Namaste and welcome to Nepal, a country of high Himalayan Mountains, artistic monuments, exotic wildlife, and diverse cultures. Nepal extends along the south slopes of the Himalayas in central Asia.
Although Nepal is small, it has the greatest latitudinal variation of any country. The land rises from the southern plains of the Terai, barely above sea level, to the top of the Mt. Everest, the highest peak on Earth, in a distance of less than 200 km.
ABOUT KATHMANDU
Kathmandu, the capital and largest city in Nepal, is like no other city in the world. The decaying buildings in the heart of the city are a contrast to the lively atmosphere that permeates the streets. The smell of incense wafts from the stores while street sellers push their wares, and people go about their daily lives, all against a backdrop of historic temples and carved statues.
For most visitors to Nepal, Kathmandu Valley is the arrival point and the primary focus of the visit. This small, mountain-sheltered valley is the historical center of Nepal, a place where kingdoms rose and fell, where palaces and temples were built and rebuilt, and where Nepali art and culture was developed and refined. Rivers and streams interlace with the landscape, the brick-red villages cling to ridges to preserve precious land and even from the bustling centers of each of the cities, it is possible to catch a glimpse of the snow-capped peaks of the majestic Himalayas against the intense blue skies.
Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older, though exceptions to this age requirement may be made on a case-by-case basis. Successful volunteers are hardworking, flexible, and open to truly immersing themselves in the culture. Keep in mind that all countries have different visa restrictions for varying types of passports.
World Endeavors volunteers in Nepal can contribute to the following projects:
Volunteers interested in Childcare Assistance can participate in the following projects
Kindergarten Teaching Project
The kindergartens usually consist of 35 to 45 children between 3 to years 6 years old. The kindergartens consist of teachers as well as supporting staff to assist the teachers. The children are taught basic English, alphabets, numbers, rhymes, names of various objects etc. Most of the children come from underprivileged families who live below the poverty line.
Volunteers interested in Community Development can participate in the following projects:
Construction and Renovation Project
You will be able to participate in renovation and construction activities in schools, children’s home, rehabilitation centers, KAT Centre (Kathmandu Animal Treatment Center), disabled children’s home and women empowerment center. During this project, you will be staying in Kathmandu at our center.
Your daily work would involve outdoor construction and renovation activities including, demolishing broken structures, building walls, painting, carpentry, fencing the school premises etc.
Volunteers interested in Healthcare can participate in the following projects:
Dental Program
In our Dental program, you will gain comprehensive experience by working as an intern at a Dental Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal.
You will spend your time here shadowing the practitioners and observing the practices done by the expert dentists. You will also be called upon to assist dentists and nurses when required. You will have to work with several Departments in the hospital such as Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Prosthodontics, Department of Paedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Department of Community Dentistry, Department of Periodontics, Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics and the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology.
This project has a minimum duration of 4 weeks. Please note, you should be enrolled in a university course in any Dentistry field to participate.
The Dental Program is an additional $55 per week.
Medical Program
Our medical program allows you to gain valuable experience by working as an intern in either a government, private, or community hospital in Kathmandu and around the Kathmandu Valley.
You will spend your time here shadowing doctors, observing medical experts and may be called upon to assist doctors and nurses.
There will not be any hands-on work and most of your learning will be through observation.
This project has a minimum duration of 4 weeks. Please note, you should be enrolled in a university course in any medical field to participate.
The Medical Program is an additional $55 per week.
Physiotherapy Program
Our physiotherapy internship program allows you to gain valuable experience by working as an intern in a Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Hospital in Kathmandu.
You will spend your time here shadowing doctors, observe the medical experts, physiotherapists and will be called upon to assist doctors and nurses.
There will be able to experience hands-on work. Participants will be helping the patients of various health conditions and engage in different therapeutic sessions at the hospital. The sessions shall be assigned to you, according to your field of study and expertise.
This project has a minimum duration of 4 weeks. Please note, you should be enrolled in a university course in any field of therapy to participate.
The Physiotherapy Program is an additional $55 per week.
Volunteers interested in Special Education can participate in the following project:
Special Education Project
This program is especially designed to support the schools for the special needs children in Kathmandu and to provide your contribution to their education through your skills and knowledge as well as motivation and kindness.
In the school, you will be able to work with children from different age groups as well as different IQ levels. There will be physically and mentally handicapped children with autism, and cerebral palsy. Depending on your knowledge, you will be able to guide and teach them.
Volunteers interested in Sustainable Agriculture can participate in the following project:
Organic Farming Project
The participants get the opportunity to work at an organic farm in Kathmandu. During the service project the participants will encounter a truly different and special lifestyle of the farmers while working in the simple and peaceful surrounding. It will be an authentic experience for the participants.
Participants shall be assigned to do several tasks and activities during the stay at the farm. Such as digging, planting, weeding and harvesting . Sometimes participants can also be involved in packaging of the seasonal and off-seasonal vegetables.
Volunteers interested in Teaching can participate in the following projects:
Education Project
Most people in Nepal can't afford to travel, and in the villages there is little chance of contact with the outside world. Foreign teachers enable students to form relationships with someone from another background and culture, and the teachers can learn different teaching methods and techniques. You will mainly assist the regular school teacher and so do not need to have any teaching background.
