HVP Nepal-UK Newsletter November 2024

VOLUNTEERS ARE BACK

Namaste! And welcome to this November 2024 edition of the HVP Nepal-UK newsletter.

The headline news to share with you is that UK volunteers have at last retuned to the HVP Schools. Over the summer, two separate volunteering placements took place: the first a group of 16 students from Merchant Taylors’ School, who became volunteer teachers at HVP Central; the second a postgraduate, Mitisha Gurung, from the University of Kent who spent four weeks at HVP Dang and the Children’s Peace Home. This, we hope, is the moment when we pivot away from the long shadow of the pandemic and begin a new chapter in the proud history of volunteering at the HVP schools.

Merchant Taylors’ School Nepal Expedition 2024

writes Matthew Hilton-Dennis, HVP Nepal-UK trustee and Head of English at Merchant Taylors' School (MTS)

This trip was a long time coming. The idea of a school expedition to Nepal was first hatched in 2019, with a team from MTS ready to embark for Nepal in July 2020 before the pandemic struck and the world retreated into itself. Fast-forward four years and another team stands on the verge of leaving for Nepal and the promise of experience the like of which none of the sixteen students, aged 16-18, have ever had before.

They had tested their fitness for the Himalayas in the undulating hills of the Chilterns and bonded around the camping stove and under canvas. They had enjoyed a Nepal induction day in Islington, where they heard from a visiting Dr C.M. Yogi, Matt Daw and former HVP student, Mridu Nepali, on the significance of what they were undertaking by becoming volunteer teachers. They had been given some initial teacher training by MTS teachers in the weeks leading up to departure, although, as every teacher knows, the truth is nothing really prepares you for that moment when you first step into a classroom full of expectant faces.

The MTS students came, however, ready to be shown a new perspective on life, prepared for the challenges of a new landscape, culture and language, and the responsibility of being teachers for the very first time.

Trekking in the Langtang Valley

Upon arrival in Nepal, we were up in the mountains for the first week. The team showed genuine fortitude and camaraderie as they climbed through cloud forest and the high country of the Langtang Valley, the Himalaya directly north of Kathmandu. They coped with a hair-raising bus journey to reach the trail head, thirsty leeches, serious altitude and the unrelenting physical exertion of mountain trekking. The rewards lay about them in the sheer magnificence of mountains and ravines - the rivers swelled with monsoon rain - and the humbling insights into everyday rural Nepali life. Trekking in the off-season meant that we were the only foreigners on the trail, which made for meaningful conversations with the Sherpas who ran the welcome tea houses at the end of each day's hike. Cups of sweet chia and the daily servings of dhal baht, cooked on woodfire ovens, kept the team on its feet. At one point, showers came in the form of a hosepipe syphoning off water from the river and everyone had to wait their turn: pragmatism amid the transcendent.

A poignant moment was when the trail crossed the site of the terrible avalanche, triggered by the earthquake on 25th April 2015, that had swept down the flank of Langtang Lirung and buried Langtang Village and all who dwelt within under tonnes of ice and rock. Under instruction from our guide, Naresh, we crossed in silence and without stopping, only imagining the terror and loss of that day. We passed the lone building that had survived the landslide and now stands like a sombre memorial. Later, Naresh would tell us of the colleagues he lost that day, of the tourists who died, and of the villagers, some of whom had lost their entire family. The newly built Langtang Village, half a mile further up the valley, is a testament to the endurance of the human spirit.

On the day we reached Kyanjin Gompa, a village 4100m high and a day's walk from the Tibetan plateau, we arrived to a Buddhist festival and were treated to a spontaneous performance of traditional song by locals dressed in ritual Tibetan attire. It was at this moment that a great wind blew through the valley and gradually lifted the cloud layer to reveal the frozen beauty of the glacier and the snow-crested peaks of the entire Langtang range. Wreathed in mist, they seemed to offer a glimpse of paradise.    

Teaching at HVP Central School

Arriving back in Kathmandu, the team faced a challenge of a different sort. Each day for a week, they taught classes in English, Maths and Science to the school children of HVP Central School in the historic Patan district of the capital. Under the gaze of the goddess Saraswati - the Hindu Goddess of Knowledge, Music and Learning - we received the warmest of welcomes from the students and staff, the whole school lining up to greet us at that first morning's assembly and sing the Nepali national anthem and school song; HVP has not hosted UK volunteers since before the pandemic.

