Medical volunteers Nepal | Teaching volunteers Nepal

Volunteer NepalLove Volunteers has teamed up with a local partner NGO to recruit volunteers for crucial projects in Nepal. As one of the poorest countries in Asia, Nepal is crying out for volunteers intent on making an impact on their fellow humans' living conditions amid a distinctly different culture. Past volunteers have been bowled over by how friendly and welcoming the Nepalese people are.

Volunteers in Nepal are required year-round to help ensure that the process of sustainable development continues uninterrupted. A host of different programs are run, from teaching in schools and monasteries, to assisting women to become more empowered, and helping farmers to use more enlightened methods of cultivation. The primary goal of all of the programs is the improvement of quality of life and living standards for the Nepalese, with particular emphasis on the most disadvantaged of the country’s communities. Each placement is intended to be an exciting experience for the enlisted volunteer, one that will stay with them for the rest of their life.

Volunteering in Nepal is not just a great chance to learn and experience the Nepalese way of life, it also offers interesting challenges leading to personal growth and a deepening of wisdom, judgement and understanding. Volunteering overseas is something that everyone should do at some point in their life. And, to do so in the dramatic country of Nepal allows the volunteer to step into a complex society where traditional, un-modernised elements jostle with cosmopolitan development. Most crucial of all for volunteers in Nepal is the fact that the projects where they work give people the tools they need to enhance their lives.

For more information about this wonderful country pick up a copy of Lonely Planet's Nepal Guide.

Start and Duration

Volunteers in Nepal can begin their placement on any day of the year, although weekend arrivals are preferred so that volunteering can begin on a Monday.

Volunteer Requirements

Love Volunteers invites individuals, couples, families, students, researchers, and groups to volunteer in Nepal. The minimum age requirement is 18; additionally, a good command of English is required.

Volunteers from all countries, backgrounds and experience are welcome to participate in programs in Nepal. All have a contribution to make and each can benefit from encountering a different culture. Apply to volunteer in Nepal now!

Project Descriptions for the Nepal

Working with the Blind and Disabled in Pokhara

Volunteer with the Blind in Nepal: Volunteer with the Blind in NepalThe team in Polhara aim to provide the basic skills needed for a person with disabilities to be a fully functioning and contributing member in society. Volunteers help participants in the six-month programs undergo training in technology, conversational English and basic management and administrative skills. Even short term volunteers are a wonderful asset to the centre. 35 blind and visually impaired students are now undertaking computer and English communication training. The goals of the centre are to:

Foster and promote conditions that enable people with disabilities of all ages to live dignified, productive and meaningful lives;
Initiate, develop and organize technical, vocational and interpersonal skill development training for people with disabilities;
Produce and implement community sensitization campaigns and participation in disability related issues and activities;
Consult with and lobby relevant institutions and individuals in government, public and private sectors for the effective implementation of existing disability policies and development of further necessary policies and programs.

Teaching in Schools

The teaching programs take place in Kathmandu and in several other areas of Nepal and in both public and private schools. Besides English, volunteers are needed for subjects that include mathematics, science, population and environment, art, history and music.

Volunteers in Nepal will not just teach academic subjects, but also organise creative activities, as well as lend their experience and enthusiasm to extra-curricular activities. The age range of the pupils is from three to sixteen years. The local teachers will also benefit from the volunteer’s native English-speaking skills.

Should school holidays fall within the placement period, alternative activities will be arranged for the volunteer in Nepal, which may include learning Nepali language, culture and tradition, or visiting places of interest. A teaching qualification is not a requirement, but the volunteer’s must have completed secondary education.

Teaching in Monasteries

Programs involving teaching in monasteries in Nepal are held in Kathmandu, Lumbini and certain other locations. The students are Nepalese monks and nuns, as well as Tibetan monks and nuns taking refuge in Nepal. Volunteers fulfil the monks’ desire to learn English, but are also valued for their ability to impart knowledge and insights of first aid, environmental issues, health and hygiene, as well as political issues and human rights. In return, the newcomer can learn about Buddhist philosophy, which is strictly followed by the monks in their daily lives. A teaching qualification is not a requirement for this program, but volunteers should hold a secondary education qualification. In monastery placements, volunteers can either reside with a host family or stay in the monastery itself.

