The Program The volunteer opportunities are in the following areas: * teaching English * working in an orphanage * community health * school and community maintenance * home stay/cultural exchange Teaching English In this program volunteers are placed in local schools to teach conversational English and reading classes to Nepali children. It is the goal of our partner organisation to ensure that the children of Nepal are able to advance their practical written and verbal English language skills. In Nepal, English is becoming more and more of a required skill for job placement, educational advancement and future success. Schools in Nepal often lack in funding and resources. 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. You will need a good command of written and spoken English, plenty of enthusiasm and a lot of patience. Childrens 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. As well as being very rewarding, these placements can be physically and emotionally demanding. Your role as an Orphanage Volunteer is to be a big brother or sister to the children. What you will be doing will vary in each orphanage. You may be required to help in other ways besides simply working with the children - for example 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. Teaching English may be a big focus as you will not be able to teach common subjects such as Maths or Science with the language barrier. You could help the children in other areas - basic hygiene for example, like regular teeth brushing and hand washing. Games, songs and other activities will be extremely popular with the children. 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. These may be future skills that could help them to become self-sufficient as adults. Health Education Depending on their medical qualifications volunteers with a background in healthcare will work closely with orphanages in the Kathmandu Valley. The need is extensive for childrens' health care. Projects could include; health checks, the creation of medical records, health and sanitation education; administering inoculations against childhood diseases and treating basic ailments in the orphanage. School and 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. 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. Home Stay/Cultural Exchange This program is a fantastic way to get more out of a trip to Nepal if your time is short. In this program you will be placed with a Nepali family in a small rural village or within a city for the duration of your stay. You'll learn about all aspects of Nepali culture, lifestyle, language, food and people - an unforgettable experience. You should remember that this is a cultural exchange so you should try and offer some knowledge of your own home culture and customs to your host family. During your home-stay you will attend 2 hours of language lessons in the morning and in the afternoon. You can spend the day visiting the local village and school and exploring the local area. You will also have the opportunity to help out at the local school. |
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