- Remember the medical camp this summer with the dentist? Well, it looks like a couple from that crew went home to Indiana and was then interviewed for their local paper.
Trip to Nepal is eye-opener Educators studied schools, hospitals, way people live By Julie Young / Star correspondent Posted: October 30, 2008 It might not be everyone's idea of a dream vacation, but for New Palestine residents Betty and Bill Widbin, traveling to Nepal was an experience they will never forget. "We received a teacher's creativity grant through the Lilly Endowment to go to Nepal for a month. Our son, Kyle, works as a missionary over there, and we wanted him to lead us on a journey though the schools and churches of the region," said Betty Widbin. The Widbins and their daughter, Julie, traveled in June, loaded with care packages for children put together by the students at Belzer and Craig middle schools in Lawrence Township. Betty teaches at Belzer and Bill is athletic director at Craig. Not only did the trip give them a chance to see their son, it also gave them a deeper cultural understanding. "It was a renewal for us," Betty said. "We hadn't seen our son for a year and a half, so we relied on him to get us around, understand the currency and communicate." The Widbins spent their time in Nepal visiting schools, orphanages and a leprosy hospital. Betty said the hospital had a dirt floor and poor conditions, but it didn't stop the spirit of the people. Even the poorest of the poor were willing to open their homes and extend kindness to the strangers in their midst. She said it was a humbling experience to see how much people in the United States take for granted. "Education is the highest priority for parents in that region," Widbin explained. "It really makes you stop and think about what we have here in America." In Nepal, if students do not pass an exam after the 10th grade, they are not allowed to continue their education and are destined to work in the fields. In fact, she said, suicide rates among teens greatly increase when test results are released. Students are taught English, and they loved practicing their second language with the Widbins. "They all looked so dignified in their uniforms that it was easy to forget the poverty they come from," Widbin said. "We also learned that physical education is not taught, but rather students get their exercise walking miles to school each day." In the orphanages, the Widbins distributed the presents they brought from their students, who were given a dollar and challenged to "Pay it Forward." The Nepali children enjoyed the Frisbees, stickers and stuffed animals but also took the time to show the Widbins their games, which they have since brought back to their students. Since returning home, Betty said they have spent hours viewing more than 4,000 photos and eight hours of video footage they shot on their trip. They have shared their experience with family and friends and have even managed to stay in touch with several Nepalis through e-mail. "We will never be the same after this trip," she said. "It definitely had an effect on our roles as teachers and how we see students in America. The feelings of being an American in a Third World country made us realize how blessed we are."
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081030/LOCAL07/810300344/1139/LOCAL07
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