Report by Tony Schaller

Tony Schaller from Switzerland reports on his experiences as a volunteer at Clinic Nepal – a moving account of friendship, gratitude and 25 years of commitment.

It was in 2019 that I decided to do volunteer work in Nepal. At the time I had bought a one-way ticket to Kathmandu without knowing where I would ultimately end up. So I was open to whatever was to come. And everything turned out wonderfully.

I sent Hari Bhandary an e-mail from Switzerland and “applied” as a then 48-year-old volunteer. It took less than 24 hours and Hari wrote back to me. His answer was short and to the point: “You are welcome”. And that is how it is for all of us who come from Europe, America, Australia, Japan etc.: the Nepalis say to us: “Welcome to Nepal”. I find that sooo beautiful. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your incredibly beautiful hospitality, dear Nepalis! So I came to Meghauli in Chitwan with my intention of doing volunteer work here. That is what I did, and since then I have given countless reflexology sessions and foot reflexology massages, but also hypnosis therapies and coaching here. All free of charge, of course, because with a tourist visa I do not have a work permit ;-) Besides my therapies, the Nepalis have also made use of a lot of other Western know-how from me. For example, we renovated the clinic (repainted the interior rooms and extended it by 2 rooms), made plans for the reconstruction of the kitchen building after the fire at the children's home in Daldale, and much more. My time in Nepal is always very enriching. And that is probably true for both sides, and I am incredibly grateful to be allowed to be part of the family here. You are wonderful, dear Clinic Nepal family.

The activities of Clinic Nepal are so comprehensive that I have hardly seen the like in any other volunteer organisation. Thanks to Hari's vision that every person has a right to drinking water, medical care and education, the activities of Clinic Nepal have a “red thread”, as we say in Switzerland. Everything the aid organisation does is aligned with Hari's vision. And that simply leads to efficiency. It cannot be any other way. In this way Hari is quite a role model even for Western managing directors!

So I was able to take part in the daily care of patients in Meghauli, and I also took part in several health camps, during which we drive in the Clinic Nepal vehicle to remote areas of Nepal where people are very poor and where there are no doctors. At these health camps, free doctor visits are offered and the people are given medicines at very low prices. They could not afford normal prices. The goat donations (goat giving ceremonies) that we also carry out in the remote areas are impressive too. The female goats can then be used by the poor families for further breeding. In this way Clinic Nepal makes a significant contribution to self-sufficiency in Nepal.

In Meghauli there is drinking water of a quality comparable to ours in Switzerland. What is taken for granted in Switzerland was unimaginable here only (!) 25 years ago. Thanks to Hari Bhandary, a water tower was able to be built, and the groundwater is drawn from a depth of about 100 metres, filtered by a plant and made durable. Today drinking water flows from every tap in Meghauli. Just yesterday I saw another water tower under construction in the neighbouring village. That made me especially happy, because it also shows that Hari's commitment is exemplary and is being copied in other parts of Nepal.

Since 2019, there has also been a considerable solar power plant next to the water tower in Meghauli. I do not know exactly when it went online, but I could see for myself that on my later visits the power supply in Meghauli was much more stable. On my first visit the power failed several times a day. Now it is perhaps once a week. A tremendous success for the supply of the people here!

Hari also spends a great deal of the donation money on education. I was able to meet many people who are able to receive a better education thanks to Hari's support. With the families' own means this would not be possible. Hari has invested in schools, built new playgrounds at the kindergartens, made studies at universities in Nepal and in Germany possible, etc. Hari, that is wonderful!!

I myself also have a sponsored child in Nepal, and several friends in Switzerland have followed this idea and likewise support sponsored children in Nepal with a financial contribution. In this way we significantly support further education and make it possible, for example in the Daldale children's home, for children (whose parents have no money) to be provided with a home, food and a school uniform. School fees and teaching materials are also financed by the sponsors. Hari and his team manage the donations exemplarily and make sure that the children are only sponsored for as long as they actually attend school and achieve good results.

Dear Hari, dear Clinic Nepal family. This is already my fourth time in Nepal since my first stay here. Every time it is a “coming home”. Not even the worldwide COVID-19 lockdowns could keep me away. During the COVID period I was in Nepal twice. Every time I get to experience new wonders again that Hari makes possible with his big heart and his team. I will keep coming back and support you wherever I can. A very big praise and my greatest appreciation for everything you have been able to achieve in the last 25 years. It is unique, great, wonderful! We need more people like this in the world! For the anniversary I wish you all the very best from my heart and continued success in realising Hari's vision!