And there were old friends, in person at long last. There was Vishnu Sir and Ghanshyam Sir, known to generations of volunteers, as well as new faces for me: Suman Sir, teacher of Sanskrit and Kamal Sir, the school’s new accountant. Khem Sir’s daughter, Namrata, is the Head Girl, and so impressive in her leadership role. Stepping into the main building as a former volunteer and seeing the murals on the stairwell from previous cohorts of volunteers sends a shiver of ghostly nostalgia. You are stepping back into a 30-year history of volunteering at HVP. But then the present comes running towards you, the kindergarten children, arms locked together, asking, ‘What is your name?’, and the hundreds of ‘Namaste Sir’ that you receive as the students make their way up and down the stairs for their first lesson of the day. HVP has lost none of its warmth and respect, and in the vortex of movement between lessons and in the hush that follows, I am struck once more by the urgency to learn.

With garlands of flowers around their neck, the MTS students met their classes for the first time and began to learn the noble art of teaching on the job. They had just been told by Suman ji that they were now ‘gurus’, which to translate from the Sanskrit meant ‘removers of darkness’. Every former volunteer reading this article will recognise the feelings of nerves and excitement upon standing up in front of a class for the very first time, the dread and the exhilaration that follows when what you had planned actually begins to work!

So it was with the first volunteers in five years. Walking along the school corridors that morning and in the days to come was to hear the hum of purposeful teaching and learning emanating from classrooms. Like real trainee teachers, over mid-morning tea poured by Vishnu Sir in the prayer room, the MTS students reflected on their practice and sought out ways to deliver creative and enjoyable lessons for their classes – how to engage, to include, to stretch and even to inspire. Teaching was a genuine challenge; some took to it more naturally than others. All, however, grew into their role and responsibility: they cared about their students, cared about their teaching, several wishing they could stay for longer, some intending to return as independent volunteers once they had finished school themselves.

After lessons, it was time for hot and fierce games of basketball in the playground, or simply the chance for the students of our two schools to mix and learn about each other in a less formal context. These connections are what matter most, connections which can grow into life-long friendships and are at the heart of the UK-Nepal relationship. Nowhere was this more apparent than in the cultural show put on by the school on the penultimate day of our stay. We later learned that each class had been rehearsing after school each day, carefully choreographing the traditional Nepali dances, poetry recitals and Buddhist singing that were performed to us and to those HVP students who could squeeze into the prayer room. The attention to detail, the wondrous costumes, the mesmerising movement: we felt very privileged to be honoured guests at such an event. Not only were the MTS students transfixed at something they had never witnessed before, but the joyful response from the HVP students watching their peers – all in their own dazzling dress – made for an unforgettable experience.

The loudest cheers were reserved for Class 9’s performance of the popular Lakhey Dance, the mythological demon protecting his territory through wild movement and pulsating music. There was warm reception, too, for the graceful dance performed by the trio of HVP teachers, led by Sadikchhya Miss, who had orchestrated the whole event. At the end of the official programme of dances, the MTS students felt the need to respond in kind as part of a Nepal-UK cultural exchange. Somehow the grave tones of the Latin school song didn’t seem fitting for the occasion, so it fell to two MTS boys, Saavan and Shyam, to perform a traditional dance from their own Gujarati heritage. Fair to say they became instant celebrities, which then triggered a spontaneous surge and before we knew it everyone was dancing in the prayer hall, a wild mix of colour, to a fusion of Nepali and Western music. The partnership between the two schools had been sealed in glorious style.

Our time at HVP Central was an opportunity to sit down with staff and discuss the current state of affairs. Under Vishnu Sir’s leadership and with financial backing from HVP Nepal-UK, the school has come through Covid and is looking to return school numbers back to its pre-pandemic roll of 450 students; the current roll is 300 students, so still significantly down. This presents an issue of income, and a short-term solution has been to let the top three floors of the new building to a higher education company, while keeping the ground floor for the two nursery classes. The new earthquake-proof building looks very well put together indeed. On a tour of the building with Ghanshyam Sir, I could see how modern and spacious the classrooms were, with toilet facilities on every floor. In an increasingly competitive educational market in Kathmandu, the draw of such an asset is not to be underestimated. It is clear that the long-term future of the school must involve HVP students and teachers enjoying the use of these modern teaching spaces sooner rather than later. That and to see boarders (and volunteers) return and the hostel up and running as the heart of the school.

