Exchanging for change | Feature

SABINA GATRAJ

It's like a slice out of Survivor, only this time everyone's bound to be a winner. The Global Xchange programme – organised by the Volunteer Services Overseas (VSO), the British Council and partnered with Aasaman Nepal - flew 18 youths last September to Birmingham, U.K., to spend three months there and a subsequent three months in Kabhre, Nepal.

Launched for the first time here, the realities of the programme were far from outwitting, outplaying or outlasting each other. Instead, it pushed for awareness, tolerance and understanding amongst the young adults. If you consider the theme of this pioneer batch, which is to encourage social inclusion for peace, it's all about amalgamation and hardly about elimination.

Yet, what remained too real are the challenges that the young people faced when put in foreign environments. "I met completely different people and language and communication barriers were things we had to overcome," says participant Saujan Pradhan, 21.

Communication was an important aspect for the youths because they were made to live, work and debate with one another. Each of them had a partner from the counterpart country, lived with a host family and took up a part-time volunteering stint such as teaching or researching. Once every week, Global Citizenship Day would take place, where a session consisted of the participants discussing issues such as sexual orientation, religion, gender inequality, human trafficking and the environment.
Italian student Clelia Cazzaniga, 25, recalls an activity where they slept in cardboard boxes to experience the limitations that beggars in the U.K. are subjected to. "In Nepal though, there is much more extreme poverty," she notes. "Even in the capital, it's so rampant that I was quite appalled at first."

Volunteering as a teacher in a school in Kavre, Clelia also revealed the culture shock she experienced when she realised how teachers would skip school - they just weren't interested. Students also failed to attend because of the embarrassment they would have to face due to punishments from a misdeed. "It was a true challenge to teach in an environment I had not anticipated at all," she adds. Still, the sprightly lady was overwhelmed by the hospitality of the Nepali people: "I feel welcomed without being questioned"

Community spirit was a common strand that ran through what the nine UK participants experienced. "I was made to feel very much a part of the family, so I learnt about friendship and caring in Nepal," says Buckinghamshire resident Louise Redsull, 23. Blind since birth, Louise felt an affectionate sense of belonging in the villages, where her disability proved to be the least of barriers. However, Louise's partner, Sabina Gatraj, 24, notes that it was a little difficult at first because people were curious about Louise's condition. "At the end of the day, we not only learnt about Louise as a person from a different culture, but also about her disabilities," she beams, fondly reminiscing on the duo's days together.

Even as Nepal taught many lessons to the UK. participants, Birmingham also developed the nine Nepali participants in ways they had not expected. "I learnt to respect time," says Sabina, "and noticed that it's crucial to have a schedule and stick to it." Saujan, on the other hand, learnt about the significance of esteem in the manner he approached others as well as in the way he carried himself. "The experience has made me more aware, increasing my confidence level," he says.

New attitudes acquired by the team will hopefully inspire more Nepalis to take part in cultural exchange offerings. But Sabina adds that besides participating in a different culture, "Nepalis are also very welcoming of foreigners, which is where we can learn too." After all, an exchange isn't just about learning of another's culture. "It's also about learning to appreciate your own country," says UK programme supervisor Kate Parry.

Ultimately, coming from poles apart doesn't mean there aren't any similarities to speak of which Louise very aptly explains, "Wherever we come from, we're all human. Underneath ourselves, we're all eventually people who want to care about other people."