June 6, 2017
At the start of 2017, Astrid Berndsen and Esmée van Eeden began their work placements in Nepal through the Unica Foundation. This is a report of their experiences.
Dear readers,
We are two Bachelor’s students in International Land and Water Management at Wageningen University. We are both very interested in the culture and the agrarian lifestyles of local communities. Our work placement in Nepal was therefore a wonderful opportunity to see this from close quarters.
The project we were working on is in a small village of just 26 households called Dihitar in the Chitwan hills. The Unica Foundation has been working there with a local organization called Shanti Griha Nepal, renovating and extending an irrigation system to allow vegetables to be cultivated. We were doing research into the impact of these new elements on the security of the food supply and the economic situation of the residents. We were able to do this through interviews with the local people and by making observations of the irrigation system.
Because we were able to stay as guests with local families, we were able to take part in the community’s activities and experience at close quarters what it is like to live in a different culture. From sowing maize and looking after goats to helping pick tomatoes and preparing a goose for cooking… The village of Dihitar is very remote and there is no phone coverage, except for occasional moments. This meant that we felt as if we were genuinely living the lifestyle of the local people.
All in all, we acquired a great deal of practical experience and enjoyed our time on the work placement thoroughly!
Astrid and Esmée
