Warmly recommend to join the project

My name is Stephanie Riecker, I am a 23 years old student from Germany and I absolved 2 months in the “monastery-renovation project” with FORD-NEPAL in Mangalpur-7, Chitwan. I stayed in this little village with my host family not far away from the Buddhist “Gomba”. Where, I was working.

There, I did renovation on picture inside as well as (and that was the main part of my work) at the Stupa outside. As there was also a new “Lama” in Mangalpur, who built a new little two rooms, I also painted these from outside.

After I painted the big areas as the Stupa gold and white again, most of my time I was busy with very detailed renovation on the “Thanka” like pictures showing different Buddha on the Stupa.

This took me a long time and I had to work very concentrated, as it was re-painting the colors and lines as well as creating (especially the background) a little bit new with my possibilities.

To do the painting, I had to organize and buy my needed goods as there where different paints and color, brushes, chemicals etc.

These things are all not very expensive all easily available in small amounts which was ideal for my purpose. As I experienced it is just a great job. Sitting underneath prayer-flags in the sun on the “Gundri” and do painting in this beautiful environment, some where in Nepal, where everybody was interested and the people appreciated what I did (especially the new “lama” and the Buddhist community in Rampur). Once of both, Surya and Shree Ram Pariyar (members of my most lovely host family ever and my main persons to turn to of “FORD-NEPAL” in one) has been with me most of the time and helped me at any time!

They where incredibly cooperative and I was as flexible and free as possible in my decisions, way and also spend of working.

So as a conclusion I must say that I really loved it. The whole time and can warmly recommend t join a little project like this. You have to be and work very independently and know already a little bit about how to paint, mix colors etc. But then it is a wonderful and awesome job to do from which you can learn a lot and at the same time help to substitute a small monastery like the one in Rampur.

With my very best regards,

Stephanie Riecker “Aasha” Germany,