You will teach and educate children from different age groups and with different learning capacities. You are free to use different methods to teach but you can use the course book as reference or educate children through conversational English. During your time there you can teach them different subjects such as mathematics, history, science, geography, computer technologies, music and other subjects, arts and crafts, different educational games, personal development, environment awareness, general health and safety and so on. All higher education in Nepal is in English, so it is vital that the children must learn English to continue with higher education. A trained teacher is committed to raising standards in schools in Nepal, and with an adult literacy rate of 67% there is plenty of room for improvement.
Teaching at Buddhist Monasteries
Interested in teaching while also learning something new? When you join this unique project, you will teach English and other subjects to monks of all ages while being immersed in the day-to-day lifestyle at the monastery and learning about Buddhism.
The monasteries we work with are located in different areas in Kathmandu, Pharping, Nala and the Everest regions. During your program, you will live in the monastery itself where you will be teaching.
The nearest monastery to our Kathmandu center is Tinchuli (near the Bauddhinath Stupa) which is about a 30 minute drive from our center in Kathmandu.
The monasteries in Nala and Pharping are about 2 hours by car from Kathmandu.
The monasteries where we teach in the Everest regions - Serlo Taksindo, Mendo Pakhe and Choying - require a bit more of an effort to reach. After a 12 hour jeep ride and an overnight stay in Phaplu, your journey will conclude with a hike of between 30 minutes and 4 hours to reach your monastery.
These projects require a minimum duration of 3 weeks, and there is an additional fee of $55 per week.
Volunteers interested in Wildlife Conservation can participate in the following project:
Canine Rehabilitation
The condition of animals in Nepal is very impoverished. They are poorly kept and often kicked out of their homes as they grow old. On the streets, the conditions are even worse. A lot of stray dogs and cows can be seen in almost every street and square of Kathmandu. They are left to fend for themselves and roam freely on the streets.
During the program, you will aid in the rescue and rehabilitation of street dogs and those that have been abandoned by their owners. These dogs are usually mangy and starving. A lot of these animals suffer from the agony of maggots, infected wounds, skin disorders, worms and parasites, and run the risk of losing their limbs. The program has been operating in the valley to resolve these issues and to counter the growing number of street dogs. After being rescued, the dogs are kept in the animal shelter and later released or offered for adoption and into a better life.
Volunteers interested in Women’s Development can participate in the following project:
Women Empowerment Project
This project is specially designed for women who have come to Kathmandu from rural areas to work as housemaids and housewives specifically those who were deprived of formal education. Most of these female workers do not even have basic education and find it difficult in this age where education has become a fundamental aspect for survival. Therefore, through our project, the foreign teachers enable students to form relationships with someone from another background and culture, and the teachers can learn different teaching methods and techniques.
Such schools were established to educate and enlighten, make self assured and independent women in Kathmandu. This is the age of science and technology so education has risen in importance. The main target of this school is to motivate the women to find their hidden talents and enable them to participate in developmental activities of family, society and nation.
You will teach and educate adult women of different age groups with different learning capacities. You are free to use different methods to teach. You can use the course book as a reference or educate them through conversational and spoken English. During your time there you can teach them different subjects such as mathematics, science, geography, computer technologies, music, spoken and conversational English, personal development, environment awareness, general health and safety and so on. All higher education in Nepal is in English, so it is vital that they learn English. A trained teacher is committed to raising standards in schools in Nepal, and with an adult literacy rate of 67% there is plenty of room for improvement.
This project has a minimum duration of 3 weeks.
Volunteers stay in a shared volunteer house and stay in shared rooms by gender. Three meals a day on weekdays (two on weekends) are included during your stay. The meals are a mix of Western and Nepalese food, consisting mainly of vegetarian dishes including rice and vegetables. You can expect to have a chicken dish about once per week. You can also choose to eat out at any of the local restaurants.
The World Endeavors Volunteer in Nepal program is flexible in duration and can be tailored to last between 1 to 12 weeks. If you have the time, we recommend a stay of at least 4 weeks. Admissions are rolling, and World Endeavors volunteers can choose when they would like to start their program. Due to holidays, traditional vacation schedules, and seasonal work availability, there might be better times than others to volunteer at a specific location or in a specific project.
When you are ready to start planning your volunteer trip to Nepal, contact us. Our experienced advisors will help you sort through any timing considerations unique to your destination or your volunteer project.
Please wait until after you are accepted into the program and you have received the confirmed arrival and departure dates before you book your flight.
| Program Name | First Week | Each Additional Week |
|---|---|---|
| Volunteer In Nepal | $1,790 | $300 |
INCLUDED FEATURES
- Program Advisor: dedicated, experienced, and accessible for one-on-one guidance
- Local Onsite Coordinator with 24/7 availability; pre and post arrival orientation
- Visa guidance and support
- Comprehensive travel medical insurance
- Travel Protection with 24/7 Emergency Travel Assistance
- Re-entry Support
- Airport reception
- Shared, single gender rooms in volunteer house
- 3 meals per weekday and 2 meals per weekend provided
OTHER BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS
- Round-trip transportation to Nepal
- Visa expenses
- Optional trips and excursions
- Personal expenses
Congratulations on your decision to embark on a life-changing experience abroad! We look forward to working with you to make your trip a memorable, meaningful one. We can accommodate applications received 4 weeks prior to the intended start date up to a year in advance. If your intended start date is less than 4 weeks away, contact World Endeavors for more information.