A Visit to HVP Thali

During our stay in Kathmandu, we had the chance to visit HVP Thali. This had been the school where I had volunteered as a GAP student in 1998, then HVP Indrayani, before it moved to its current location at Thali in the Kathmandu Valley. A full welcome committee led by Principal, Raj Kumar, turned out to meet us at the school gates. We were very touched by the fact that a group of HVP Thali students was there to meet us and give guided tours of the school, especially when they were technically on holiday. They were enthusiastic about their school, and rightly so; of the three HVP schools, it is the largest in terms of student numbers, with 460 on roll, and their GCSE equivalent Secondary Education Examination (SEE) results are excellent. It was interesting to learn how the school has grown from a collection of cabins to the grand-looking building that now faces the entrance to the school. On the top floor, we were shown accommodation that could house any future volunteers. The long-term plan for growth is to create a second building of similar proportions that would sit at right-angles to the existing building.

It was at Thali that we enjoyed our last dhal bhat of the trip, and Raj Kumar Sir had another couple of surprises up his sleeve. These took the shape of two former pupils of HVP Indrayani (now Thali) whom I had taught as a volunteer 26 years ago. The first, Surendra ji, was a boy in Class 8 when I last knew him; now he is a fully grown man and, in a virtuous cycle of life, a devoted teacher at HVP Thali. The second, Mahalaxmi Thapa, once-upon-a-time a young student who made me promise I would return to Nepal, now a mother and a major in the Nepalese army. These are the ties that bind.

This was the first school trip of its kind to the HVP schools and there were a number of reasons behind its success. First among them, however, was the good will shown by everyone towards a common enterprise, a genuine Nepal-UK partnership. The MTS students and staff can be proud of everything they achieved. More importantly, they returned from Nepal having gained a new perspective and, in doing so, made a deep connection to a country, people and culture very different to their own, powerfully aware of how they can make a difference. Their fundraising for the HVP schools has been impressive, but even more so was the way in which they gave of themselves. Nothing happens by itself, and the schools’ expedition company we used - True Adventure - were excellent in managing the many operational logistics under the watchful eye of Major Ram, their in-country agent.

But the whole project would have been a non-starter had it not been for the open heartedness of HVP Nepal, teachers and students alike, who opened up their schools, classrooms and lives for us. We remain deeply honoured. Dr C.M. Yogi inspired us on that first night, but it was the desire to connect in those daily encounters and in the hand-made thank you cards that the students of HVP Central and Thali gave to the MTS students on the day of departure, which will resonate for longest. I am confident it will draw MTS students back as independent volunteers; already I am told that plans are underway.

My final and most grateful thanks go to Vishnu Sir. Upon meeting Vishnu during his visit to the UK in 2019, the Head Master of Merchant Taylors’ School, Simon Everson, described him as a saintly figure. He is a good judge of character, although I am sure Vishnu would politely demur.  Certainly, nothing would have happened without him. Those who know Vishnu will also know that this year and last have been especially difficult for him and his family, which makes organising a trip of this nature, let alone the running of a school, all the more admirable. As with all things, the great majority of work goes unseen. On behalf of Merchant Taylors’ School, therefore, I would like to extend my deepest thanks to the HVP schools for giving a group of young lads from the UK the experience of a lifetime and for inviting them into a community, which, decades later, so many of us still cherish.

This feels like a new beginning.

MTS Student Reflections

Azlan (Year 11)

Of the two weeks, the second was the most impactful to me, as I emotionally connected with the students of HVP Balkumari, which we taught at, and began to truly embrace the culture and sense of community that the Nepali people felt so strongly. I had the privilege and joy of teaching English to Class 10, Science to Class 8, and Maths to Class 3. Planning and implementing lessons was an invaluable experience, as I could see first-hand the positive effect I was having on my students. On the final day of teaching, we were presented with a Culture festival from the students, in which we were shown traditional dances and poetry. This was a beautiful way to end our time at the school, and celebrate with the students. My main reflection of those five days was the importance of education to each and every student, and how I could learn from them to implement in my own school life.

This trip was a unique blend of physical endurance and cultural immersion. I know that I will never forget the memories we made, both with Nepali people but also with the group as a whole. This truly was so much more than just a school trip, and it really allowed for growth as a person by pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone each and every day.

