Projects Abroad in Nepal

  Nepal

• Kathmandu: 
Kathmandu

Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months and 7-12 months
Typical Duration of Program: 5-8 weeks
Dates: All Year Round (you set the start and end date)

Description: Nepal is a beautiful country with many fantastic opportunities to volunteer and intern within its borders. Nepal is a tiny, stunning land of snow-capped mountains, majestic old temples and the colorful city of Kathmandu. The home of Mount Everest, draped along the backbone of the Himalayas, Nepal entices all kinds of people and they don't go home disappointed.
Nepal has historically been a shrewd trader with both India to the South and China to the North. It is also in a transitional stage from royal autocracy to a form of democracy.

Our projects in Nepal are available for anyone interested in volunteering in the developing world, including those on a college summer break, gap year, career break or volunteer vacation.

Projects Abroad Nepal has volunteer opportunities in Teaching, Care, Medicine and Physical Therapy. As one of the world's poorest countries, volunteers are desperately needed in Nepal to help out in its schools, hospitals and orphanages.

Our volunteer office is based in the bustling city of Kathmandu a place full of jostling crowds, rickety bullock carts and noisy auto-rickshaws. Voluntary placements are mostly located here as well, although some are to be found in more rural outreaches of the Kathmandu Valley.

Volunteering on a Placement Overseas in Nepal

Medicine - Medical placements in Nepal are based in and around Kathmandu. You will be working on social and health development projects focusing on providing medical care for the underprivileged. This is a particularly important service in Nepal where the National Health System provides for only 15% of the population.

Work at the Hospital and Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Children (HRDC) at Banepa in the Kathmandu Valley involves a unique combination of collaborating with doctors and being involved with care activities; this is particularly relevant for those who wish to specialize in pediatrics. The Center is a leading referral for the functional mobility of physically disabled children. Most of the cases are neglected orthopedic conditions, TB, polio, post-burn contractures and cerebral palsy.

Physical Therapy - You might work in the Hospital and Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Children (HRDC), which is based on a hilltop by a quaint village on the outskirts of Kathmandu. The only hospital of its kind in Nepal, HRDC takes in children from all over the country. Many have been born with polio or had accidents that haven't been treated correctly - all have physical disabilities. You'll come across neglected orthopedic conditions, TB, polio, post-burn contractures and cerebral palsy. Volunteers work with inpatients and with outpatients who attend a couple of times in the week, sometimes traveling many hours for a visit to this important center.

We also work with the Royal Nepal Orthopedic Hospital. This was set up to provide medical care in the field of trauma, orthopedics and rehabilitation to Nepalese people who cannot receive these services through the standard government-run hospitals because of overcrowding.

Care and Community - Helping Nepal's 5,000 street children, the majority of which are concentrated in the capital of Kathmandu, makes our care placements not only rewarding, but extremely valuable to your host community.

Many of the orphanages in Nepal have facilities such as soccer or basketball courts, so they are great for those who want to get involved with athletics. You can set up teams and leagues as well as play with the children to your heart's content. Previous volunteers working in orphanages have spent time assisting in English classes at the schools the children attend; others focus their work on the early mornings and the evening when the children return to the orphanages.

Teaching - Our teaching placements are based in and around Kathmandu in basic but welcoming schools. The main resources you will have in your classroom are a blackboard and a piece of chalk. In Nepal, it is true that your most important resource is yourself.

Most volunteers work with students aged 7-12 years old. They will have some knowledge of English, but there is lots of room for improvement. You may be living with the family of the principal or staying next to the school, so you will be an important and integrated part of the community. Although your main role will be to teach English, you may find yourself coaching the soccer team or setting up an art club at lunchtime.

We also offer a 14-hour language plus class so that you can learn the basics of Nepali! Our language courses offer a combination of personally tailored lessons and daily opportunities for practice. You will also be able to practice what you are learning in your daily volunteer placement. Consequently you will make good progress and may surprise yourself how quickly you are able to grasp a new language.

For high school students between the ages of 16 and 19 we offer two-week summer specials on the physical therapy placement.

Highlights: For your accommodation, you'll live with a Nepalese host-family, which is a great environment for learning about a new way of life. All the families involved are extremely supportive of the projects carried out by Projects Abroad and are eager to experience an inter-cultural exchange and learn about the lives of volunteers.

Projects Abroad has opened here to give volunteers a truly unforgettable experience. Our office is in the bustling capital city of Kathmandu where jostling crowds, rickety bullock carts and noisy auto-rickshaws all contribute to the noise, character and constant energy of its traditionally narrow streets.

This program offers you the opportunity to become fully immersed in the culture in a manner which even the most hardened of backpackers could never hope to do.

Qualifications: None.

Cost in US$: From US$1,795 up

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Open-minded with a desire to travel.

Age Range: 16-70

This Program is open to World Wide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Nepal Independently Or in Groups

Typically Participants Work Independently Or in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Written Application

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Exit DebriefingAbroad
• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

Projects Abroad's Mission Statement: As part of the global economy, Projects Abroad helps create local employment wherever we send volunteers. Employing local staff overseas and using their talents and knowledge is important to us. This local knowledge and support enables the organization to channel the skills of the volunteers from more affluent countries to regions around the world where they are needed. Volunteers also learn from their placements and the people they meet, and they gain experience in a chosen field. In the 21st century, we believe this mutual respect is what cultural exchange is all about.

Year Founded: 1992