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Every time, when I glanced the token of heart on the window sill in my living room, I would stand for a while and murmured the word ‘Kathmandu’ … Although the days I was in Nepal has gone away for more than one and a half months, I still and will treasure them for the rest of my life.

It was a decision made at the very last minutes. Having attended a lecture about microfinance on November, I tried to search for some microfinance projects in Asia, and wanted to participate in those projects during my winter vacation. Luckily I found Indra, and one month later, I landed on the Tribhuvan International Airport. The amazing and adventurous journey started at that second.

I have learnt a lot about the Microfinance. From where is the microfinance rooted to where is the microfinance achieved. We traveled to the villages outside the Kathmandu valley and saw the real cash flow in those villages. The dream of microfinance started this point. A woman got a $300 loan, and established a cabbage field, then she could generate stable income from selling the cabbages. Later, she could use this money to restore her house destroyed by the earthquake. In addition, she could use the money to support her children to receive higher education. Year by year, generation by generation, the microfinance changes a family, a community, a city, and finally a country. Except the field visits, we also had interview talks with the CEO of MFIs, and the official of government. From grass root to policymaker level, I have seen a completed view of the microfinance in Nepal.

I have learnt the people here. Papa, Mama, Milan, Suman, Seema… A warm family with love in Kathmandu. No matter where I am, I will always remember my Nepal family. They showed me the respect and belief between each other, the support and care to each other. We enjoyed the quiet morning with hot tea together, we made Momo and Cell roti to celebrate festivals, we toasted and wished Mama a happy birthday. These beautiful moments would never fade in my heart. I also see the friendly people in those rural villages, they tried their best to welcome us and showed us the best and simple happiness in the world with their smile.

I have learnt the natural scenery and the culture of Nepal. The speeding cars in mountainous roads, the snow mountains with delight sunshine, those bright stars under dark sky, the cooking smoke in sunset, those children back from school… consists of the peaceful local life. In addition, the sunrise in Pokhara, the cold but amazing morning in the forest in Chitwan was so impressive. This is a nation with long history, great culture, and honest people.

If I have chance, I will definitely go back to Nepal to visit my warm Nepal family, the friendly people, the amazing microfinance projects and the promising nation again.

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My time with the Indra Foundation has been a once in a lifetime experience. Upon arriving, I was received by a very welcoming host family. They took me in and helped me assimilate to my new environment and the Nepali culture. I was able to visit many historical national monuments, try some of the best street food in Kathmandu and even go paragliding in Pokhara.

Apart from my leisurely excursions, I was also able to grow professionally. I had the opportunity to visit clients in villages outside of Kathmandu, which is near Jiri. This allowed me to witness firsthand the fruit of the microloans that the Indra Foundation provides as well as meet the clients who were working to empower themselves economically.

This internship reminded me why I decided to go into non-profit work in the first place. It’s reassured me that I’ve chosen the right career path and that the microfinance work I do in the future will make a difference. I would recommend this program to anyone who likes a good mix of work and adventure.

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I ’m Dan and I went to Nepal in August 2019 for 4 weeks on a Tea Research and Organic Farming Internship with Indra Foundation. I can honestly say that I really enjoyed my time working with this charity and made some great memories from this trip! It is a very beautiful country and both family run charity and the host family made my time there so much more enjoyable. As this was an internship, I learned a lot about the production of tea and the growing movement towards organic tea production in Eastern Nepal.

The host family were great! I had an enjoyable time staying with them; the hospitality was nice, but the food was AMAZING! Never got sick of having Dal Bhat every day! It was quite remote so on days off, it took quite a bit of time to get to the nearest tourist attractions but there are things to do. There are opportunities to help/learn from the host family with all sides of the production process.

The charity itself is family run. Milan is a good host and organizer, who’s dedicated years of hard work to help people who are less fortunate in Nepal. Before I went to Ilam (Eastern Nepal) I stayed with his family for a few days, and they helped me find my feet in Kathmandu before setting off for the internship. If you want a great experience with beneficial repercussions, then I do recommend enrolling in an internship scheme at Indra Foundation! Bear in mind that I can only say this for the internship schemes as the volunteer schemes are different. If you are looking for some ‘white saviorism’ and ‘self-discovery’ volunteer scheme then this not the experience for you, nonetheless it’s a brilliant way to embrace Nepali culture, to learn about tea/organic farming and an overall fantastic experience.

I would like to thank Milan and the Indra Foundation for giving me this opportunity as I have taken away so much from this trip. I hope that the charity pulls through during this difficult time and I look forward to keeping in touch for the future.

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During my two and a half month experience in Nepal, the Indra Foundation helped me integrate and experience the culture and values of Nepal. I obtained a better understanding of key industries in Nepal’s economy, future goals of the foundation, and how important grassroots change is to improve economic development.

The family experience allowed me to assimilate into the culture quickly. I felt community and purpose within the family unit as we worked together on projects or their friendship as we traveled Nepal’s beautiful landscape. Using the family's connections I was able to meet with many local small businesses and better understand the problems they were experiencing and brainstorm possible solutions.

Much of my time was spent interviewing small businesses and brainstorming solutions for their problems. From small textile businesses in Kathmandu and their issues with cannibalizing each other’s customer base, to tea farmers in Eastern Nepal and their competition with India’s tea production. I learned about many key industries and would work with the family on how to implement an online marketplace for these Nepali goods to increase their profits and create a larger customer base.

The Indra Foundation allowed me to quickly assimilate into Nepal and its wonderful culture. I was able to be there during festival season, which allowed me a deeper understanding of Nepali tradition. Experiencing the work within a family really made the transition quicker and more comforting. I am very grateful for the time I had and the people I was able to meet.

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The time with Indra foundation gave me the chance to really experience the life in Nepal. I visited corners of the country you wouldn't recognize as a tourist, I ate all this delicious, home-cooked food, took the local busses instead of the touristic ones and met all those friendly and interesting people. The new location in Western Nepal Villages has a stunning view and I enjoyed the sunset every evening. Every member of the family is welcoming and took very good care of me. I left the project with a better understanding how microfinancing works and how it affects the women and their families.