Backed by a £2000 travel grant given by SI Leeds Georgina and Laura both involved in STEM education and employment went to Nepal to help make a difference to the lives of women and girls there.
Laura’s summary
“Volunteering in Nepal was a fantastic and transformative experience. I spent 4 weeks working in Okhaldhunga on the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) project which aims to improve the resilience of rural communities to natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, wildfires and landslides. Nepal is a developing country that faces many natural hazards, and rural communities are often the most vulnerable. Having a background in geosciences, I was able to deliver workshops in the community on immediate disaster response and how to pack emergency go-bags which were well received and hopefully helpful and thought provoking to the community! My favourite experience however, was working in the local schools. The children were incredibly enthusiastic and curious, and also keen to learn about the science behind the hazards they are facing. As part of this project I developed a board game called Disaster Ready! to use as an educational tool for DRR content. Using the game with the children was tremendous fun and a great way to engage them in the content. Although challenging at times, the trip helped me to reimagine DRR educational methods and realise a passion for continuing this work in the future in my role as a university academic researching natural hazards.
Nepal is also an outstandingly beautiful country, so having the opportunity to live there and immerse myself in a new culture was one I will never forget! Making momos (dumplings) in the community centre on Friday evenings was one of my favourite activities and I also am very grateful to have met so many wonderful people and new friends.”
Georgia’s PowerPoint
