Volunteer Reviews

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

Please share your experience with FDIP program

To my Kind Sri Lanka FOSTER FAMILY

Dear Michael,

Thank you for welcoming me into your home and always making me feel happy, safe and comfortable. Thank you for showing me how lovely Galle is and for coming with me every morning to the Monastery. You are a calm, nice and good person.

Dear Pushpa,

Thank you for the wonderful food, you are an amazing chef! I have been lucky to try so many different and delicious meals in your home. Thank you for taking care of me.

Dear Nabin,

Thank you for being so friendly and I wish you the best for your future and possible abroad experience.

♥

With love,

MARINA

from Spain 2023

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

Please share your experience with FDIP program

My stay at Nepal Monastery has been an incredible experience. With energetic kids , it is sometimes not what you expect from a monastery (silence, peace and quiet 24/7, introspection...) but it was the perfect place for me to volunteer.

And after 3 months that flew too fast I feel like I have learnt more from the people there than what I have taught to them. 

It was not the mystical  experience I was expecting, but I became enlightened anyway, just in a different way.

* I said "good" since it is very attached to the school program. and so very dependent.on how the school is progressing, the current level of the students, etc. And it is not always a smooth adaptation. But aside from that, it's great.

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

Please share your experience with FDIP program

It was pleasure knowing FDIP family. They treated me really well and made such a difference to my trip around Nepal. Wish you all the best, you are really good at what you do.

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

Please share your experience with FDIP program

This was an amazing experience. I felt very at ease right from the start and I made many friendships. I loved getting to live in this beautiful country but those connections were the best part, and what I'll cherish the most.

This is an excellent program, with all the support and help I could have asked for. a little bit of English- Interacting with the monks at the monastery and getting teaching experience was so fun and I really think it improved my confidence. And then helping take care of the kids at the orphanage was very fulfilling and heartwarming. I'll miss those kids and I hope I can come back!

Thanks for a wonderful three weeks here! It exceeded my expectations and was a life-changing experience.

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

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It has been three lovely weeks in Nepal. I really enjoyed the child center, yoga and meditation Being in the middle of Kathmandu , I would suggest the retreat should be situated outside the town. It has been an interesting experience at the Clinic-one but I wish there was volunteer work for the poor people (medical work) The staff has been wonderful! Thanks / Britt.

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

Please share your experience with FDIP program

Thank you Narayan for all your help and hospitality. It was an amazing experience. ♥

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

Please share your experience with FDIP program

The program is exceptionally well designed with various options to accommodate the lives of many different people. Specially with the meditation retreat and childcare center, I found the childcare center to be rewarding and afford the opportunity to practice what is learned throughout the meditation portion at the program. The living accommodations were good and made for a peaceful time following time the kids. I found myself able to be practice calmness each evening and meditate on own practicing the various techniques I learned. The option for shower and personal hygiene was limited and I would highly suggest reinforcing this when communicating with future volunteers. I personally anticipated and was okay and comfortable with the accommodation to include the personal hygiene (showers). But this type of situation is not new or foreign to me so I was able to adjust very easily. Response time was sufficient give the use of whatsapp and via email. I would recommend suggesting future volunteer to bring a portable pocket wifi device and purchase a local sim card upon arrival. I did this and it worked exceptionally well. When writing to communicate with loved ones. especially over the holiday period. The project location was perfect and centralized and very easy to step away and enjoy the local culture or enjoy time for self, the local cafe. The project environment was also great and I would add the additional option outdoor like tour and treks in and around the local are with meditation and retreat and childcare center. I think time on the trails trekking and immersed in the outdoor environment will help reinforce the lessons learned in the meditation portion. I personally really enjoyed and benefited from the two occasions of trekking and greatly appreciated learning not only about the Buddha philosophies but that of Hinduism religion and the Nepal cultural difference. Lastly, I will add that this program specially Tenzing and Kids have a profound impact on me and the lessons and knowledge I learned from both Tenzing and Narayan will be the foundation for my pursuit to obtain more knowledge and information pertaining to Buddhism / Hinduism and meditation technique.

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

Please share your experience with FDIP program

Amazing experience for this Meditation and Childcare program in Kathmandu. Special thanks and mention to Narayon who goes above and beyond to coordinate the program and put the volunteers in the best conditions whether for the program itself or for their discovery of Nepal landscapes and culture. Had an amazing time with the children of NNSC and I think they taught me more than the opposite thanks to their kind hearts, curiosity and hope for the future. Morning yoga sessions were soothing with a good teacher and setting.

