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Returning to Nepal, 36 years after the first visit.

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Landing in Kathmandu, Nepal in October this year, 36 years after the first time, was a special moment. My emotions were high, and I was reminded of the first time I arrived in Nepal.

Aged 23 I was working as a volunteer with Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO). I remember looking up in awe at the Himalayas as I walked across the tarmac between a line of Ghurkhas to the arrival lounge.

A Nepalese welcome

Jump to Nepal in 2024, and with a group of friends we had that wonderful Nepalese welcome with marigold garlands, warm smiles and namastes. We weren’t in Kathmandu for long, but long enough for one of our alumni to search me out to discuss capacity development needs for his team and it really was wonderful to meet him and for his colleagues to then attend our online Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning training – something which started last December.

Nepalese friends and mountains

For me, getting the chance to be back amongst the village and people of Terhathum in Eastern Nepal, where I spent 4 years working through VSO for the Department of Livestock Services, was a special experience.

Chris Grose in Nepal planting rice in a paddy field
Chris in Nepal planting rice in a paddy field in 1989
Chris and Nirmal near the paddy field he helped plant 36yrs ago
2024 Chris and his 'brother' Nirmal near the paddy field he helped plant 36 years ago

During our visit to Terathum, we were filmed by a local TV company. Please follow this link to view the short Nepalese film.

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At the invitation of social worker Nirmal Dhungana, a resident of Myanglung Bazaar, Chris Grose, who has come from England to visit various places of Tehrathum Pachthar and Taplejung. By Ttm Online Tv

Our group travelled into some remote parts of the Himalayas, connecting with Kumbhakarna and Khanchenjunga, some of the highest mountains in the world. All this was part of my own significant birthday event and a desire to reconnect with people, places and I guess share my experiences from years ago with friends and family – my wife, Claire, who I first met there in 1989. 

chris and friends in the mountains in Nepal
Chris, Claire and Martin (Chris's best man) in the mountains in Nepal

I relished having the opportunity to meet with new friends in Kathmandu on my return from the remote Himalayas. This continues to open new doors for our organisation at IMA International. We are building stronger links with facilitators to work alongside ourselves and really live the localisation agenda being promoted worldwide. We want to be a part of this and are eager to share our knowledge, experience and great passion for high quality learning opportunities for all, everywhere. 

S. P. Kalaunee, Country Representative, Blink Now Foundation and Pooja Sharma, Country Director, Practical Action

Future learning opportunities

If you are interested in attending any of our training courses, please follow this link to explore the many options open to you, we would be delighted to hear from you and look forward to meeting you.

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