
The first day in Salleri has been magical. The village is frequently engulfed in fog, but I woke up to a clear view of the 22,828 ft Mount Numbur, a peak that is so far unclimbed. A sacred mountain to the villagers, it is told that any time adventurers attempt to summit it, severe weather mysteriously appears as they reach base camp, forcing them to turn back.
After explaining the history of this mountain, Karma introduced us to the other Small World staff, and we got to work clearing out post-earthquake debris from the girls’ dorm. We spent the morning getting our hands dirty and enjoyed a lovely hot pineapple juice during one of our breaks. I really enjoyed talking to two graduates of the school as we worked side by side.
After a delicious lunch and mint tea, we walked over to an elementary school, and I got the wonderful opportunity to connect with the children. Communication was difficult with the 4 to 7-year-olds who had a limited understanding of English, but I found common ground through drawing and playing hand games. We went outside and the older kids played an impressively advanced soccer game with some of our group, and the rest of us jumped rope with the other children.
Every interaction I have had with the locals has been love filled and heartwarming. When the school day ended, we said our goodbyes to the children and went back to our rooms to shower. Even the short walk back was breathtaking- sky-scraping mountains surrounding us on all sides. Throughout today, I have felt welcomed by so many, and truly feel lucky to experience the authentic village life which was completed by a bucket shower. I cannot wait to continue our work restoring the dorm rooms and learning more from the people here.