Matt Darvas - On top of the World in Nepal

New South Wales VGenner, surfer and really nice bloke, Matt Darvas, recently spent a week in Nepal with World Vision checking out the effects of climate change on the people there.

Apart from being really, really cold, Matt had an amazing time.

Here are a few pictures from his travels...

A smile that could light up the world!

Little Sarita is only 10 and with her dad away working in India and her mum forced to take any paid work she can get, Sarita is forced to do all the household chores. That's a lot of responsibility for such a young girl but when I met her she was full of life and curiosity. Every time I tried to do a little Nepalese "head wobble" (an expression used for just about everything), a huge grin would stretch from ear to ear. Sarita also like mimicking my lines to camera! Cheeky!

A new little brother

Climate Change has been devastating for Lalu's family and has meant that there's only 1 bag of barely left until next season.
So what do you do all day if your grandparents have left you at home while they go out to work and there's no school to go to or tv to watch? Well Lalu spends most days playing a stick game by himself to kill the time and to try and take his mind off how hungry he is.
Thankfully I was able to join in on this day with Lalu and get to know his story. At the end of the day as we were packing up all the camera gear he just came up, sat down beside me and grabbed my hand. Wish I was back playing with him right now!

All aboard the "pink bus"
What you see is what you get in Jumla, Nepal. This was our team's transport for the time we stayed in Jumla which has only been accessible by road for less then two years! As we bumped our way between villages, a "musical horn" would clear unsuspecting goats of the road as we tried to turn up our iPods so we didn't haven't to listen to the best in Nepali folk music. Think the highest pitched whiney singing you've ever heard and times it by ten and that wouldn't come close to how painful it was!

"You need more hot water?"

Customer service at the "Kailash Hotel" (think very basic rooms, rats and only Dal Baht on the menu) was a bit different to what you'd expect back here. Sri Krishna, (right hand side of photo) would always burst into my room unannounced at unexpected times to "change the water" in my bathroom and then proceed to just stand there and look at all my belongings. There's no other way to say it... he was one creepy (but harmless) dude!

Keep an eye out for more Nepali action as the 2010 Youth Ambassadors will be heading there in January 2010 and the footage Matt helped collect is turned into stories to share.