In 1997, we traveled in Nepal for two months, working closely with Govinda and his staff, preparing for the first trek of CCODER's community based tourism. When we fantasized about bringing a group back with us to Nepal, we envisioned that each person would travel with an extra bag filled with "treasures" for the office, the schools and the villagers. There are many other villages in need within the CCODER system besides the ones we will be visiting, and the items we carry with us will be distributed by CCODER staff members during the year. Once you see the reality of Nepalese life, you will be so glad you made the effort. In fact, you will wish you had brought a larger bag. Note: Red is a very popular color for clothing among Hindu people. Culturally, it does not seem right to try to make the Nepalese into Westerners so please refer to our italicized comments below:

Items to collect for Nepal

Office Supplies
CCODER and staff in the field (approx. 100 people) always need office supplies such as pens, notebooks, post-it notes, paper clips, small calculators, White-Out, staplers and extra staples (nothing heavy).

Community Schools

• Soccer balls with pumps (deflated for the trip to save space)
• Jump ropes
• Books for grades 1-6 (Children are learning English) - it is desirable to avoid culturally charged topics such as Sesame Street, Disney, etc.
• Science books, Astronomy, math, history, travel and picture books.
• Teachers' resource books (Paperbacks weigh less).
• Musical instruments/music books
• Art supplies
• Dictionaries

The Villagers
Clothing comment: Jackets and sweaters are "safe" choices because they can be combined with traditional attire.

• Girls of all ages
  • Hair ribbons and barrettes
  • Socks - ankle and knee
  • Flip-flops/"Mary Jane's"
  • Hairbrushes
  • Jackets and cardigans (try and avoid logos)
• Boys of all ages
  (Nepalese boys commonly wear pants, shorts, and shirts rather than jeans and tee-shirts)
• Shirts
• Sweater vests, washable knits
• Shorts and long pants
• Socks
• Flip-flops
• Jackets and sweaters (try to avoid logos)
• Women
  (Women tend to wear the traditional sari and not Western clothes. They do, however, wear Western style cardigans over their saris.)
• Sewing supplies, including regular and embroidery/crewel thread, needles and hoops for embroidery, scissors
• Knitting needles/yarn
• Safety pins of all sizes
• Cardigan and blazers
• Flip-flops
• Nail polish is a real treat.
• Men
  • Sweater vests (conservative)
  • Medium weight jackets, ski type okay
  • Flip-flops
  • Scarves
  • Shirts
  • Socks
  • Pocketknives of all sizes
• Hygiene
  (try to not bring anything that they will run out of quickly and then not be able to replace easily)
• Hair brushes/combs
• Toothbrushes
• Band-Aids / bandages / medical tape
• Tweezers
• Files/emery boards/nail clippers
• Scissors and gauze