A DAY IN THE LIFE OF MMW VOLUNTEER PRUE KLAUSENER SEPT 2025

Prue has been volunteering in Nepal since July 2025. Here she is with her translator and host mother, Mina

The sun rises early here during the monsoon so despite waking early, I am usually greeted by the

morning light and the village is already stirring. As I begin my morning Meditation and Yoga

practice, I often hear bells ringing from downstairs or nearby houses, signals of Puja beginning for

those who practice it at dawn and dusk.

After practice I make a nepalese filter coffee whilst taking some time on the little balcony to watch

the morning activity along the road in front of the house. On a clear morning I am blessed with

beautiful vistas and Himalayan peaks emerging through the clouds and everyday it is green rolling

hills and the sounds of the river below.

Villagers getting acupuncture for debilitating knee and back pain

Afterwards I wake my children and we head downstairs to join Mina for breakfast roti and tea.

The clinic starts at 9am and is only a few minutes walk from the house. On my way I collect

Ronisha, the next door neighbor who is on her summer break between high school and university

and has taken the task of being my translator during our time here. Mina often stays home to start

the morning with my family and finish up her chores and then joins us in the clinic a little later.

We arrive in the clinic and go through our morning tasks, sweeping the floors, lighting incense,

checking for 8 legged visitors that may have turned up during the night and getting the diary

ready for the day. Sometimes we are greeted by patients and others days they start turning up a

little after 9.

My first 3 weeks here were very slow and there was moments of genuine concern when days

would pass seeing only a few patients a day. Its important to be prepared for this because it can

be very confronting and difficult for your mental well being.

Fortunately after the first three weeks some effort was made to promote the clinic and things got

underway. Now-days the morning are busy, we take turns in having a short lunch and then we

carry on seeing patients until around 3-4pm. The average day brings about 15-20 patients,

sometimes more, and their presentations vary greatly. Efficiency and multitasking is key, and Mina

and Ronisha help make the impossible possible by taking out needles, setting moxa and counting

out doses of herbs.

Prue brought her two children, Nora, and Evie, with her to volunteer in Nepal

The clinic day concludes with tea and biscuits or roti, tradition in Nepal, and then its time for a

rest. Because of the monsoon heat, which has been relentless and much hotter than what we

expected, we usually wait until 6pm and then take a family walk up the mountain behind us.

There, the jungle is beautiful, monkeys can often be spotted and the views are breathtaking.

Upon returning its shower time and then helping Mina with the evening meal. She prefers to cook

over the fire and we love the experience. Mina is an incredible cook and all her meals are

nourishing, traditional and seasonal. I was worried that I would tire of dhal/rice/curry but insteadm, my spleen

and stomach are the happiest they have ever been. Mina is also wonderful Amma to

our children and they are cared for like they are her own. Her mother-in-law also lives with her and

she is very fond of our children. She chats away to us with so much enthusiasm and although we

understand very little, a beautiful connection has developed between us all, with lots of laughter.

After dinner, bedtime beckons and we have lights out by 10pm, ready for a good night sleep to do