Amanda’s Big World Adventure Joins with Vajrayana School of Kathmandu, Nepal in Volunteer Teaching

Sept. 15, 2011 - PRLog -- The Vajrayana School of Kathmandu, Nepal and Amanda’s Big World Adventure are pleased to announce their partnership in volunteerism and teaching. Vajrayana School, in the Boudha neighborhood of Kathmandu, seeks volunteers who can teach English to their classes of Tibetan refugees and Himalayan Sherpas and when Amanda discovered that positions were available and supplies for the school much needed, the two combined forces with seamless effort.

Having always had a desire to learn more about the culture, history, and people of the region, Amanda volunteered her teaching services to Chhewang Sherpa. Within weeks a plan was in place – one of the formidable building blocks of the Big World Adventure. “To experience life in Nepal from their point-of-view is going to be the most life-awakening experience for me,” said Amanda. “I was grateful when I received word from Chhewang that he would allow me to work at his school. To be able to teach students who are so desiring of learning that they walk for days to Kathmandu to be able to attend the school shows the awe-inspiring power of knowledge. My being able to spend time with the students trekking the Himalayas, having dinner with their families and spending time visiting monuments and sites that they see on a daily basis is going to open my heart and mind to so much more. I have been told that this trip is going to change me and being able to connect with and teach the students will be one of the major catalysts in that change.”

The school was founded 13 years ago to help destitute children around the Boudha Stupa who had little or no opportunity for schooling. It was the first language tutorial center of its kind in the Tibetan  community of Boudha and was founded by two brothers in their twenties, one of whom continues to teach and run the center. Chhewang, principal and teacher, was born in Nepal with the Sherpa dialect of Tibetan as his native tongue and educated in Bhutan. He has 'an ear' for languages and is fluent in Tibetan, Nepali, Hindi, Bhutanese and English also having extensive knowledge of many of the dialects within each of these.

The center is now attended by a broader cross section of the Tibetan and Sherpa communities, ranging in age from 10 years to adult. They include monks, business people, middle-aged women and others, many of whom have had minimal exposure to school of any kind. Many of their students have just arrived in Nepal and have never attended school before.

To help the students practice the English language, Amanda will be setting up a Skype Pen Pal program for students in the United States to connect with the students that she will be teaching in Nepal. Students of all levels are encouraged to participate in the exchange.  By visiting  Amanda’s Big World Adventure website, all who would like to join the Pen Pal program can enlist. Assignments will be made on a first-come, first-served basis. Every effort will be made to connect all students.

More on The Vajrayana School for Tibetan and Himalayan Sherpa
Vajrayana School prides itself on seeking the talents of the teachers themselves. While school supplies and any other forms of donation are always gratefully received, Principal Chhewang Sherpa is happy to welcome volunteer teachers in order to give his students maximum exposure to the English language. To learn more about the school and volunteer opportunities go to www.vajrayanaschool.org.np.

More on Amanda’s Big World Adventure
Today’s students of the world, young and old, are looking for the connection with each other, the opportunity to learn and grow from each other. Most are bound by responsibilities or economic factors that prevent them from traveling and exploring, and missing out on meaningful connections with the places they would go and the people they would meet. Amanda is the new adventurer who takes readers on the real experience of travel vicariously through her work and volunteer adventures around the globe. To learn more about the adventure go to www.AmandasBigWorldAdventure.com or contact Amanda at info@AmandasBigWorldAdventure.com.

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Amanda is the new adventurer who takes readers on the real experience of travel - vicariously - through her work and volunteer adventures around the globe.