On a cold morning in early 2024, people were coming and going in the waiting hall of Kathmandu Airport. Huddled in a corner seat, I tightened my down jacket while scrolling through travel guides on my phone, feeling anxious about the three-month volunteer journey ahead. To be honest, this was my first time traveling abroad alone, and I would be staying in a completely unfamiliar country for three months - just thinking about it made me nervous.
Just as I was sinking into anxiety, an elderly lady wearing traditional Tibetan clothing sat down beside me. Her Tibetan robe was vibrantly colored with exquisite patterns, and she wore a headdress adorned with turquoise. The elderly lady first observed me with kind eyes for a while, then asked in heavily accented English, "Young person, are you here to volunteer?"
I was a bit surprised and nodded instinctively. The elderly lady's face immediately lit up with a warm smile. She said she had been working at the local orphanage for 20 years and had witnessed volunteers come and go from all over the world. Her eyes revealed deep nostalgia as she spoke these words.
Through chatting with the elderly lady, I learned that the number of people choosing volunteer travel each year is astonishing. In 2023 alone, over 500,000 people chose this unique way of traveling. A large portion were young people around my age, with 40% being 18-25 years old and 25% being 26-35 years old. Among all volunteer destinations, Nepal's popularity was second only to India and Thailand.
The elderly lady told me she had seen all kinds of volunteers: college graduates who came to Nepal right after graduation with their backpacks, office workers who chose to start anew after midlife crises, and retirees who wanted to contribute more to society. Everyone might have different initial motivations for coming here, but in the end, they all gained more touching moments and growth than expected.
After more than an hour's drive, I finally arrived at the orphanage in suburban Kathmandu. To be honest, when I first saw this place, my feelings were mixed. What greeted my eyes was a somewhat dilapidated three-story building with weathered yellow walls, surrounded by several tall Bodhi trees whose leaves swayed gently in the breeze.
The sounds of children playing came from the courtyard, with several boys chasing and roughhousing, while some girls sat under the trees weaving bracelets. When they saw me, a stranger, walk in, they all looked at me curiously, with some shyly hiding behind trees to peek.
Honestly, before coming, I always thought I was here to "help" these children, carrying a somewhat condescending attitude. But when I actually stood here, I realized how narrow-minded that thinking was. These children's eyes were pure and bright, their faces radiating happy smiles, completely unlike how I had imagined they would need sympathy.
During my first week here, I met volunteers from around the world. There was Sarah, an American girl who had just graduated from Harvard and gave up a Wall Street job opportunity to volunteer here for six months; there was Takashi, a Japanese man who had been an office worker in Tokyo for 30 years and decided to start anew after retirement by coming here to find new meaning in life; most impressive was Tom, a British teenager who chose a gap year after high school to find his true life direction here.
Through interactions with them, I learned that volunteer travel has become a global phenomenon. According to Projects Abroad statistics, in 2023 alone, over 15,000 volunteers served in Nepal through their platform, with over 60% choosing orphanage projects. This number shocked me - there were so many people like me who chose to explore the world and understand themselves in this way.
Life at the orphanage was busier than I had imagined. Every morning at 5 AM, I would be awakened by the bell from a nearby temple. The bell sound was distant and lingering, echoing in the morning mist, bringing a peaceful and sacred beginning to each day.
After waking up, I would prepare breakfast with other volunteers for the children. Usually it was steaming hot traditional Nepali breakfast: curry with bread, or the local specialty dal bhat. Seeing the children wolfing down their food always made me smile.
After breakfast, we would accompany the younger children to school. The school was about a twenty-minute walk from the orphanage. Along the way, the children would chatter about their stories, sometimes about interesting dreams from the night before, sometimes about their expectations for the day's lessons. Although I couldn't understand their Nepali, just seeing their lively and lovely expressions would warm my heart.
After sending the children to school, I would return to the orphanage to start the day's work. Mornings were usually spent teaching English, from basic letters to simple daily conversations. Sometimes I would also tell them Chinese stories, like the legend of the twelve zodiac animals or the adventures of Sun Wukong. The children would always listen entranced, their eyes sparkling with curiosity.
After lunch was free activity time, and I would take turns with other volunteers helping the children with their homework. Sometimes we also had to help clean or repair facilities. I remember once fixing a swing in the courtyard with Tom - although we were sweating profusely, seeing the children happily swinging made all the fatigue disappear.
