On the 27 December 2014, 24 Newington College students in Years 10 and 11, accompanied by Mr Greg Pike, Mr Jon Mountain and Mr Dom Garner travelled to Nepal for three weeks. The boys spent those three weeks engaging with the very different sights, sounds and smells of Nepal.  Their itinerary included helping teach local Nepalese students at two different schools; assisting in the maintenance of the Kushudebu Medical Centre in Nepal; shopping in Bhaktapur near Kathmandu; meeting the very friendly and generous people of Nepal; and hiking the paths and mountains of the Khumbu region, close to Mount Everest.

All the boys cherished the experience, as they were able to directly connect with the Nepalese community. We experienced the Nepalese Buddhist culture, when we visited the Thubtencholing Gompa Monastery and the Tengboche Monastery within the Khumbu Region, and we were fortunate enough to give our respects to the former head Llama in the Gompa Monastery along with the rest of the monks. We also ventured through Bhaktapur too, where the marvellous Hindu temples surrounded our guest house including the Nyatapola Temple, Bhairavnath Temple and the Changu Narayan Temple. These experiences made us treasure our time in Bhaktapur.

All of us experienced the beautiful landscapes of the Khumbu region too, as we visited towns, that included; Junbesi, Taksindu, Karikhola, Puiyan, Ghat, Monjo, Namche, Tengboche and Lukla. During this 15 day hiking component of the trip, we ascended to a maximum height of 3800 m above sea level, which presented an astounding view of Mount Everest for all of us to remember.

During our time in Bhaktapur, we visited the SOS school of Kathmandu, which has had a long lasting relationship with our school, since the college began visiting Nepal. The boys were given a tour of the grounds and the neighbouring family village, where orphaned children lived and we even played a friendly football match against the school’s football team – which we luckily won 2-1. We also visited the Junbesi Secondary School, where the boys attempted to teach the local students about good hygiene and the world.

Prior to the trip, the touring party helped to raise $5600 for the maintenance of the Kushudebu Health Centre. The donation was very appreciated by the Medical Centre Staff. While we were there, we helped in re-painting some of the exteriors and interiors of the Medical Centre.

The trip is one I’m certain all the boys will remember and appreciate, as it provided us with different views of a very different world. On behalf of all the boys we would like to thank Mr Garner, Mr Mountain and in particular Mr Pike for making the trip possible and for sharing the journey and the memories with us.

Cameron Hoareau (12/ME)
Student