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evarmore
Ravenscroft School
7409 Falls of Neuse Road
February 2011
Alum brings world experiences to classroom
PATRICK BAILEY
the tens of thousands of dollars, Fish was excited to find the organization, STAFF WRITER Volunteer Nepal, at a cost of only $6,000 for all six months. fter completing four or Fish’s first assignment was to more wonderful years at Ravenscroft, a government-run orphanage. Her the typical or expected plan of action first experience was walking into a is to go on to undergraduate school at room filled with 60 children all under a college or university. However, gap the age of 18 months. The room was years, are growing in popularity with roughly the size of the main office in some Ravenscroft Alumni like Alicia the Upper School. Assigned to the 60 Fish, ’10, choosing to swim against children are only four caretakers. the expected matriculation current. When volunteers would come, Fish recently returned to speak to the caretakers would leave to go students enrolled in hand wash the baby’s the Global Issues cloth diapers. Fish was “I think they class about her gap typically responsible [the citizens of Nepal for eleven or twelve year experiences. Fish deferred children at one time. she assisted] her acceptance to “When any changed me more McDaniel College volunteer walks into the in Maryland to than I changed them.” room their faces light participate in a up because they know gap year program they will actually be - Alicia Fish, ‘10 through which she given attention. It was could help others. heartbreaking when I With the help of family friends, would have to put them down, having she found a program in Nepal that the literally pry them off and put them consists of two, three month terms. in their crib.” Fish has already completed “I thought I was going to her first term and cannot wait to go die,” stated Fish as she described the back for her second term scheduled fifteen hour bus ride to the country February through May. With most side of Nepal to get to her next gap year programs costing well into job of teaching English in a very impoverished school in Bastipur. Fish explained that the learning atmosphere was so different because children are often physically punished with little explanation. The children quickly understood that she would not hit them and many would run and cling to her when she entered the classroom. Through teaching English and Geography at the Merry Children Academy School, Fish began to settle in. However, she encountered some people whose past experiences troubled her. While visiting Narti she went to a refugee camp specifically A baby at the government for girls who had been sold into the run orphanage during meal sex trade. As if this was not troubling enough, Fish found out that often time. There are not enough times it was the girl’s family that volunteers, so the bottles are originally sold her into the sex trade. propped up with blankets.
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Alicia Fish, 10, caught riding a water buffalo during her stay in Bastapur. All photographs provided by Alicia Fish
Unfortunately since Nepal is the poorest country in the world, outside of Africa, this is not uncommon. “I think they [the citizens of Nepal she assisted] changed me more than I changed them,” stated Fish as attempted to describe her new appreciation for her own life in America. She also mentioned that the people around her in Nepal were surprisingly happy even though they often lacked life’s basic essentials like food and clean water. Fish gained a different perspective about what is really important in life and plans to continue to serve the people in Nepal through fund-raising efforts during her time in college. Fish explained that after living there, she understands how to contribute to organizations that directly help the individuals in need. Since their government is corrupt, donations given at that level are taken by politicians. She experienced two orphanage; one run by the
INSIDE...
government and one run by Volunteer broader understanding of the world. Napal. The latter made use of all Fish reports that she will approach her donations and was free of corruption. college education with a more mature She learned a lot through her attitude and a greater understanding experiences in Nepal and is looking of the struggles a majority of the forward to going back in February. people on earth face courageously Coming from Ravenscroft and going each and every day. to Nepal, a lot of things were put into perspective. Fish will always remember the grandmother she met that, at 65 years of age, would wake up at 3 o’clock in the morning and work tirelessly until 6 o’clock in the evening. She will never forget walking down the street feeling a little discomfort because “some have never seen a white person before…they would stop and stare.” Fish highly recommends stepping out of your comfort zone. Fish surrounded by some of her stuShe feels like she gained a dents at the “Merry Children Academy.”
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