Serving in Nepal
Alongside the dominant tourist attractions of Nepal are obvious signs of generational poverty. Nepal is a relatively small, landlocked nation of over 27 million people sandwiched between India and China suffering from a disproportionate distribution of wealth. The capital city of Kathmandu strains against the familiar, extreme hardships experienced throughout the developing world: There is a lack of access to basic education, primary health care, nutritious food, reliable infrastructure and environmental preservation.
While rural poverty in Nepal is slowing, the poverty rate is increasing in urban areas. In Kathmandu, daily life is very basic, and challenging, for those who live on the margins of society. In 2015, two earthquakes – magnitude 7.8 and 7.3 – in the north toppled ancient temples, destroyed roads, leveled homes and bridges, and caused massive landslides and avalanches in the rural areas surrounding the capital city. The devastation drove now-homeless families into Kathmandu and surrounding areas, slowing the city’s economic resurgence. Children suffer the most in these conditions. Thousands were abandoned and orphaned, leaving them to survive on the streets without protection or a future.
If you’ve ever wanted to participate in a true labor of love, this is it. Global Volunteers has been invited to serve impoverished children and young adults by a number of locally based organizations in Kathmandu. These organizations work to nurture and educate children and young adults in vulnerable economic situations.
Here’s how you can help:
- Embrace and befriend impoverished children by providing the nurturing care that every child deserves.
- Teach conversational English to primary and secondary school students.
- Support Gender Equality – teach conversational English to marginalized and low income women.
- Participate in labor projects in the schools and children’s homes.
Global Volunteers invites you to experience Nepal by making a difference in the lives of disadvantaged children.
Community Partners & Work Projects
St. Joseph’s English Academy, a private school, has a total of 515 students who study in three buildings: The Kindergarten block, the Middle school block and the Secondary school block. The volunteers are needed to teach English, Math and Science, as well as train kindergarten (preschool) teachers. There are also 14 boarding students who live in the school’s hostel.
Bans Bari is a public school with kindergarten, primary, secondary, and college-level schools. Volunteers are needed to teach conversational English at all levels and are also needed to design and paint murals in the kindergarten area.
St. John School with 150 students. Volunteers are needed for English classes in small groups from Kindergarten to 8th Grade.
Anita Milan School is a kindergarten, primary, and middle school with approximately 200 students. Volunteers are needed to help teach English classes.
Astha Women’s School is a school for women who could not complete their school education when they were young and are dropouts. Now, being an adult, most of them are married and with children who have a desire to complete their school education formally. Female volunteers are requested to teach subjects related to women and children’s health, science, English language, basic computer (Microsoft Office), nutrition, child development, personal hygiene, and recipes/cooking in English.
Papa House is a small orphanage with just six children in need of paint and other light labor chores to brighten up and create a better environment for the children who live there.
Merci Institute is an independent organization for the promotion of international education with special emphasis on student counseling and consultancy services. Volunteers are needed to teach Conversational English to students aspiring to go abroad to study or work and help them improve their interviewing skills.
Soroptimist Kathmandu is an organization that focuses on women’s economic and social development and other female-related issues, including gender discrimination, violence against women, and homeless women’s welfare. Volunteers are needed to teach conversational English to these women who have come from rural areas around Kathmandu to help them increase their employment opportunities.
Service Program Logistics
All programs are led by a trained team leader experienced in managing diverse groups of people. In cooperation with the community leaders, your team leader will facilitate your team’s orientation, assist you in becoming fully engaged in the work project, and manage all project-related logistical issues.
Meals
Three meals a day are included in your service program contribution. The team breakfast is at the hotel. Lunch is at local restaurants near the service project sites. Dinners are at restaurants near the hotel serving authentic Nepali and Chinese cuisine. Pizza and other Western foods are also offered, but with a Nepali touch. Vegetarian diets can generally be accommodated. Purified or bottled water is provided. Desserts, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages are readily available for an additional charge.
Lodging
Your safety when volunteering in Nepal is our priority. The team’s accommodations are in a secure, new, and beautiful hotel in the heart of the Thamel tourist district of Kathmandu, which is bustling with excitement and things to do and see from morning till night. The guest rooms are double-occupancy with private bathrooms, showers, hot and cold running water, Wi-Fi, LED televisions, safety deposit boxes and refrigerators. There is also a health and wellness spa at the hotel. Single rooms are available for an additional fee of $245 per week.
Transportation
All in-country program transportation is included in your service program contribution. You will be picked up at the Tribhuban International Airport on the first Saturday of your service program and driven about 30 minutes to the hotel in a car or van. You will also be taken to the airport on the final day of your service program. Each day you will be driven to your work assignments.
Note: transportation for free-time activities is not included.
Program Mobility
Accurately assess your functional mobility. Our work assignments and partner communities require varying levels of physical stamina and mobility. After you register, you will be asked about your physical capabilities relating to your mobility. Please answer the questions honestly.
Required Mobility for Nepal: Mobile – Walk 1 mile, climb five flights of stairs, walk on uneven terrain, and get on and off buses and trains independently.
Free-Time Activities
There are many shops, cafes and restaurants in the Thamel district just outside the hotel where you can enjoy free time in the evenings. On weekends, you’ll have a multitude of amazing sites to see and experience. Kathmandu Durbar Square is a vibrant public area that was once the Kathmandu Kingdom royal residence. It has one of the world’s highest concentrations of well-preserved ancient buildings, making for a stunning open-air museum. Visit Bhaktapur temple, stroll the markets, take a tour of the oldest shrine complex in the Kathmandu Valley, Swayambhunath Temple. The temple was built over 2,000 years ago. Situated at the top of a winding staircase, “Monkey Temple” has one of the city’s best panoramic views. Or fly to the top of Everest without the climb! So much to do, so much to see and experience in Nepal!
Service Program Contribution
Global Volunteers’ tax-deductible service program contributions cover all lodging in comfortable double occupancy accommodation, three meals a day, in-country program transportation, emergency medical evacuation insurance, all preparatory materials, onsite orientation, a full-time team leader, and administration costs. The Nepal service program contribution is $2,575 for one week and $2,897 for two weeks. Please ask your Volunteer Coordinator about discounts for students, companions, alumni, and the “Early Team Starter discount, as well as referral credits. You may want to use Global Volunteers’ very effective online fundraising tool where you can create a personalized webpage to request partially tax-deductible donations from family and friends to help cover your service program contribution. Airfare, visa, and free time activity expenses are not included in the service program contribution.
“Our students want to learn. They want a better life for themselves and their families. Global Volunteers helps us motivate and encourage women and children and brings us resources we couldn’t otherwise have.”
~ Bina Deuja, Director and Teacher, Astha Women’s School
Call one of our Volunteer Coordinators at 800-487-1074 to register or reserve your spot online.
You CAN make a world of difference!