It was a privilege to visit Hangdewa school in its early years. This sunny, yellow school nestles in stunning scenery in rural Nepal. It feels like the end of the world but you can see from the smiles on the children’s faces that this school is fostering a love of learning and is opening up opportunities previously denied to them. It is a hopeful, happy place and deserves support especially when one thinks of how privileged our own children are in the UK to have access to a good education. Well done Lesley and Q Learning – what an achievement

I visited the school and village in November 2017 before the local airport became operational. Despite the long journey to get there, I was rewarded by discovering a thriving centre of learning filled with young children, often trekking for hours every day in order to attend, with a hunger for knowledge.

It was clear that the school was the centrepiece of the village with proud parents taking the time to chat to their neighbours as they walked their children to the school gate. The community is proud of their school and the doors it can open for their children. And, by visiting the school, you can see what a difference it can make to these young lives. I hope it continues to expand and continues to offer education to those who might otherwise miss out.

Staying in the village was truly a lifetime experience: waking up to panoramic views of some of the most untouched, beautiful and wild nature I’ve ever seen. The teachers and families of the village were incredibly warm and friendly, and I felt at home, especially with the incredible wood-stove-cooked food made to suit me as a Vegan – I still dream of it!

I worked with the children on painting murals of their village and local wildlife, as well as many fun and creative activities (like making woven bracelets, flower painting and paper aeroplane competitions) which for me as a fashion designer was engaging … and a great way of learning their customs and way of life.

An experience I will never forget.

When I was in Hangdewa I was impressed with how eager the children were to learn. They enjoyed a wide variety of lessons including traditional dancing. They were delighted with the books and lego blocks we brought because of course they have so very little.

It’s easy to take everything we have for granted like eye tests for example. These children would not have access to routine eye examinations but statistically some of them must have had issues. So when Sharon and I were able to carry out some simple eye tests it showed that at least 6 needed a proper test. Fortunately all the teachers eyes were fine!!

I cannot begin to explain what an amazing time I had during my three-month stay in Hangdewa, Nepal. I am convinced that volunteering at the local school was the best thing that could have happened to me before going to university.

The people in Hangdewa welcomed my friend and I like family and were more than happy to show us their village and culture. They went out of their way to make us feel at home and were always happy to help whenever we needed something. On our free weekends they would often take us on wonderful trips to the nearby mountains. Most of the families in the village invited us into their homes to have lunch together or sometimes just to talk over some tea and biscuits. Despite the language barrier, those conversations were always extremely interesting, and I will never forget their generosity and hospitality towards us.

The children at the Q-Learning school were all very bright, curious and most of all eager to learn and it was a pleasure to work with them. The village itself is absolutely beautiful and every day we were waking up to an amazing view of the mountains, the fields and the river down the valley.

I have learned more than I could have imagined in those three months, not only about a foreign country and culture, but also about myself. I feel extremely lucky to have been offered the chance to volunteer at the Q-Learning school and I cannot wait to return to Hangdewa someday and to be reunited with all those lovely people who made my stay in Nepal an experience I will never forget.

When I was in Hangdewa I was overwhelmed by the welcome and the friendliness of the children who proudly invited me into their school for a day of lessons with them. I have great memories of playing football on the side of the mountain and enjoying the dancing and singing by the villagers on our final evening. An amazing experience that will stay with me for life. (Owen Cove who visited with his family when he was 10 years old).

My memories:
·   Real darkness
·   Waking up and breathing in pure air
·   The generosity of local people who have so little eg sacrificing the goat,
·   The ingenuity of people who have little or no formal education – the reservoir and the way they live off the land eg using a twig as a toothbrush
·   The huge smiles of delight on the children when we gave them a pencil and note book. The noise only of children laughing ( no crying the whole time we were there)
·   Their enthusiasm for school and how far some of them would travel to school (the children we met from Suketar higher up the mountain)
·   The gratitude of villagers

It is genuinely a pleasure to support children in Hangdewa so that they can get a proper education – and the best way I know in which to spend money.

The thing that hit me the most when staying in Hangdewa is that it is so peaceful that it seems as if time has stopped. Being amongst untouched nature: jungle and forest – and farms with paddy fields – descend down the mountain, with goats bleating and buffaloes lowing and the river far down in the valley and the snow-capped mountains up so high, made me feel like I was at the edge of the world: the furthest I could be from English civilisation.

My diet was, by choice, the most healthy one possible: with the freshest of vegetables, home grown rice and local meat made into delicious curries with homemade flat breads ….or a breakfast of eggs from the chickens beside me and honey from next door. So a trip to the Taplejung Bazaar meant I could buy treats of chocolate and naughty drinks….which really was very welcome!

I instantly felt like I had a circle of friends for life as soon as I arrived in Nepal … so by the time I arrived in Hangdewa everyone felt like my family! It may seem that our worlds are far apart and yet, when we were hiking up a mountain together, it was amazing the common ground we could find and how much laughter there was. The villagers and children treated me as a celebrity (even a goddess!) – so if you have ever wondered what that is like, all you need to do is step foot in the school where all the children will want selfies with you and, if you are lucky, will dance traditional dances for you.

To sum up , there is a huge welcoming warmth and generosity of friendship that came my way as well as being in a very special place. A trip I will always remember.

I had the opportunity to stay in Hangdewa for about five months and, whilst doing some volunteering in the school, did some truly awesome treks. It’s an incredibly special place with beautiful views and so peaceful; there is a wide variety of trails and paths for all. We started with half day walks and ended with going all the way to Kangchenjunga Base Camp. This was so much more than just volunteering (and learning to speak Nepali): these months were truly life-time experiences

Our trip to Nepal and the village of Hangdewa, with Q Learning, really was an experience like no other. If you want an ‘off the beaten track’ adventure then this is it! When we were in Hangdewa, we were blown away by the hospitality and friendliness of the local people. They were curious, accommodating and incredibly welcoming and happy to see us. Not only that, but the scenery was simply breathtaking. Far removed from the busyness of our usual lives, the stunning scenery, rugged mountains and simplicity of life was a real tonic and a chance to feel connected with what’s important in life. The trekking on offer was fantastic and provided opportunities to really experience the mountains and local countryside and get a glimpse of rural life in this magical place.