Teaching in Orphanages

Poverty and a very low standard of living sadly result in cases where children are left orphaned and uncared-for, often finding their way on to the streets. Some manage to be placed in orphanages. These, however, are poorly resourced. The teaching in orphanages programs are located in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and certain other locations. Volunteers on an orphanage placement teach not only English but also subjects in which they have an interest or skill.

Teacher Development

Volunteers who are already qualified teachers are urgently needed for the Teacher Development program. This gives them an exciting opportunity to share their own teaching methodology with Nepalese teachers. The minimum age for volunteers in Nepal is 20. Additionally, applicants must hold a minimum of a University degree and have teaching experience. Experienced teachers are greatly sought after, to help improve teaching methods and classroom management. The aim is to enable teachers in Nepal to the motivate students more effectively, using modern education techniques.

Placements exist both in public and private schools and in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Pokhara and other locations around the country.

Agricultural and Environmental Programs

Volunteers in Nepal contribute to improving cultivation methods and they play an important role in the work going on to raise farming standards to bring them above subsistence level. With more than 70% of the population involved in agriculture yet a mere 21% of Nepal’s land devoted to arable cultivation, forests and other wildlife habitats are increasingly being given over to farming. One result is the gradual degradation of the environment. Increasing use of insecticides, pesticides and chemical fertilizers have a detrimental effect. Climate change is another factor adversely affecting food production in Nepal.

The program locations include Kathmandu and Dhading as well as other areas of Nepal. Volunteers' tasks include observation and involvement in agricultural work, as well as the sharing of modern agricultural techniques, while protecting the environment.

A requirement for volunteers on these programs is to have at least completed secondary education and to be interested in and knowledgeable about agricultural and environmental matters.

Health and Medical Programs

Volunteer placements are based at health posts or hospitals, and are either Government-run or managed by the local community, in rural and urban areas. The locations include Kathmandu, Dhading, Syangja, among other locations within Nepal. Among the most impoverished groups within Nepal’s population, there is a continual need to mobilise health workers. Volunteers in Nepal work closely with Nepalese doctors and nurses. We can place volunteers in the pre-arranged Health Camps managed by the Government or the community people.

Volunteers in Nepal on the Health and Medical Programs must either be medical professionals/medical students or have demonstrable knowledge in the health and medicine field. The activities that volunteers are involved in include raising public awareness of health and hygiene and sanitation issues, listening to and counselling local people on their health problems, checking patients and distributing medication.

Women's Empowerment

The empowering of women from marginalized communities in Nepal is an important undertaking, bringing greater equality between the sexes, and increasing women’s independence and their skills base.

Placements are in Kathmandu, Dhading and certain other location. Volunteers in Nepal are involved in actively observing the conditions of Nepalese women in the village, assisting them in skill-oriented training, sharing their own experiences and insights, as well as teaching English.

Language Courses

To enhance the volunteer’s experience of immersion in this unique country, Nepali language courses are available to volunteers in Nepal, and are included within the program fees. Additionally, there are classes on Nepalese and Indian culture, yoga, meditation, as well as eastern philosophy.

Program Costs

Love Volunteers is a not-for-profit organisation and is one of the most affordable ways to help out in a developing country while being immersed in the local culture.

Fees for volunteer programs in Nepal start at US$195 (€149) per week, which includes accommodation, three meals a day, an airport pick-up (if required), orientation and 24/7 in-country support.

Volunteer period [weeks]	1	2	3	4	6
Teaching and assisting in schools	US$195	US$275	US$350	US$425	US$575
Teaching and childcare in orphanages	US$195	US$275	US$350	US$425	US$575
Teaching in Monasteries	US$195	US$275	US$350	US$425	US$575
Medical	US$195	US$275	US$350	US$425	US$575
Women's Empowerment	US$195	US$275	US$350	US$425	US$575
Teacher Development	US$195	US$275	US$350	US$425	US$575
Agricultural & Environmental Programs	US$195	US$275	US$350	US$425	US$575
Working with the Blind	US$195	US$275	US$350	US$425	US$575

Volunteer period [weeks]	8	12	16	20	24
Teaching and assisting in schools	US$725	US$1005	US$1285	US$1565	US$1845
Teaching and childcare in orphanages	US$725	US$1005	US$1285	US$1565	US$1845
Teaching in Monasteries	US$725	US$1005	US$1285	US$1565	US$1845
Medical	US$725	US$1005	US$1285	US$1565	US$1845
Women's Empowerment	US$725	US$1005	US$1285	US$1565	US$1845
Teacher Development	US$725	US$1005	US$1285	US$1565	US$1845
Agricultural & Environmental Programs	US$725	US$1005	US$1285	US$1565	US$1845
Working with the Blind	US$725	US$1005	US$1285	US$1565	US$1845

Other volunteers periods available. Please, contact LoveVolunteers for pricing of other periods.

