Welcome to NECO – Nepal Children Orphan Home
I am an advocate for volunteer work around the world. My adventures including 40+ countries and volunteer opportunities in a few of them. These include Turkey, Germany, Canada, Thailand, Nepal, New Zealand, and so on. There are many different reasons to volunteer. My aim/goal is to make a change in one’s life! I volunteered in NECO from October 2016 to the middle of January 2017. The volunteer opportunity included staying and living on the property and being part of the daily life of the orphans.
The 2015 earthquake damaged and destroyed many properties in Kathmandu. People are still recovering from the devastating destruction. In order to fund construction and the economy, many institutions launched volunteer programs. These programs had a wide variety of responsibilities that a volunteer was able to participate in. From clean-up work to teaching in schools. I’ve decided to volunteer in an orphanage since my skills are best used in this environment. In the 3 months, I had the opportunity to become part of the family. The focus was to exchange languages and culture.
What is NECO Home?
A video message from Bishow Bhatta, the founder of NECO Home
Daily life in the orphanage
The duties of the volunteer are split up into different sections during the day. The daily schedule of the children and staff are following a strict timeframe. The children usually wake up around 6 am. After a quick wash and visit to the washrooms, the children are getting ready for their morning exercise. NECO provides Taekwondo lessons with an instructor on sight. The daily training pays off in winning regional competitions.
The day continues with morning prayers and breakfast. Feeding around 20 children at the same time gives the volunteer the feeling of being in a summer camp. After breakfast, the children are getting ready for the school bus which is picking them up from the orphanage.
While the children are in the school, it is now the free time of the volunteer. I used the time to discover Kathmandu either on my own or with the other volunteers or even occasionally with the staff together.
In the afternoon, the children returned from school and worked on their school projects and homework. I assisted them with my best knowledge and supported them with their homework. The school and all assignments are in English.
How do you help in an orphanage?
The late afternoons and evenings are for socializing. Here is the chance to get to know the children better and interact with them. You should never forget that your purpose is to help. Things that might sometimes be inconvenient or exhausting, are all invested into making a day or evening rememberable for the children. Being your self but the best self that you can provide is the best way to make friends and meaningful connections with the children.
Hula-hoops were are lot of fun to play with and everyone could show their tricks! Keeps fit as well.
TIP: Hula-hoops do not cost much and are a great tool for joy and exercise
The children in an orphanage are not different from other children. They want to discover, learn, play, being cheeky, and anything else which comes into your mind when you think about a child. So, take your time listening to them and give them an opportunity to have an awesome conversation with you. Be not shy as well to share your knowledge, hopes, wishes, and concerns with them. These interactions are helping the children to get to know your culture and customs.
TIP: Let the children discover on the globe all the places that you have been to.
Ask them which places that they would like to visit or would like to know more about. That gives you awesome ideas to introduce other countries to the children.
Part of the culture is hair braiding. Even though the children tried to teach me many times, I am still very bad at it. I appreciate the patience and laughter of the children while I was trying.
Don’t hesitate to share your equipment. The children want to discover new things. After a brief introduction to how to handle the camera, they started using it and were proud to teach the other children how to use it.
Two of the girls shared with me their favorite spot to cool down during hot summer days!
The free-time activities are also time for the children to do chores. These include washing clothes and bathing the new member of the family!
TIP: Engage in their activities and be part of the family! The children will appreciate it and at one point you will be included in the inner circle rather than being seen as a visitor.
This is only a small outlook on what to expect while volunteering in an orphanage. The volunteer opportunities vary from one week up to many months. It is up to the volunteer and the company to arrange a time. If you are interested in further information, feel free to send me an email. I also want to emphasize the volunteer opportunities in NECO Home. Click on the link and browse through their homepage. Also, follow NECO Home on Facebook and YouTube for the news and updates.
In the next chapter, we will visit Thailand and reflect on my time in an Elephant sanctuary.
About
Ilkay Cakirogullari is an accomplished explorer, volunteer advocate, student, social/racial justice supporter, and traveler. On his journey, Ilkay made meaningful connections with locals and an impact on the environment or society. He says, “I like to spend my free time with meaningful things rather than binge-watching Netflix”.
Thanks for visiting my page and keep volunteering where ever you can!
