Child Care and Teaching in Nepal

  Nepal

• Pokhara: 
Pokhara

Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks and 9-12 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: Throughout the Year

Description: Volunteer with Nepali and Tibetan children in the beautiful Himalayan mountain city of Pokhara.

* About the Placements & Locations

You can work in local primary schools teaching English, sports, music, art and other subjects or you can work in child care centers & nurseries joining in with the day to day running of the centers and helping to improve the quality of life of the children and the care givers. Our placements are based in the city of Pokhara.

Pokhara is a beautiful mountain city in the Himalayas. It is defined by the dramatic snow capped peaks of the Annapurna Range and the Fishtail Mountain overlooking the city. The Southern side of the city is bounded by a beautiful lake that reflects the peaks. Volunteers live in the area of Lakeside and work all over Pokhara.

The ability to speak English in Pokhara for many locals will represent the difference between being able to find work and not. Pokhara is a city that relies on the tourist trade so if a local person has a better grasp of English, they will be in a stronger position to work in tourism and bring benefit to the community. Knowledge of English also opens up the internet, empowers people to learn for themselves and creates new areas of potential.

* A Typical Day

A typical work week is five days for about four to six hours per day. However, bear in mind that this is Nepal, and there are over 3 million gods in the Hindu religion to worship as well as political instability leading to strikes, school closures and other disturbances!

Teaching volunteers will be required to prepare their own lessons for their classes within the school curriculum and the focus of these lessons will be primarily English. Teaching volunteers will also teach other lessons such as sports, music, art and sometimes other academic subjects such as math. Much depends on your personal drive and skill set. If you have a particular interest, you can make it happen. Local teachers are encouraged to participate in the volunteer classes so that they can help and learn, but this is often not the case, so volunteers should be prepared to handle a class on their own.

Child care volunteers will join in the day to day activities of the center. This will normally include games and activities, tutoring, teaching some lessons and helping with homework as well as helping out with general childcare, cleaning and meal times. Day care centers and nurseries will have volunteers joining in with day to day activities such as playing, singing songs, reading stories, preparing arts & crafts as well as helping with general childcare, cleaning and preparing meals. At some of our placements the children go to school through the day leaving the most valuable times for volunteers to help very early in the morning before school and again in the evening after school.

Highlights:
* The Work Place: Schools
We work with a combination of Private English Medium Schools and Local Government Schools. English Medium schools are taught 100% English; however, the standard of English even among the teachers and administrators can be very poor, and often you may not realize that you are being spoken to in English at all. Although some are "private" schools, conditions are often basic and many lack the simple resources or qualified teachers that you would expect at a school. Government schools provide the most rewarding experience and true need for volunteers; however, this can be a very challenging environment with extremely limited English and lack of support from teachers.

The children at both types of schools are generally very excited to have volunteers working with them and with a little effort and perspective, you should find the volunteering extremely rewarding.

* The Work Place: Child Care Centers / Nurseries
The child care centers and nurseries we work with are generally caring for a large cross section of Nepal's society. Some centers may care for the most disadvantaged members of society as well as children from low-middle class families who need a place for their children in order to be able to make a living. Not all children in such centers are true parentless "orphans". We believe that it is important to help people at all stages of their development. Providing a single mother with a safe day care center so that she can earn a living and feed her child is a valuable contribution to society, and although such a mother may be considered middle class, we value the participation of volunteers in such a setting. Simply acting as a good example, being a big brother or sister and helping in anyway we can is valued at any level in a country such as Nepal.

Placements such as these may be an emotional experience and you are unlikely to view poverty and disadvantage in the same way after the placement.

- Benefits -
Volunteering in Nepal will open your eyes to a new culture and a very different life to that back home. Many volunteers describe their time working with children in Pokhara as 'life changing'. This is a chance to work with some of the poorest and most disadvantaged people in the world.

The children that you will work with are full of fun and always delighted when volunteers work with them. You can show them that people do care and you can bring a little more love and fun into their lives. You can also help them towards a position where they can get work by developing their confidence in communicating in English.

Qualifications: No previous experience is required, just enthusiasm, energy and a willingness to get involved. Volunteers should be fit and healthy and must be at least 18 years old.

Cost in US$: 3 weeks: Euro 595 (includes accommodation) and extra weeks: Euro 50 for accommodation and support.

You will often be able to eat main meals at your placement though this will be basic Nepali food.

Experience Required: no

Age Range: must be at least 18 years old.

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to Nepal Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work Independently or in Groups of 1-5 volunteers

Application Process Involves:

• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Other

Post-Program Services Include:

• Exit Debriefing Abroad

Personal Overseas Development (PoD)'s Mission Statement: PoD provides the opportunity for people to volunteer and make a difference overseas, while experiencing incredible parts of the world that are rich in culture, variety and natural beauty. We also arrange placements and courses for people wanting to develop their skills in amazing locations. We aim to provide a framework for development and education through placements in less economically developed countries. Our placements are for people from all walks of life from the UK and other more economically developed countries. All of our placements by their nature are educational and the majority are for volunteers working in schools, care homes, disadvantaged communities, conservation and animal care. We currently offer gap year, career break, working holiday and volunteer projects in Belize, Cambodia, Nepal, Peru, Tanzania, Thailand and Vietnam. We also organize school expeditions. We are a personal non-profit organization that focuses on quality and safety rather than quantity.

Year Founded: 2001