What touched me most were the children's pure smiles. Although they had lost their parents, they had built deep friendships in this big family at the orphanage. The older children would take care of the younger ones, just like real siblings. According to IVHQ's research report, among orphans who received volunteer help, 85% showed significant improvement in their studies, and 90% showed obvious progress in social skills.
Evening time always passed particularly quickly. After dinner, we would hold various activities in the courtyard. Sometimes it was storytelling, sometimes impromptu performances, sometimes just simply sitting together to watch the stars. Nepal's night sky was especially beautiful, dotted with stars like diamonds scattered on deep blue velvet.
Before coming to Nepal, I thought I was coming to give - to teach these children knowledge and bring them happiness. But looking back now, I gained far more than I gave. Those seemingly simple daily moments gave me the most profound life insights.
I remember a little boy named Ravi who would always break his cookies in half to share with me. Once when I asked him why he did this, he innocently answered, "Because the joy of sharing is the greatest joy!" This simple answer made me feel ashamed. In our materially abundant modern society, have we forgotten the true meaning of sharing?
There was another time when a little girl named Maya drew a picture for me in art class. The picture showed a group of people holding hands, some with yellow skin, some with brown skin, all wearing bright smiles. She told me this was our big family. At that moment, I suddenly understood what true international understanding means, what human emotions that transcend race and culture are.
Volunteer Yatra's survey shows that 96% of volunteers say this experience changed their life outlook, and 89% say they gained more personal growth than expected. Now I finally understand the profound meaning behind these statistics. These changes aren't abstract concepts, but real transformations happening to each person.
Here, I learned to express love in the most simple way, learned to be content with what I have, learned to appreciate the simplest beauty in life. Every night when it was quiet, lying on the simple bed and thinking about the little moments from the day, I would always feel my heart full of warmth and gratitude.
Three months passed as quietly as morning dew. On the day I left, the whole orphanage was immersed in an atmosphere of farewell. The children woke up early and made me a beautiful garland with flowers they had picked from the mountain. Maya specially drew a picture with "We will miss you" written on it - though the letters were crooked, it was the most precious gift I had ever received.
The elderly lady I met at the airport also came to say goodbye. She held my hand and said, "Child, remember, true help isn't condescending charity, but equal mutual assistance." These words were deeply imprinted in my mind and became an important guide for my future life.
At the moment of leaving, seeing the children's reluctant expressions, I finally couldn't hold back my tears. Ravi ran over and tightly hugged my legs, saying in his broken English, "Sister, promise you will come back!" I crouched down and pinky promised I would definitely come back to see them.
According to GIVE Volunteers' report, over 70% of volunteers maintain contact with their service recipients after the project ends, and 45% choose to provide regular support or revisit. Because we all understand this isn't just a trip, but a meeting of souls. This connection will accompany us for life.
After returning home, my lifestyle and values changed greatly. Friends often ask me, "Was it worth spending so much time volunteering? Wouldn't it have been better to use that money to travel the world or buy luxury goods?"
I always smile and ask them back: "If measured in money, this was indeed a significant expense. But can you measure a child's sincere hug with money? Can you measure inner growth with money? Can you measure those moments that changed your life with money?"
According to the latest data from the Global Volunteer Alliance, the volunteer travel industry reached $4 billion in 2023. This number looks big, but in my view, the real value isn't in these cold numbers, but in every life that was changed, every bit of warmth that was passed on, every hope that was lit.
Now, I cherish every moment in life more and am more grateful for the people and things around me. I learned to view the world with more inclusive eyes, learned to find joy in giving, learned to discover happiness in simplicity.
If you also want to try volunteer travel, I sincerely suggest: let go of the fixed notion of "giving and receiving," and set out with an open and humble attitude. Don't position yourself as a giver, but experience and feel as a learner. Because in this process, we often gain more than we give.
The three months in Nepal taught me the most important life lesson: true happiness isn't about how much you have, but about learning to share; true growth isn't about changing others, but about changing yourself; true travel isn't about how far you go, but about how deeply your heart is touched. Isn't this the most beautiful meaning of travel?
In the quiet of night, I often think of that small courtyard in suburban Kathmandu, think of those innocent smiling faces, think of those heart-warming moments. These memories have become the most precious wealth in my life, forever changing how I view the world.
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