCLUSIONS
I designed my summer enrichment projects 2012 in Nepal and • Learned how one must live inside a culture, gain trust, and
Guatemala to work as a volunteer in the bottom level of then suggest positive changes while still respecting cultural
humanitarian organizations, seeing how money and volunteer boundaries and traditions
resources are filtered from a larger scale to the individual • Observed how umbrella humanitarian organizations filter
project site. I wanted two extremely different cultural their money and resources down to the organizations they
experiences, and placed added emphasis on directly benefitting support (only a small portion of the money actually goes to
the community I was working with instead of solely receiving the organization where volunteers work, so is a “middle
personal growth. I partnered with the New Zealand man” really necessary?)
organization International Volunteer Headquarters (IVHQ), • Saw that educational opportunities can vary significantly
which places volunteers directly with pre-existing local sites in depending on cultural norms for gender and socioeconomic
several countries. Both Nepal and Guatemala had larger status, regardless of child’s level of intelligence
umbrella organizations (Home and Homes, and Maximo Nivel, • Discovered that forming personal connections within the
respectively) that, in turn, supported the specific projects culture takes one farther than hard work alone
where I worked. NEPAL EXPERIENCE • Experienced the importance of language (both Nepali and
Spanish) in gaining trust and completing objectives
(April 28-June 13)
The New Youth Children’s Development Society (NYCDS), based
in Bhaktapur (a small city outside Kathmandu), takes care of 45
children from ages four to twenty.
7 am: Hindu prayer, preparing the children for school
9 am: supervising breakfast
10 am: walking the children to school
11 am - 2 pm: teaching computer lessons to the older children,
general work around the orphanage
3 pm: tutoring all children with homework, playing organized
games outside
GUATEMALA EXPERIENCE 7 pm: evening Hindu prayer FUTURE PROJECTS
(June 30-July 16) 8 pm: serving dinner
The combination of my experiences this summer and
Specifically, I spent most of my free time working in the Leadershape defined my project expectations and goals for my
kitchen, preparing meals, and grocery shopping; this Summer 2013 Enrichment Project. My experiences in Nepal and
experience fostered knowledge about the Nepali food culture Guatemala caused me to realize how passionate I was about
and also improved my Nepali language skills. Additional work education for all children and adults, regardless of
included creating a volunteer newsletter, organizing a socioeconomic status, gender, or location; Leadershape formed
descriptive book of all the children for future volunteers, this passion into a vision of global access to education with no
Construction work occurred in the morning in Pastores, a small bringing a dentist to the orphanage for oral examinations of all cost.
town outside of Antigua. The site was building a daycare/house children, taking sick children to the doctor as needed, and Although plans will remain open to change, I would like to
for a family and an organization called “Proyecto Humanitario preparing a working budget. spend Summer 2013 working with an NGO either in the Middle
Proveyendo a Mi Hermano”. The first week, we filled in the East, Africa, or Asia (depending on my study abroad plans for
walls with a finer concrete, smoothing enough to make them junior year); more specifically, I would like to investigate the
usable; the second week, we completely finished the ceiling. connection between education and gender roles. Additionally, I
Volunteers worked with Fredy Ixla, the Guatemalan foreman, would like to return to Nepal for 2-4 weeks, continuing to work
who was learning English as we learned Spanish. In the with the children at the orphanage, increasing trust, and
afternoon, I attended Spanish classes at Maximo Nivel (a school helping continue and initiate sustainable projects.
for ESL Guatemalan students, as well as English-speaking
student learning Spanish).