Nepal
Nepal
Arrival: On arrival at the airport you will be met by a representative of RCDP-Nepal and taken to your accommodation in Kathmandu.
Intensive Language: Orientation and Cultural Immersion Program (14 days) Your volunteer program in Nepal starts with 2 weeks of intensive language study and cultural orientation. The first week focuses on language training (4-5 hours per day), a one-day guided cultural tour of Kathmandu, and orientation to issues of health, safety, climate, history, local issues, religion, culture and cultural shock. There is also enough free time to explore Kathmandu -- including the dazzling tourist Bazaar.
For the second week you will transfer to a small ethnic village where you'll live with a family and work with villagers on traditional farms. You'll continue practicing language and experience the unique culture, nature, and life of Nepali people. This week also includes white water rafting, village hiking, and learning the ethnic dances of the region. The language and cultural immersion program concludes with 3 full days of jungle safari, elephant riding, canoeing, Tharu dance, and ethnic village visit.
Trekking: After completing 2 weeks of language and cultural immersion program, volunteers will go for 7 days of Himalayan trekking in Annapurna Trekking Trail. Volunteers will pass by the beautiful landscapes, ethnic villages, and stunning scenery of the Himalayas.
Homestay: After completing 3 weeks of cultural orientation, language training and Himalayan trekking, your RCDP representative will introduce you to your homestay family and host project. As a volunteer with RCDP-Nepal, you will be placed within a welcoming host family setting. You will have a separate room (clean and well ventilated) and be provided 3 Nepali meals per day. Nepali meals consist of tea or milk (breakfast), rice, vegetable curry, soup (legume soup), and pickle (for breakfast and dinner). Most host families have electricity and radio (it may not be possible sometimes in village). Some of the host families have telephone facility.
Our host families are mostly educated, well-respected people, who have experience with international students. In addition, some members of host families may speak English. The family will welcome you upon your arrival, and treat you as a family member. RCDP-Nepal representative visits volunteers every 15 days to make sure that things are going well. In certain cases, a volunteer may be placed in a hostel instead of with a host family.
Volunteer Service: Presently RCDP-Nepal offers volunteer program in 5 different areas. Volunteers can stay 2-12 weeks. Our program starts on the 1st and 16th of each month. See our sample projects page for more details about project options.
What’s Included?
- Airport pick up and first night stay in Kathmandu
- 2 weeks of intensive language and cultural program
- 1 day cultural tour of Kathmandu
- White water rafting, cultural dance
- 3 days program in Royal Chitwan National Park including Jungle Safari
- 7 days of Himalayan tea house (food, room, porter, guide, permit)
- Local food 3 times a day for entire project period
- Accommodations with a host family
- 24/7 hotline in Kathmandu
- One way transportation to project
- Donation to local project ($10 per project week)
- Regular visit and other services of RCDP-Nepal
What’s Not Included?
- Travel to and from Nepal, passport and visa fees if any
- Any kind of personal drink like mineral water, or soft drink during the entire project period including trekking
- Health and accident insurance
- Any kind of personal visit / expenses including international phone calls
Social Welfare Services
VIP-Nepal aims to support rural people, which is why projects are located in rural areas of Nepal. All projects are designed to respond to the needs and interests of the local people. The variety of activities and volunteer possibilities assure your stay to be interesting and exciting. Volunteer projects are available
As in any country, Nepal's orphaned children need attention, love and care. With many orphanages in the country, volunteer work programs are arranged in major cities including Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Chitwan, and Pokhara in an effort to offer these children the attention and love that they deserve. As a volunteer at an orphanage, you will collaborate with local people to teach the basics of the English language and help orphans with life skills. Other tasks can include participating in administrative chores, health education, playing games, drawing and painting with the children. Working with orphans means you will be molding the young minds of talented, blossoming, charming children. These children are in an unfortunate position and the impression that you make on them will remain for the rest of their lives. This volunteer work is a great mission and provides a real, life-changing experience for you as well as for the children. Some orphanages serve as informal education training centers and when you volunteer in this program, you will be teaching these children what it means to have someone who cares for them.