A Love Volunteers registration fee of US$235 (approximately €170) is charged in addition to the program fees and covers any placements you undertake for twelve months from the start of your first placement. The fee is refundable if you choose not to volunteer more than three months prior to the start of your initial placement. This fee ensures 24/7 pre- and post-placement support from Love Volunteers, checking and vetting of local organisations, a comprehensive information pack, as well as administration and marketing costs. Given Love Volunteers is a not-for-profit organisation we also ask volunteers to cover any bank charges incurred by international money transfers.

Food and Accomodation

Volunteers are accommodated in the homes of Nepalese host families, which have been fully screened by our partners in the country. Throughout their stay volunteers will be provided with traditional local food. Among the most popular dishes is Aloo Tama – made from Bamboo shoot and potato, Dal – a type of lentil soup usually eaten with rice, and Tarkari - a vegetable curry, usually in the form of a broth.

The main meats consumed in Nepal are chicken and mutton, with sometimes buffalo or pork on the menu. Beef is not available, as cows are considered sacred in much of Nepal. Nepali desserts tend to be dairy-based and include Dahi – a yogurt/curd concoction, and Juju Dhau – a creamy curd-based pudding from Bhaktapur.

Among the different kinds of locally-produced alcoholic beverages are Rakshi, Thon (a milky white rice beer) and Tongba - a produced from fermented millet, which is drunk through a bamboo straw.

Orientation

Volunteers are greeted on arrival at the airport and a welcome gathering is usually arranged for new volunteers. Orientation is spread over two days and is based at our partner organisation’s office in Kathmandu.

Orientation includes a visit to the placement location, an introduction to your host family and a tour of Kathmandu which has a rich 2,000-year-old history and yet a somewhat cosmopolitan feel.

A Typical Week

On each of the programs an approximate schedule is as follows: 4-5 hours work per day, six days a week, working from Sunday to Friday.

Weekdays: Volunteers can expect to rise at about 8am and have breakfast with their host family. Depending on their project they will either start work in the morning, or have several hours free before starting in the afternoon. In the evening, volunteers in Nepal are free to see the local sites, visit restaurants and cafes, and meet the locals.

Weekends: Saturday is the primary day off in Nepal. Volunteers can use this free day to explore the country. Smaller villages outside of Kathmandu are a good way to see yet another way of life in this eclectic country.

About the Country

Forming a long narrow swathe of land, Nepal offers Himalayan mountain country at its most rarefied, as well as the warm, humid and earthy environment of the Indian plains. In Nepal, there are Buddhist stupas to marvel at, treks to go on guided by Sherpas, yaks to be spotted along the way, and, who knows - a possible encounter with a yeti! The artistic and architectural heritage of the cities Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur is outstanding.

Most certainly the greatest pull for visitors to Nepal is the 'Abode of Snows' – the Himalayas. There are treks to Everest Base Camp, which involve pleasant grassy walks beside rivers, with stopovers at tea houses. From Edmund Hillary’s famous base camp, it is then possible to walk to Kala Patar to marvel at the views of Mt Everest. Besides the mountains, there are other spectacles in Nepal, such as Chitwan National Park, where tiger or Nepalese rhino roam.

Nepal resembles India in having a monsoon-based climate forming two distinct seasons. Its dry season lasts from October to May and the wet one from mid-June to September. During those three and a half months it rains nearly every day. May and early June are the hottest months, with temperatures often rising above 30°C.

There are many Buddhist monasteries at Lumbini. Far from being a rowdy location thronging with noisy pilgrims, this (the birthplace of Gautama Siddhartha Buddha) is a quiet and meditative haven. Around it lies the Lumbini Development Zone, a landscaped garden created by members of Buddhist communities from various corners of the world all working to the plans of its Japanese architect, Kenzo Tange.

Apply now! Or check out the FAQ or contact page for more information.

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