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

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It was an amazing experience. I got to learn and had a lot of practical experience in the psychological field. First of all, I got to observe psychiatrist dealing with his patient. Psychiatrist, Dr. Bharat came only a few days in the clinic, but he was kind enough to share his experiences on interacting and analyzing the patient. Apart I from the clinic, I had the opportunity to be a volunteer in children's home. It was very fulfilling work. So we had to educate them about through games. At times it was difficult to make them join the game, but it was very fun. The kids are very friendly and are growing well. Our coordinator helped us to organize the games. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to give a presentation at a rehab center. It was a very handful experience to go on the field and learn about them. Sanchita di, who works there, is very helpful. She shared her experience as a psychologist working there. It helped to broaden my mind for psychology being a future psychologist. Lastly, we did a workshop on mental health topics. We had a sharing session. Overall, it was very educational. I got to learn many things outside of the book. The program made me more humble and increased my passion to learn psychology.

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

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Hello, I am Anna from Italy. I am a medical student so I chose to volunteer in the medical field in Kenya. The place is a small clinic in Mitaboni, a village not too far from Nairobi where people often cannot pay for their medications, which is why volunteering is important. The clinic is run by a doctor that is very prepared and some lab test are available that can give immediate diagnosis for the patient. I saw some common diseases as well as some more challenging such as malaria. During the stay I was hosted by a family in a rural house with lots of animals in Mathunya which is a 15 minutes drive from the clinic. There are many kids and they like to play a lot which was fun. The food is provided as well and I really liked it. I stayed at the clinic from 9 am till 4 pm and during the time without patients I would go around the village and meet many people. The trip from the airport to the village was also well organized. Overall I would recommend this as it is a very full immersive experience in the beautiful Kenyan culture and there is a lot to be learnt. Feel free to contact me for any question!

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

Please share your experience with FDIP program

Without a doubt my experience was surrounded by humble people.From where I worked to the host family and everyone was nice to me. I easily got attached to the host family and never felt like a stranger, their kindness was everything. Volunteering in the children's home - It did feel like a challenge.At first, trying to great games that would be fun and educating and It was but at the same time realized that simple brain or physical games are great too. Just need to have a right balance. The kids were lovely and could already see that they were being raised good. Would miss them every much and hope that they learned from the games they would be able to reflect later.

In the clinic, there were few things to do with working next to the psychologist | So the organization did manage to still give us some psychology related work. Such as writing blogs, presenting at a rehabilitation center and das a workshop The workshop one the highlights of the program and the experience that I would not forget. Even though there were ups and downs in this trip, I can say I left with more knowledge not only in psychology but also from all the people listening to stories from I was surrounded with. The love I received from the host family was everything as they treated me like their sister.

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

Please share your experience with FDIP program

I had one of the best experiences of my life. I would highly recommend it. Anyone who seeks for their inner peace or trying to reach their higher selves must try this retreat

It was transformative. I had the best time of my life in every sense. One day I will definitely come back. Somehow it felt like I was home when I was there. Thank you so much for your support.

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

Please share your experience with FDIP program

From the time that I landed in Nepal to the time of my departure, I have felt Safe and had a nice time. My experience with the organization has been very immersive and I've learned a bit about Nepali culture and the monastery. I appreciated my transportation from the airport to the places I've stayed over the last two weeks. I had so much fun trekking in Chisapani over the weekend I'm so glad to work with Narayan and Prakash.

I have learned a lot from teaching at the monastery. I've only been here a couple of weeks but I've had a chance to help the kids, learn English, Math, Science and Social studies. They’ve taught me some Nepali words and we I've taught them some English. Although, they already know a lot of English words they don't understand was not very bright and so and finding words they don’t understand was not easy. They are all bright & so teaching them now was not difficult. I enjoyed learning science with them and hearing about their interests."

While staying at the Monastery, I had a conversation with Kunsung, the Tibetan teacher about Tibetan Buddhism. I wanted to know how my understanding of Buddhism from the west relates to his study of the religion and I also wanted to know how Russia and Ukraine can find peace using a Tibetan Buddhist lens. We decided the conflict could be resolved if Putin meditated and practiced Buddhism before making military decisions. Russia, under guidance from Putin, would maybe allow Ukraine to join NATO if the leader of the country considered and committed to all sentient beings. Russia would want Ukrainian citizens to do well in life and by acting on that aspiration, allow Ukraine to at in the way that's best for themselves, and become a better nation that's closer to fulfilling its goals to meet the needs of its citizens.

