Hello! My name is Monique Garner.
Very recently I was part of an amazing program run by Rotary Club of Orange Daybreak called Alternative Schoolies Program to Nepal. Mary Brell has suggested I send you my reflection letter. Hopefully I am able to give you a small insight to the wonders of Nepal. Thank you.
You can't explain in words what 'Service Above Self' means, you can only experience it. Service Above Self isn't an action but a pure and raw feeling. This feeling was felt throughout the whole of my schoolies adventure, from the trek to painting the classroom in Chitwan.
The trek let me experience how we in Australia take for granted our cars, busses, bikes and just transport in general by seeing the large distances people need to walk to be able to harvest and care for their crop. The trekking also consisted of walking through many villages, and one lady in particular opened up a new world for me. She wasn't any one important, merely just an ordinary woman. Standing and watching this lady harvest her crop allowed me to reflect on my own daily life and made me realise how much I take it for granted. She made me think how I personally don't need to harvest or plant or maintain crops to survive, but merely go down to the shops and buy whatever I need. Even with all these options for food I still complain about what is for dinner, dinner I don't even make or buy. But in Nepal not one person ever complained about the work they needed to do to get food on their table. Trekking also showed me how united the people of Nepal were through their singing and dancing and how kind they were to each other and their guests.
Watching my new made friends, both Australian and Nepalese helped me to reflect on my own Australian culture as just days before on this Schoolies trip we were shown the two major religions of Nepal. Hindu and Buddhism. Even though Nepal has two major religions they were able to live in harmony and without conflict, unlike many Australians. On my last week of the schoolies adventure I went to Chitwan to a school no other schoolies group has visited. The 7 hour drive there allowed me to experience more of Nepal and I was able to further reflect on my own life, my choices and my future. The school structure itself was confronting, it was dull and had very little resources. However, the students and teachers themselves is what gave the school its life by how excited and happy they all were, not just because of us but because they were able to attend school. The enthusiasm the children had towards learning forced me to reflect on my own education and helped me realise how little I valued it but has helped me change the way I see it forever. It has helped carve the new person I have become and will forever change the decisions I will make towards education. The students themselves were all so kind and willing to help without being asked. For example while scrubbing a classroom a group of boys, without being asked, picked up equipment and began to help. This type of kindness and generosity allowed me and the students to connect easily. On the second day of school no students were present due to the strike. This time without the students allowed me to truly absorb how dull and lifeless the school was and just how important what I was doing was. Painting the school the day previous felt as if I wasn't helping at all, but on the second day I could now fully understand the importance of it.
Dream Cricket was on the third day, although I had done it in Orange it had not prepared me for what it would be like in Nepal. In the beginning I had my doubts about the children and adults who participated and if they could achieve any of the activities. This just highlighted my naivety and ignorance in the subject as all of them were able to participate and achieve in every activity. Dream Cricket was the day I felt the full strength of 'Service Above Self' and it left my wanting to do more, not just in Nepal but Australia as well. I remember saying, 'I'm tired but my heart isn't'. This saying reflected my whole Schoolies trip, no matter how physically challenging it seemed I know what I was doing was worth it and would better others. There were many more activities that left me wanting to help more such as the Rotary Meeting, handing over of laptop in the University, culture dances and elephant riding. I didn't realise the impact Nepal had made on me until it was the day I had to leave. Although Nepal had given me sense of pride it also left me feeling empty as I search for the next way to help others. Through Rotary my trip to Nepal was seamless, I never had to worry or stress because I knew all the hard work was done. To the people who made this trip possible, I could never thank you enough. Nepal will forever be part of me