VOLUNTEER NEPAL
LIFE IN NEPAL
If being surrounded among the world's highest mountain peaks isn't enough to bring you to Nepal, perhaps understanding the beauty of the Nepalese culture, people, and landscapes will. Nepal possesses the greatest altitude variation on the Earth. With terraced hillsides as far as the eye can see, and crystal clear lakes surrounded by endless majestic mountain peaks. Nepal has more than enough to offer, from the lowlands near sea level to Mount Everest at 8,850 meters (29,035 feet). Everest, named after British surveyor Sir George Everest, is known as Chomolungma by the local Sherpas, meaning "Goddess Mother of the World" - related to this is the Chinese name Qomolangma. The Nepali word for Everest, Sagarmatha, is often translated as "Forehead of the Sky." Sherpas benefit from the mountaineering boom and tourism in the Everest region, owning much of the lodging and transportation. They teach visitors about Sherpa culture and Buddhism's love of the land.
ISSUES FACING NEPAL
With that being said, there is also a widespread problem of poverty in Nepal and the reality is, it is one of the poorest countries in Southern Asia. Like most countries stricken with poverty, the people of this country are in desperate need of all the help they can get. We offer plenty of opportunities for you to become involved. As a volunteer, you can provide one of the greatest gifts to the people in this country, which is Education. It is believed that education alone cannot eliminate poverty but is one of the greatest contributors to it. As a volunteer, you will be given an opportunity to make a difference to the lives of others and in doing so, the people you will work with will also make a difference in yours.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
The programs we offer are designed to provide an ethical volunteering experience whereby volunteers will not only share their skills but will also learn about the local communities getting to know the people and their culture. We are actively looking for enthusiastic and empathetic volunteers who want to experience community life while getting involved to make a difference with local projects, which are designed to help the most vulnerable children in Nepal. If you venture to this foreign land the rewards will pay off instantly and your experience in the country will leave you wanting more. We recommend spending an extra week or two, either before or after your placement, to walk along some of the world class hiking trails that cover the sacred mountains of the Himalayans.
ESSENTIAL COUNTRY INFORMATION
CAPITAL CITY: Kathmandu
POPULATION: 25.37 million
LIFE EXPECTANCY: 59
CURRENCY: Nepalese Rupee (NPR)
TIME ZONE: UTC +05:45
LITERACY PERCENT: 45
RELIGION: Muslim, Buddhism, Hindu
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE(S): Nepali, English, various other languages and dialects
WEATHER AND CLIMATE: The climate in Nepal has four distinct seasons. Spring is during the months of March to May; the weather is warm with mild rainfall and temperatures average 22 °C. Summer is during the months of June to August. It is the monsoon season when the hills turn lush and green. Temperatures can reach up to 30 °C or more during heat waves. Autumn is during the months of September to November. It is cool with clear skies and is the most popular season for trekking. Temperatures are mild and average 25°C. During the season, evenings are cool and temperatures can drop down to 10 °C. Winter is during the months of December to February. Most of the mountains are covered with snow including some high hills. During this season, temperatures can reach up to 20 °C. during the day but overnight, it can be very cold and the temperature can drop below 0 °C.
Tiffany Bond
“ IT'S SOMETHING I ALWAYS WANTED TO DO AND WAS SO WORTH IT ”
22 YEARS OLD | NATIONALITY: AUSTRALIAN | DESTINATION: NEPAL | PROGRAM: 2 WEEKS ORPHANAGE CARE
“My name is Tiffany, I'm 22 years old and from Australia. I volunteered abroad in Pokhara, Nepal. Once I arrived, I met the children at the home and there were 9 of them altogether. We took them on a picnic to the park next to the lake and had an amazing time. Just to see them smiling and having fun at the most simplest things was gorgeous. I could see myself growing to love the place and not wanting to leave. The Director and his wife were very welcoming and made me feel very comfortable. There were also two other volunteers staying at the orphanage with the children. Pokhara is a beautiful Lake-side city with everything you need just a 20 minute walk from the orphanage. The mountains surround the lake. There are a lot of things to do here, like trekking, paragliding, sightseeing, rafting and just relaxing. I'm very glad I decided to volunteer in Pokhara, I hope you decide to come here too! It's different and challenging; but it's something I always wanted to do and was so worth it!”
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Location: Kathmandu, Pokhara or surrounding villages
This program provides you with the opportunity to teach English at almost any level. The options include: nursery, kindergarten, village primary schools, high schools, or private/government colleges. As a teacher, it will give you the opportunity to teach students who are eager to learn and improve their abilities in English. The students will also benefit from cultural exchange and different teaching techniques from international volunteers. You will be placed in either a public (government) or private school, depending on the area you wish to work. The Nepalese children are very keen to improve their conversational English to brighten their future and also to be able to have conversations in the English language. For this program, there is NO requirement to be a native English speaker but you do need to have basic understanding and knowledge of the language.
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Location: Pokhara
There are more than 130,000 Tibetans living in exile in India, Nepal and Bhutan; 20% of those residing in Nepal. By choosing to live in Nepal, Tibetans continue to face many problems while in exile, education being one of them. A number of Tibetan communities in Nepal have established educational schools called 'Tibetan Children's Villages'. These schools support religious Tibetan practices and provide education in Buddhist philosophies alongside other activities such as English and computer skills. As a volunteer, you will be teaching English to young Buddhist Monks and enable them to enhance their education. During this placement, you will also get the fantastic opportunity to witness and participate in traditional Buddhist rituals and get a unique chance to deep dive into the Buddhist culture and immerse yourself among the people living a very traditional Buddhist lifestyle.