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

Please share your experience with FDIP program

This was an amazing experience for me. Everyone was extremely welcoming and helpful. The family I stayed with made mefeel at home and everyone at the clinic was also wonderful. I made some lifelong connections here in Kathmandu and would never forget my experience.The only feedback I would improve is getting more time with the Psychiatrist / Psychologist but I got to learn a lotfrom the clinical experience and everyone was always willing to make this experience great for me

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

Please share your experience with FDIP program

I wanted to utilize my summer vacation & give back to the community back home. I was able to fulfil this goal through my time at clinic One and with Sky is the limit. Both Santosh dai & Puja didi along with the Emotional support Team at Clinic One were super receptive to my ideas and provided a platform for me to implement my plans & ideas. I am extremely grateful to have met Narayan dai through Volunteer FDIP & am appreciative of him & his efforts which landed me 2 amazing internship opportunities.

Thank you so much!

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

Please share your experience with FDIP program

This was not my first experience volunteering, but it was the first time I volunteered with children teaching English in a Buddhist monastery. The experience was very enriching and I hope to have had a positive impact on the kids. It's great they not only have the opportunity of learning English, but also of interacting with different cultures.

I hope to be back soon.

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

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The communication was clear from the start and response times were quick. there was lots of information provided and lots of flexibility. I felt supported from start to finish and not only with the project but being supported in living in Nepal. Learning customs, culture and education was of importance to me. I appreciate the effort and energy given to me to make feel welcome and to give me the opportunity to learn and teach which will benefit my future.

Thank you!

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

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People are nice, especially I received a lot of help throughout the program. it is only hard to have a good communication with the local people in hospital and most of the time don’t know what they are talking about (as the working staffs and patients mainly speak in Nepali

I found out the differences between the health care system in Hong Kong and Nepal, and observed a lot the nursing routines, duties, and working environment in these three weeks, which has mostly achieved my goals. I also participated actively in some of the procedures such as injections, assisting setting catheter etc. that’s a good experience for me.

Living with the host family enabled me to understand and immerse deeply in Nepali culture. Great and thank you!

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

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My volunteering assignment has been a humbling and wonderful experience.

I may have shared my time and knowledge to the small Lamas (monks) at the Buddhist Monastery. But I gained much knowledge and wisdom from them. It was beautiful and I had so much fun! It was more that what I expected.

The great support from country co-coordinator and his team and their efficient leadership I received is highly commendable.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

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Volunteering at the Nepal childcare center was such a privilege and the experience was incredible. In just two weeks, I was able to meet and bond with so many kind-hearted and genuine people, and I am forever thankful for this. I feel as though receiving a host family and volunteering at the orphanage gave me a wholesome experience and they allowed me to explore the beautiful Nepal. Thank you FDIP, my heart is filled with bliss.

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

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Your program gave me the invaluable experience of volunteering at a monastery, where I met incredible young individuals, who have inspired me with their enthusiasm and intelligence. The other volunteers at the monastery were also super kind and nice, especially my friend, Carolyn, from Hong Kong!!

I had an extremely positive time volunteering with your program. I would definitely recommend working with this program to others. Thank you for the great experience.

All that I have learnt here, be it from the kids, the monks or the very friendly Nepali people, makes me want to come back and visit the country and its locals again !!

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

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I have found my experience with the program to be really enjoyable and it was very easy to fit into the routine of volunteering at the Childcare Center, as well as communicate with everyone about any other plan I had during my 3 weeks here. I spent lots of time playing games and doing art with the children, which I think helped to develop their English at the same time. I was also involved with helping with the English documents at the center and social media fundraising and awareness post which made me feel that I was making a more lasting impact on the center. In terms of other ways to improve the center, it would have been nice if I could have had a bit more direction from the center staff as to what I could be doing to help improve the center while the children were at school. Overall, I have to see lots of amazing parts of Kathmandu and felt I did make an impact on the center :)

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

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Nepal is amazing. This has been a wonderful experience for me and I’m so thankful to have been able to come here and surround myself with these outstanding children!

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

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This was one of the best experiences in my life. I had a true local experience. I made new friends and I spent so much time with the little nuns.

The only not so good thing about the project was that there were so many volunteers in the monastery and not so many classes to teach. This made the class planning more difficult because there usually were 3 or more volunteers in one classroom. But volunteering requires flexibility so we tried our best to come up with creative solutions. Nepali people are super warm and welcoming.

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

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All the FDIP staffs were great, they provided us all the information before arrival which was worthwhile. The service was excellent and all the staffs were very approachable and friendly, always contacted for our safety and wellbeing even when we were out is the project field. They look great care of us.

