Volunteer in Nepal!

  Nepal

• Kathmandu: 
Kathmandu

Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks and 3-6 months
Typical Duration of Program: 5-8 weeks
Dates: Opportunities are available throughout the year

Description: GVN has volunteer opportunities to participate in a variety of educational and community aid programs such as Teaching English, Working in Childrens Homes, Health Education, Community Maintenance and a Home Stay Programme/Cultural Exchange. Your placement will be tailored according to your individual needs and interests.

This will give you a chance to make an important contribution to the people of Nepal and while doing so gain an in depth experience of the country and its culture, that will stay with you the rest of your life.

Teaching English: In this program volunteers are placed in local schools to teach conversational English and reading classes to Nepali children. In Nepal, English is becoming more and more of a required skill for job placement, educational advancement and future success. Class size can range from 10 to 80 students. School runs from Sunday to Friday with Saturday off, students are between 4 and 16 years of age. To teach English at a Nepali school you don't need to have formal teaching qualifications, just a good command of written and spoken English, plenty of enthusiasm and a lot of patience.

Children's Homes: In this program volunteers will be placed in a children's home located within a one and a half hour bus ride from the heart of Kathmandu. Some placements allow the volunteer to live within the orphanage, however, volunteers can also choose to be placed with a host family. Your role as a Volunteer is to be a big brother or sister to the children. Other tasks may include helping with medical visits, cleaning, paper recycling, gardening, teaching the house mothers how to properly clean, doing repairs, mending clothing, planning activities for after they return from school and perhaps preparing meals. Once the children return from school, your role will be to assist and encourage them with their homework as well as play with them. Some of the older children may be encouraged to develop skills that may help them in later life such as paper making, sewing or maintenance work.

Health Education: Health volunteers will work within the children's homes that VSN serve. The main focus is on preventative measures by way of regular basic health checks, administering necessary childhood immunisations and teaching the children about health, personal hygiene and sanitation as a disease prevention method. Please note that for this program we prefer medical students or advanced degree holders. Depending on experience/qualifications, there are various roles health volunteers can undertake, however this is not a medical program and you should not expect to be performing any medical procedures. Volunteers are required to submit their resume/CV when making an application for this program.

Community Maintenance Program: This is an opportunity to help in a wide range of practical village-based projects. These projects could be as basic as painting or plastering, however, those with additional skills may be able to help in more advanced work. Projects are usually decided upon in consultation with local communities, but you can use your initiative to suggest projects of your own. It is vital to be sensitive to the needs and wishes of the local community. Projects are usually partly funded by the communities and partly by our partner organisation and/or volunteer contributions. You'll work with other volunteers in small groups, usually with minimal supervision. Often you'll also work alongside villagers, learning about traditional methods of building and working. Example projects include school repair and decoration; toilet building; drinking water projects; road drainage projects; recycling projects; stove building; and construction work on our partner organisation's own children's home. You can also take more of an environmental education focus by informing children about appropriate waste disposal, recycling, composting and creating vegetable and flower gardens in the childrens homes.

Highlights: Home Stay Programme/Cultural Exchange: This is a fantastic way to get more out of a trip to Nepal, especially if your time is short. You will be placed with a Nepali family as soon as you arrive in Nepal, and will live in a small rural village or within a city. During your home stay you will learn about all aspects of Nepali culture, lifestyle, food, and be able to attend 2 hours of language lessons in the morning and in the afternoon. As the experience will be a cultural exchange, you should also try to offer your host family some knowledge of your own home culture and customs as well. Home stay programs can only be arranged for two weeks or one month. They are best between August and December, the time when most large local festivals take place resulting in an overall more exciting experience.

Participants in this program will attend the first two days of training, as per volunteers in the other programs. After these initial two days you will be placed with your host family. During your host family stay you will continue to attend language lessons and will have ample opportunity to practice your new language skills with your host family. You may also spend the day visiting local sights and exploring the local area. Your family will also offer you the opportunity to attend festivals they may be celebrating during your stay.

Qualifications: Specialist medical skills are required for the community health program, but the other programs simply require enthusiasm, interest and an open mind.

Cost in US$: See Website

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 18 - 60

This Program is open to American, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi and South African Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Nepal Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups of <10

Application Process Involves:

• Other

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network

Global Volunteer Network's Mission Statement: The Global Volunteer Network (GVN) is a private, Non Government Organization (NGO) based in Wellington, New Zealand. Our incorporation number is WN/1194442. Our vision is to support the work of local community organizations in developing countries through the placement of international volunteers. We believe that local communities are in the best position to determine their needs, and we provide volunteers to help them achieve their goals.

Year Founded: 2000