FEATURE ARTICLE
CO-IMPACT SOURCING
TRIP TO NEPAL
H
ave you ever wondered where dōTERRA ® ’s amazing wintergreen on the hillside bring in
essential oils come from? In November 2018 some of their baskets of leaves, have them
our incredible leaders from Malaysia and Singapore got to weighed
find out first-hand! Lee Seang Looi, Elizabeth Ho, Joshua Ang payment for their efforts.
and I were able to visit some of the villages in Nepal where the distillation process take place to
dōTERRA sources its Wintergreen essential oil. What an produce pure wintergreen oil and were
amazing experience! even given pure samples directly from
and
the distillers.
receive
immediate
We saw
Everyone came away from the experience
We started our trip in Kathmandu, and from there drove 10 knowing much more than we had ever imagined about what
hours to the village of Rasnalu in the Ramechhap district. is required to create Wintergreen essential oil.
We stayed here for several days to witness the wintergreen
harvest and to live with the local villagers and experience While the highlight of the trip was to see Wintergreen being
their everyday life. harvested and distilled, we also had the opportunity to help
the village of Rasnalu prepare a new school building for
It was on our second day in Rasnalu that we were able to see use. We spent most of the following days sanding, painting
what we had originally come for. After a beautiful (though and finishing desks, tables and other furniture for the local
challenging) two-hour climb to another village, we arrived students. Without this school, many children would travel
at a location where several distillers were set up preparing more than two hours each way to attend schools in other
wintergreen oil. Much of the trail we followed was covered villages and towns. The school was badly needed for the
with wintergreen plants, allowing us to see what the plant local students, and all of us felt a special sense of support
looks like and to get an idea of what the harvesting process and contribution to the students who would use the desks.
entails. Things only got more amazing as we approached
the village we were hiking to. It seemed the entire town had Although we were blessed to take part in the harvest and
turned out to welcome us, and the kindness and enthusiasm helping the community, the best part was spending time with
they showed made us quickly forget any fatigue we may have the people of Rasnalu, Nepal. What wonderful people! The
had. hospitality and the gratitude they showed us was so touching.
We got to know many of the town elders and also many of
What an amazing time we had as we learned directly from the students that we were helping. I was truly inspired and
those who harvest and distill Wintergreen essential oil! We moved by their overwhelming kindness.
were also favored to witness women who had gathered
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dōTERRA SE ASIA ESSENTIAL LEADERSHIP I APRIL 2019