Jacob (Year 12)

In Kathmandu, the opportunity to teach at HVP Balkumari gave us a few days in the life of a teacher, allowing us to understand the challenges and joys that come with teaching. Seeing the energy and enthusiasm of the pupils that we taught, played basketball and shared assembly with, was greatly gratifying. The pupils and staff at HVP Balkumari showed their love for Nepal through putting on an impressive cultural show, which despite our initial, very British reservations, ended in spontaneous and lively (albeit somewhat questionable) dancing from both teachers and students from MTS and HVP Balkumari alike.

Simon (Year 12)

I was incredibly nervous (about teaching) and can now entirely understand why teachers feel the need to meticulously plan their lessons. Thankfully the Nepali students compensated for my nerves with their sheer enthusiasm and joy, although having Year Five science students correct my spelling of ‘Rhinoceros’ was a blow to my ego! In Kathmandu we were lucky to have free time after teaching to wander around and explore the city, with some of us managing to play an impromptu game of cricket in a temple garden.

Going to Nepal was undoubtedly the most incredible trip of my life and I will forever remember the limitless happiness and smiles of the Nepali people, despite having very few of the material goods that we associate with happiness back at home.

Matteo (Year 11)

The second week, while being totally different to the first, equally showed the Nepali culture in all its true colours as we got to teach in HVP Central School. While this was less tiring than the first week, it certainly had its fair share of activities as we got to play basketball with the students after lessons, planned new lessons each day, explored Kathmandu and of course watched the Euros final, all while we held the responsibility of staying within our group budget. Playing cricket in the streets with locals was an incredible experience and really showed the kindness of the Nepali people which was on display in the school each day. Teaching the students was an incredible opportunity not only as I got to learn more about the Nepali culture by watching in assembly each day and eating the local food, but also as it helped me improve as a teacher. Notably, the grateful cards of the students really did make my trip.

Karam (Year 13)

The second week was incredible. We taught at the HVP Balkumari School in Kathmandu. If there's one thing I'll never forget from the trip, it would be the children there. Every one of the children that I taught in Classes 9, 6, and 4 was unique and special. The school day started with an assembly and their national anthem, which is pretty cool as anthems go. The interest and drive to understand and learn that I saw in them was unlike anywhere else. I loved getting to know them and playing basketball and table tennis with them. The cultural day show that the students put on was incredible. All the students were dressed up and performed dances. After our last lesson, we were swarmed with children surprising us with cards to say thank you.

The trip, especially the second week, is an experience that I treasure in my heart and memory. I met so many incredible people and experienced so much. Thank you.

Volunteering at HVP Dang

Come the end of the summer 2024, all three HVP schools had experienced a return of UK volunteers. Mitisha Gurung, a postgraduate from the University of Kent and of Nepali heritage herself, spent four weeks over the summer at HVP Dang. She divided her time between teaching at the school and supporting the work of the Children’s Peace Home, where she was very warmly received. Mitisha’s visit was subsidised by the Turing Scheme and arranged through Dr Lars Atkin, trustee and Treasurer of HVP Nepal-UK, who lectures at Kent in Victorian and colonial literature of the global 19th Century.

As with the MTS trip to HVP Central and Thali, the hope is that Mitisha will have set the precedent for a new generation of university volunteers to follow her lead. This comes at the same time as the happy news that Rangita - one of the first students from Dang to be supported by the HVP Nepal-UK Scholarship Scheme - has just been awarded a BA in English from Kathmandu University. Bhola ji, now Director of HVP Dang since the appointment of a new Principal, tells us that the Montessori system is now into its second year, with attendant hopes that this will boost nursey intake for the next academic year.

Mitisha's reflections on volunteering at HVP Dang and the Children's Peace Home

Samaya in Dang: A Memorablia of my time at HVP School

Skin (Exocarp)

My time at Hindu Vidyapeeth has been nothing short of transformative. In a place I had never travelled to before, yet somehow felt like home, I found a deep sense of familiarity. Nestled in the Terai region of Nepal, where the mangoes are as sweet as the children’s hearts and the sun sets with the golden glow of ripe fruit, I discovered a new rhythm of life. The Children’s Peace Home, surrounded by sweeping rice fields and lush mango trees, became a sanctuary of joy. Arriving during mango season, I soon found myself, along with the children, savouring dozens of mangoes, carefree and content.

