My name is Brian O’Beirne, I am a 22 year old student of Law in Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. Rather impetuously, I decided in July ’08 to do some volunteer work and luckily stumbled upon the organisation of “Volunteers Initiative Nepal-VIN”. From the outset the organisation were nothing other than helpful and supportive. I arrived in Nepal at the end of the month and was greeted by the ever-friendly organisers.

For the month of August I was situated in Drepung Monastery, Swayambuth, Kathmandu. My time there was simply unforgettable. The majority of monks whom I was teaching English to were between the ages of 6 and 16; many were abandoned children. They are such wonderful, innocent people. I have really come to care about them. This is what it’s all about…

However, my time in Nepal wasn’t all work. I spent a number of days with the other volunteers exploring the beauty and mystery of Nepal. Whether it be exploring the beautiful temples of Patan, or the glorious scenery of Chitwan National Park, I had an absolute blast.