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Location: Kathmandu or Pokhara
Every year hundreds of children become needy in Nepal's crowded cities after leaving their villages in search of work or from a loss or change in family situations. These children are deprived of education and a number of them end up working as child labourers in factories, restaurants or hotels. Others are given no other option but to turn to drugs as they struggle on the streets to survive. It is thanks to a number of orphanages that some of these children have been given a chance to receive the love, attention, care and education they so truly deserve and need. Volunteering in an orphanage will provide you with a life-changing experience that you will never forget and one that will open your eyes to just some of the problems facing Nepal and you will start seeing the world with a fresh new perspective.
Volunteering at an orphanage in Nepal is a "split-shift" experience. The children are at school during the day so the volunteer work hours are typically in between the school hours. Most volunteers work about 4 to 6 hours a day. The middle of the day is utilized to explore, nap, or plan activities. A daily schedule will look similar to this:
07:00 – 09:00 (The Morning Rush): Help children with their morning hygiene (brushing teeth, washing), serve breakfast (usually tea and dal bhat), and ensure they are ready for school with finished homework.
10:00 – 15:30 (Free Time): Since the children are at school, you are generally free. You might use this time for Nepali language lessons, sightseeing, or assisting the home’s staff with administrative tasks or cleaning.
16:00 – 18:30 (After-School Care): Pick the children up or greet them when they return. This is the main "activity" time—helping with homework, playing soccer, teaching songs, or organizing arts and crafts.
19:00 – 20:30 (Dinner & Bedtime): Assist with serving dinner and getting the younger children settled for the night.
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Location: Pokhara, Kathmandu or Chitwan
This program is for Doctors, Nurses, Nursing or Medical Students. Volunteers will work at hospitals and community health clinics. Volunteers will be helping doctors or health assistants at the clinic performing tasks like dressing wounds, administering shots, drawing blood, holding babies while they are being treated, conducting home visits, organizing patients, helping with screening, developing and delivering information on health issues such as birth control and personal hygiene, providing office support, and providing knowledge to the health post doctors on the latest first aid techniques. On this program, you can also assist local staff with picking up medicines, supplies, and generally helping out in whatever capacity you may be needed. Our health post program provides a wide variety of different projects depending on the time of year. As a volunteer, you will be provided with an opportunity to make a difference to a community as you will be contributing to support the work of local doctors and nurses in a country where health care is a major issue, and the number of people trained in rural areas is very low.
ENVIRONMENT AWARENESS & CONSERVATION PROGRAM
Location: Pokhara
The Himalayas in Nepal represent the highest terrestrial ecosystem on planet earth. It claims over 2.2% of the global wealth of flowering plants, 4.2% of mammals, 8.5% of birds, 1.4 % of reptiles and amphibians, and 2.2% of fresh water fish species, which is proof of the richness in biodiversity. In the past decade, Nepal's natural habitats are under threat. Deforestation, soil erosion and recent earthquake activity has destroyed thousands of hectares and levelled small cities and towns. The objective for this program is to promote environment awareness and conservation among local children and adults in cities, towns, and villages. As a volunteer, you will get an opportunity to study and gain new insights into sustainable agriculture, environment protection and resource management in Nepal. This program has been established and is dedicated to bring the right attitude and cause behavioural changes to help educate locals to ensure we can find ways to preserve, protect and promote community development activities to do what we can to save what's left of the precious existing environment here in this country.
ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS WE OFFER
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM FEE
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$120.00 CAD TO $460.00 CAD
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$230.00 CAD TO $570.00 CAD
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$340.00 CAD TO $650.00 CAD
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$455.00 CAD TO $805.00 CAD
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$560.00 CAD TO $900.00 CAD
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$670.00 CAD TO $1,010.00 CAD
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$70.00 CAD TO $110.00 CAD
PROGRAM FEE EXPLANATION
The total cost consists of a Program Fee plus a mandatory $225.00 CAD Registration Fee. This amount is refundable if you cancel your program but must be paid upfront to move forward with enrolment. This fee covers the ongoing cost of support from VWB staff, program marketing costs, digital information package, administration costs, travel costs to develop additional programs as well as ongoing costs to provide sustainable programs.
Included in the Program Fee: airport pick-up (only from Tribhuvan International Airport), orientation, program supervision, accommodation (private or dormitory) and meals during volunteer program period, in-country 24/7 volunteer support and in country administration costs.
Additional Costs: visa, flights, travel insurance (mandatory), immunizations and/or vaccinations, in-country trips or tours, and transfer to other areas.
THE ENROLMENT PROCESS
Apply: The first step is submitting an online application which takes 1-2 minutes and does not require a payment or commitment. As a volunteer, you will be required to choose your destination, a start date and the specific volunteer project (e.g., Teaching, Orphanage, Wildlife or Marine Conservation, or Medical).
Review: Within 24–48 hours, a VWB Program Manager will review your application to ensure there is space available and that you meet any specific requirements for that project. Once approved, you’ll receive an confirmation email.
Registration Fee: Submit the $225 CAD Registration Fee to continue the enrollment process.
Program Fee: This is a separate fee that covers accommodation, meals, airport pickup, and in-country orientation. It is typically due 30 days before your start date.
Confirm: Once both the Registration and Program Fees are paid, you will receive the final confirmation email which includes program details along with a pre departure package to assist with preparation for your program.
Book Travel: Volunteers are advised not to book flights until the final confirmation email is received.
Questions: Our team will be readily available to correspond with you and answer any questions you might have from the time you apply until you reach the project. Contact us at: info@vwbinternational.org.