Volunteer in Nepal

The Global Volunteer Network currently has volunteer opportunities available through our partner organization in the beautiful country of Nepal. Volunteers have the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational and community aid programs. 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.

The Program

The volunteer opportunities are in the following areas:

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.

Home Stay/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.

Program Location

The placements are available in Kathmandu Valley only. The locations of the program placements can vary with regards to a number of issues. Placements are determined upon arrival with considerations of safety of volunteers and availability.

Program Requirements

Volunteers for this program must:

• be 18 years or older
• have no major health problems
• the teaching program requires a 6 week minimum commitment

Training

Learn more about the Nepal training and orientation program.
> Click here

Program Schedule

The volunteer program starts on the 1st of each month. The minimum placement period for the Teaching program is 6 weeks. The schools are closed during March, April, June, July and October so the teaching English program is limited during this period. Please note that September-November there are local festivals that can disrupt your program. An alternative placement can be arranged for this time in another program. If you are volunteering for month or less, we do not recommend starting your placement at this time of year. For those volunteering for a longer period of time, the festival does provide a great opportunity to interact with the local culture.

Program Cost

A US$350 application fee (fully refundable if you decide not to go) will secure your place on the program, with your program fee due for payment eight weeks before you begin your placement. You only pay your application fee once and then you can access any of GVN's volunteer programs over the next 5 years.

Your application fee includes the following benefits:

• Personal Staff Support
• Your Nepal Program Guide
• Your Fundraising Guide and Software
• Access to Your Own Online Journal
• Online Video - Preparing For Your Trip
• Opportunities for Discounts on Airfares

Once your application fee is paid the remainder of the cost for your time in the Nepal program is:

• Cost for 2 weeks - US $867
• Cost for 3 weeks - US $882
• Cost for 1 month - US $897
• Cost for 6 weeks - US $1035
• Cost for 2 months - US $1172
• Cost for 10 weeks - US $1310
• Cost for 3 months - US $1447
• Cost for 14 weeks - US $1585
• Cost for 4 months - US $1722
• Cost for 18 weeks - US $1860
• Cost for 5 months - US $1997

To see the cost in your local currency, we recommend you .

The in-country fee covers administrative charge, training, accommodation and meals during training (Phase 2) and placement, transportation for volunteers and supervision. This fee is paid through us.

The other costs you will need to meet are your flights, Visa (a 15 day tourist visa is only US$25, 30 day visas are US$40 and 90 day visas are US$100. The extensions are US$30 per 15 days and $2 each day over 15 days), shots, travel insurance, police check, dinner for the first 2 nights, and corresponding airport departure taxes. Also you will need a weekly budget of up to US$20 to cater for all your other expenses like bottled water, personal items, beverages and entertainment. Living in a village is relatively inexpensive in comparison to most western countries and usually it is difficult to spend more than $10US per week during your placement.

Your program fee includes the following benefits:

• Your In-Country Fee
• In-Country Support
• 24hr Emergency Line
• Membership To The Change Makers Club
• International Travel Advice
• Letter Of Completion

Apply for the Nepal Program

Your application process is free and seamless and if you are successful we will provide you with a choice of application fee payment options that include a secure online service. We also are one of the few organizations that offer a full money back guarantee on your application fee if you decide not to go.
Click here to apply for the Nepal program.

Frequently Asked Questions

We have put together the following page, which answers the majority of questions people have. Click here to read our Frequently Asked Questions.

Volunteer Journals

If you would like to read about the experiences of some of our volunteers who are currently in Nepal, you can do so here. This journal service is provided free to all our volunteers.
Click here

Articles

Read articles written about our volunteers in Nepal.
Click here.

Book Resources

We have a selection of books available that you may find useful if you decide to volunteer in Nepal.
Click here

Application Process

All applicants will be notified by email as to whether their application has been successful.

(1) Complete the Application Form: Fill out the application form below. Upon receipt of the form we will assess your suitability for the program within two working days.

(2) Contact You: If you are successful we will then email you a letter of acceptance.

(3) Decision Point: Once you have read through the letter of acceptance and we have answered any questions or concerns that you might have, it is time to pay your US $350 application fee to secure your place on the program. Please note that we will fully refund your application fee if you decide not to go.

(4) Confirmation: Once the application fee is paid, our volunteer partner will contact you to ensure everything is organized. We will also send you the link to our program guide which covers topics such as country information, travel links, visa application process, fundraising ideas and much more!

(5) Communication & Support: Throughout the application process, we are committed to working with you to answer any of your questions or concerns. During your placement we are also available as a form of support to you as a volunteer and will email you while in country to discuss how the program is going.

To apply for this program, click here