Flesh (Mesocarp)

The flesh of the mango—bright, juicy, and alive—mirrored the vibrant lessons we shared at HVP Dang. Drawing on my background as an ESL teacher in the UK, I sought to ignite the students’ imaginations with activities that were both enjoyable and thought provoking. Some of my favourite experiences included sketching portraits of their benchmates, learning about each other’s dreams and aspirations, pitching quirky inventions in a Dragon’s Den-style presentation, and weaving traditional haiku poetry—all alongside lively playground games.

Pit (Endocarp)

The lessons we shared at HVP Dang were more than just words on a board—they were seeds planted deep, intended to grow beyond the classroom walls. These lessons formed the foundation of genuine learning and personal growth, with the potential to extend far beyond the confines of the school. I hope the valuable insights they gained will transcend the classroom, becoming seeds of new life as they navigate life’s challenges.

Long after the classroom falls silent and the final bell rings, I imagine the students—quiet and steady, like the pit of a mango—will take root. I hope they continue to grow with curiosity and kindness, carrying the impact of their learning wherever they go.

Fibres

Like the delicate threads running through the flesh of a mango, the connections I formed with the children at HVP Dang were woven into every moment. We celebrated Krishna Janmashtami and Teej, draped in vibrant traditional attire, dancing, laughing as we bridged cultures through our shared joy. The festivals became more than just rituals; they were touch prints of genuine connection.

In the kitchen at the Children’s Peace Home, we attempted to fold momo (albeit not very successful, we quickly realised it took considerable skill, but it was a fun learning experience for all of us).

Prayer times were filled with finely tuned voices—reciting prayers and singing bhajans every evening. On other days, the children performed dances to popular Nepali songs, showcasing their impressive talents.

Juice

Immersing myself in a different culture and society has been an unexpected blessing. I came to Dang as a teacher but I also became a student—learning about my own heritage, gaining insight into social norms, and growing more confident in speaking Nepali within the community.

The school, with its Hindu teachings, offered more than just academic lessons; I learned the rhythms of Hindu prayer singing, and these teachings became integral to my own journey, shaping how I taught and connected with the children. The fulfillment I found here was not just in the lessons I delivered but in what I received—understanding, connection, and a deeper sense of belonging to my own culture. Like the sweetness of a mango’s juice, these memories and lessons will continue to nourish me for a lifetime.

Stem

The stem is sturdy— a lifeline that feeds and sustains the fruit, much like the network of volunteers, teachers, and community members who support the school. Our combined efforts, big or small, create an environment where the children at the Children's Peace Home can flourish—where education transcends textbooks and becomes a shared experience of care and growth.

A special thanks to Dr. Bholanath Yogi, the chairman of HVP School and the heart of this community. Living at the Children’s Peace Home, alongside his family and 30 children, and staff was an experience I will never forget—a sanctuary of love, care, and hope for every child who lives there.

I leave with not only cherished memories but also with lessons in compassion, patience, and the power of a close-knit community that will stay with me forever.

Thank you all for letting me be a part of something so special.

Interested in working with us?

We would love to hear from you! Email us at hvpnuk@gmail.com and we will get back to you. Even better, come to our in-person AGM on Saturday 18th January in London, venue tbc. We are on the look out for keen new members to take on committee roles and bring fresh ideas to the running of our charity.

Giving to the HVP Nepal-UK Scholarship Scheme

Sent out to the three schools on a quarterly basis, the HVPN-UK scholarship fund either pays in full or in part the school fees for the children from the lowest income families, who would not otherwise be able to send their children to an HVP school. It is HVP Nepal-UK’s most important way of supporting the schools and its students year in year out.

Many of you already give a monthly donation to the Scholarship Scheme, and for this we are sincerely grateful.

We are appealing to you, our friends and supporters, who may already be thinking of ways in which you would like to help, to consider setting up a monthly Direct Debit and to give a regular sum of money to the HVPN-UK Scholarship Fund. We are suggesting £20 as a monthly donation but would gratefully receive any amount that you feel you are able to give.

If you wish to give on a regular basis towards the fund, you can set up monthly donations on the HVP Nepal-UK JustGiving page - https://www.justgiving.com/hvpuk -making it clear that you wish the donation to go towards the Scholarship Fund. Please don't forget to authorise the 25% Gift aid if applicable.

From everyone at HVP Nepal-UK, thank you.