I never thought I would find myself in a country that’s thousands of miles
away from home and be able to share so much love in a new community. Last
night me and my family had a lot of laughter after dinner. They do not
speak English and I am still learning Wolof so communication is very
difficult but we managed to laugh over the event that happened the previous
day. Me, my host mom and my host sister took my host grandma to a
traditional doctor in a different village. We left at 4 am and the doctor
didn’t show up until 2 pm. Finally I got too tired and sleepy my host
sister brought me back home. The next day my host family asked me if I
wanted to go back again and I was like Deedeetttt which means no in Wolof.
They started laughing so hard and making fun how they told me to wait tuti
rekk ‘little bit’ from 5 am to 2pm. It was a good way for me to know them
and them to know me. You don’t necessarily have to be fluent in language to
be able to communicate. I think if you share love and kindness and
happiness the message is conveyed. I love how slowly I am getting to know
my host family and community and sometimes be able to make jokes with them.
After dinner bonding
About Nisha Gharti Magar
Nisha is passionate about learning different languages and helping people. She grew up in Kopila Valley Childrens Home in Nepal so she has been involved with helping kids in her school and helping those affected by flood and earthquake in her hometown. Her goals for the year are to be fluent in Spanish and learn more about Ecuadorian cultures. My legal guardian/mother who raised me since I was seven years old is the one who inspires me because she came to Nepal when she was 17 from New Jersey while she was on a gap year to India and opened a Childrens Home in Nepal where I was her first daughter. She teaches people to love, to be kind and to share and she believes that we all can make this world a better place.