Ms.
Merielle Burr Harrison volunteered with
our orgainsation for 5 months from October
2007 to February 2008
.........................................................................
February 8,2008
When I first decided that I was going
to Nepal, I was constantly second-guessing
my own decision. I’d wanted to visit
Nepal for a long time, but the U.S. foreign
embassy has such a scary travel warning
that I thought I might go there and be
shot. I also didn’t know much about
VSN (we had only communicated via emails)
and wasn’t quite sure if what I
was committing myself to was legitimate.
Once I arrived in Nepal, however, I saw
how ungrounded all of my fears had been.
The political situation in Nepal is tumultuous,
but doesn’t affect daily life to
any great extent, and no tourist will
ever be bothered or harmed. The people
here are also very obliging, and I’m
constantly amazed at what a gracious culture
this country has.
VSN itself is a wonderful organization.
The staff is responsive to every need
a volunteer may have, and carefully guards
the safety of its participating members.
VSN is also amenable to any changes volunteers
may want to make in their volunteering
schedules, and are understanding if people
want to leave and go trekking or sightseeing
for a bit. I’ve been lucky to volunteer
with an organization that has such integrity
and such thoughtfulness for the people
who come here, and I can say with all
honesty that I feel safer with VSN in
Nepal than I do in my hometown of Seattle,
Washington. Hooray!
-Marielle
Burr Harrison
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