Charity Nepal Orphanage is located just outside the city of Kathmandu. It houses 21 children from different parts of the country, especially from areas affected by the Maoist insurgency. Volunteers teach English to the children, play games with them, and contribute to the family environment of the orphanage.
Nepal is home to breathtaking landscapes, surreal natural beauty, and exotic wilderness. This Asian country is sandwiched between India and China in the majestic Himalayan region. In such splendid surroundings, the snow capped mountain peaks, natural fountains, river valleys and dense forests have become home to some of the world's most endangered species. These remarkable settings offer a multitude of diversions sure to please the most adventurous and nature loving volunteers. Despite this beautiful setting, Nepal's pure nature deteriorates day after day due to a high dependency on natural resources, especially forest related resources. Volunteers have the opportunity to help save Nepal's landscapes, restore its natural beauty and conserve its natural resources.
Environment
The Tree Species Nursery is located in the rural village of Chitwan. Volunteers are specifically placed in the Chitwan area of Nepal where they can participate in making nursery beds, sowing seeds, weeding, trimming, pruning, and thinning various indigenous tree species and medicinal plants. The planted seedlings that the volunteers grow and nurture are later distributed freely to villages in other parts of Nepal. With activities similar to this, the aim of the volunteer project is to reduce the pressure on forests and give something back to the community.
Heath Care / Nutrition
It has been reported that more than forty percent of the Nepalese people live below the poverty level. This alarming statistic reflects the fact that many families are unable to provide adequate health care for their family members. A vast number of Nepali people live their lives without ever obtaining proper health care. Although the state established several health centers in Nepal to provide health services to people in rural areas, many health centers are running without an adequate number of trained staff. Caring and compassionate volunteers can help address this crucial problem and boost the quality of health care by partaking in this mission. Volunteers interested in joining this program must have certificates or proof of experience in this field (for example, a medical student ID or a certificate of graduation as nurse or doctor.) Due to the health risks involved, volunteers who are not properly trained in health care cannot work in this area.
The Dhapakjel Health Post is located in a small village just outside Patan city. Volunteers assist local doctors and medical staff as they treat patients and also help with other hospital programs such as record keeping, sanitation, nutrition, distribution of medicine or treatment of minor injuries.
Education / Teaching
Teaching English is a rewarding and worthwhile experience. Volunteers in this program will teach English at a Nepali public or private school, depending on the need for volunteers. Teaching volunteers are more than welcome to participate in other school activities such as sports or sanitation programs while they work at the school. A volunteer usually teaches two to three hours a day, for six days a week (Sunday to Friday). Children's ages range from 6 to 13 years old. Placements are available in locations such as Chitwan and Pokhara throughout the year, except in July and August. During these two summer months, volunteers are assigned to villages near the Kathmandu valley. Each institution has its own permanent staff member who assists volunteers with their teaching methods, advises with solutions to communication barriers (both with students and colleagues), and gives volunteers a timetable to follow.
Volunteers may also teach conversational English to Buddist monks. This is an informal project so volunteers are free to develop their own teaching plan and use any resources that might be helpful to teach spoken english. In their free time, volunteers can practice meditation and join the Buddist religious practices, rituals, pujas, and prayers. Spaces are limited in this project.
It is not necessary that you come from an English speaking country or background in order to become a teaching volunteer. We welcome any volunteer who has a working knowledge of English and the desire to share that knowledge with students who are eager to learn.
Dhaddghari Lower Secondary School is located 157km southwest of Kathmandu Valley in the province of Chitwan. There are 7 regular teaching staff and approximately 300 students aged between 5 and 13. Volunteers are required to teach English to the children and to assist in recreational and extra-curricular activities.