Community Partner since 2018.
Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal, a relatively small, landlocked nation with over 27 million people between India and China. In this part of the world, the need is great, but the resiliency of the local people is very strong. If you are looking to volunteer in a place where you will be deeply […]
Global Volunteers’ Nepal service program launched in 2018 and suspended due to the pandemic, has resumed. Unfortunately, the needs of our community partners in Kathmandu have grown. This is a wonderful opportunity to provide meaningful volunteer service to people and community-based organizations in need. Nepal Country Manager Stephen Raja provides background on our formative partnership, […]
Stephen Raja Chinnappan was born and raised in Bangalore, India. He joined Global Volunteers in 2001 after serving as a free-time tour guide for volunteers in Chennai. After being promoted to Country Manager, Stephen led volunteer teams until the India program was suspended in 2018 and the Nepal program began. Stephen also provides service program […]
A measure of success for Global Volunteers is supporting local efforts so much that volunteers either are no longer needed, or are assigned to ever-expanding community projects. By avoiding creating dependency, we work so that our partners are self-sufficient and local projects are sustainable. An essential step towards achieving this goal is building local capacity. […]
Working toward self-sufficiency is related to many of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, and is a baseline criterion of Global Volunteers’ service programs. This post illuminates how volunteers assist two of our community partners in Asia work to elevate local people’s capacity and confidence to become agents of their own progress. When volunteers teach conversational […]
Global Volunteers promotes children’s well-being around the world in many different ways so they can realize their full potential. This third post in a series about child development projects examines how brain development enhances cognitive ability, and how our work contributes to healthy brain development for children in partner communities. Although the brain’s wiring is […]
Among all Global Volunteers’ partner communities, struggle is a common thread. Our inspired and resourceful partners rise to leadership positions with their vision of opportunities that may not be obvious or seemingly attainable to others. In this second interview with Global Volunteers’ partner and consultant in Kathmandu, Nepal, Buddhi Man Shrestha describes how overcoming hardship […]
As we all confront new questions and conflicts each day about our safety, health and economic security during the pandemic, we appreciate our inspired partners around the world. Every Global Volunteers development partnership has its own origin story and offers its unique inspiration. And, local community leaders personally have overcome threats to their own peace […]
Few global events ever impact every country simultaneously as COVID-19 has. Besides its devastating consequences for the health and finances of millions of people around the world, the pandemic also disrupted their education. How have schools in our partner communities been affected? How have they’ve been able to cope with the challenges, and what does […]
Buddhi Man Seresta, founder of Papa’s House orphanage and pastor of Fresh Fire Church in Kathmandu, had a difficult time growing up without his father. Yet, the love and care he received from his mother impressed on him his advantages – which thousands of children without parents lacked. As he grew up, he transformed his […]