Had one of the best experiences. Real Time Experiences and Stories and Volunteer Abroad Program Reviews Directly From Participants.

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

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I had a wonderful time at Sauraha, Chitwan. I am feeling so sad to leave them. I think FDIP does great things and I am proud to have been a small part of it. Had really excellent service from the staff from KTM- Chitwan, it felt like home. ? Had really good experience with the people we met. They were all friendly and very hard working. Me and my friend made new friends here, called 'Mayakali' and 'Mayawati' , elephant Maximus, such sweethearts. Really gonna miss them.

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

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I can't thank the organization enough for the experience they gave me. In my three month programme there has not been a day where I didn't feel part of a family and looked after as if I as grown up with them. They was always prepared to help me with any problems or queries.

They have cooked food every night tasted incredible and the family very quickly made me feel at home and looked after. This is a feeling I will never forget. Working every day at the orphanage was amazing. The children made sure they would keep me on my toes and keep me fit. They are such wonderful kids and even though I was there to help and teach them. What I received back in return is more than I could ever imagined. I was their older brother and that's something I'm very proud to be able to say. The staff also did everything they could to make me feel welcome and I never once felt alone or out of place due to the hospitability they showed me. The past three months have been the most wonderful time of my life and I owe all the family, the children and Narayan and his organization. Words won't do justice to how much it has changed me for the good. Thank you once again for everything.

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

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Teaching English to the child/junior monks at the Aarubari Monastery has been an interesting, inspiring and educational experience for me. I only hope mu pupils experienced it the same way. The atmosphere in the monastery was very welcoming, peaceful and enjoyable and so were the people in it. At times, it was challenging to keep the kids in line by using only positive feedback and enthusiasm (because they see and undergo enough violence in their lives) but I think me and other volunteers have found a nice balance to make lessons entertaining, engaging as well as educational. It has been very rewarding to see how much progress they've made in the three weeks I got to teach them.

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

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The staff and host were outstanding. Made us really feel as part of the family. Always available to help us, guide us and advise us.

The project location was in a very nice hospital prepared for whatever was needed for the patients and all the team was very welcoming and helpful.

I felt the cardiac team was very interested in knowing my experience and ideas as aa surgeon. I was able to participate in meetings, presentations, surgeries and work with the team.

The only improvement it be made would be the fast inspection and precautions work in the operating theatre. Some of the medical staff did not know why or how we were working in that hospital.

But it was an amazing experience.

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

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It was certainly a challenge and it wasn't always easy, but it has a great learning experience for me. I was very grateful for both the opportunity and hospitality, I was given by Sameer, Narayan and the Kadampa Monastery.

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

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Amazing! Sameer & his mom were so hospitable and friendly! I felt so comfortable and I am so grateful to have stayed with them. I also thoroughly enjoyed the orphanage. the kids were great and Kamal was very informative and kind. I would extend this project if I could!

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

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In my experience, it was a great chance to learn and gain medical skills. I also enjoy getting into culture and life style, surrounded by lovely and caring people. Every single person that I've meet, patients, my family, friends they marked me and will always have space in my heart and home. I ended up gaining more than I gave.

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

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Great response time from your staff Narayan, and outstanding hospitality!

The honesty was very close to all important location (ex. volunteering place). The volunteer experience was more enriching them I would’ve even imagined. My host family welcomed me as their own, and become my second family. I was able to travel through Nepal and experience the culture first-hand with the help of Narayan and FDIP. I will recommend everyone to volunteer with FDIP please continue to privilege experience and sharing knowledge above anything.

Thank you again.

Sincerely,
Laurie p.

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I had a very good teaching and learning experience. I felt comfortable in my host family’s house and at school, since everybody around would do the efforts to make me informed and happy.

Being able to apply my teaching skills in such a different setting has given me a lot of experience.

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

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I had an amazing experience. I was able to experience monastery life and did what I intended –teach young boys English. I arrived in Kathmandu 10pm and by that time, the monastery was closed. My program coordinator Narayan was kind enough to find me an accommodation for the night. Narayan also brought me to a Hindu temple Pashupati to visit which was an enriching sideline to my project. Overall, I would recommend this project to those who feel a need to give back and the world community.

Elpidio

How would you rate the followings during your volunteering experience with FDIP ?

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Although I could only spend 1week, it was still life changing nonetheless. I have a new found confidence in myself and I do intend on returning to Nepal when the time is right.

Thank you very much!