Close to Communities

Barsha Budhathoki, also from Nepal, is Magar's schoolmate and roommate. Magar introduced Budhathoki to the team in September. "Before I joined the team, I had no idea what they did, but I noticed Nabina often attended the team's events, and she looked so excited every time. Now, I think I made one of the best decisions in my life, to be a volunteer," says Budhathoki. She adds she is pleased with her personal growth since joining the team. By providing services as a volunteer, such as visiting a community, she has become less shy and able to talk randomly, and smoothly, to new people. "I know how to talk to them, and how to make them comfortable, so they are willing to ask me for help. It has been a good journey, for my life, in China," Budhathoki says.

Once, when Budhathoki and her teammates visited a seniors' activity center in Sanlitun, elderly people peppered her with questions, such as "What do you eat?" and "What do you normally wear in Nepal?" She was happy to answer their questions, as it gave her a chance to introduce the culture of her country. She was even happier when she realized the seniors were excited to be spending time with the volunteers. "I felt like my heart had 'melted' by those elderly Chinese," Budhathoki recalls.