Nepal – a Country of Contradictions

Written by Justyne Morrow (Class of  2016, VFMP)

After 24 hours of travel, the Health Trek Nepal team landed in Kathmandu, Nepal excited for the upcoming three weeks of volunteer work and already slicked with sweat in the heavy humidity. We met with medical students from the Patan Academy of Health Science, who were students without any education further than high school. The Health Trek Nepal Team was there to support them and to teach them about our culture as they taught us about theirs. We were also there t complete a full health screen of a local orphanage that housed children who were only seen by doctors when absolutely necessary or affordable.

Nepal was a country of contradictions for me. The sublime  beauty of the Himalayas and the countryside juxtaposed against poor, degenerated cities, ancient temples and statues with fifteen motorbikes parked outside, and noisy streets where the horns never stopped were only steps away from the quiet peace of a Hindu or Buddhist temple. It all added to the wonder I felt in this foreign country. During my time in Kathmandu, I strangely never felt shock at the glaring poverty – the potholed, unpaved roads, the electricity that wouldn’t work for entire days, or the complete lack of a garbage system. It was only once I was back in Canada that I experienced the shock, noticing things in our country I had never noticed before. The greenness in our cities full of trees, lawns, and shrubs planted and planned by our government, the ability to drink water straight from the tap, electrical wires strung way above our heads instead of being six feet off the ground, and garbage collected from our homes instead of being thrown into the street and eventually burned.

I’ve painted a dreary picture of this beautiful country, but that is only in retrospect. The entire time I was there, I was awe-struck by the vibrancy of Kathmandu. The Nepali are a strong people, having survived a civil war that ended just five years ago. The Nepali people added brightness and colour to a city covered in dust. Their resilience in the face of stark poverty and war was truly humbling and awe-inspiring, and I met countless people who continue to inspire me. I met with medical students who bent over backwards to show the wonders of their capital city to us. They gave up their time, which does not come by easily for a medical student, to make sure we were comfortable and happy. I met the man who ran the local orphanage out of his own pocket and Western donations, taking care of children affected by the civil war. He was a calm, collected presence in the midst of chaos for the children and an unappreciated modern-day hero. I met doctors who were willing to give up their entire Saturday to come help us administer health screens for the children at the orphanage without any form of reimbursement. How many Canadian doctors would have given their time to do check-ups on 13 children for free? I  met people of all ages who were helpful and friendly. I was touched by the humble faith of the Nepali, just happy to be at peace at last, and I was awed by the devotion I witnessed daily at the beautiful temples and shrines throughout the city.

Nepal made me so grateful for the country I live in with free health care, clean air, clean water, and social support systems. But I am also so incredibly grateful to Nepal; it was an amazing experience that opened my eyes and refreshed my faith in humanity. It was an incredible gift to be allowed into this country, to meet with its people, and to learn all I could of their beautiful culture.