Volunteering in Nepal

As a largely undeveloped nation, Nepal needs outside help in order to reach a proper standard of living. Our volunteer work is dedicated to empowering the marginalized communities in the beautiful Rasuwa district in the Langtang Mountains of Nepal.

Volunteering is also a great opportunity for you to spend your time in Nepal as you will get to know our country and culture in a different und much more intense way than just travelling through. It is a win-win situation for everybody involved. As for you... you invest your time and effort but take away lifelong memories.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Our programs make a positive difference in the lives of the deprived society by providing volunteering opportunities to international and of course national volunteers. We provide support to committed volunteers who have an understanding, respect and interest of all races, religions and cultures. Our programs are intended to be flexible and we aim to accommodate all interests, needs and budgets. We send volunteer to schools and communities to generate awareness regarding environment issues, sanitation, income generating initiatives, teaching English and health care.

The ultimate goal of our volunteer programs is to give the Nepalese the necessary tools to help themselves. Your time, talent and contribution can help us do that. Through our resources and your involvement, together we can better the lives of the Nepalese. Our volunteer programs offer the unique opportunity to personally experience the richness of Nepal while having a direct influence on improving the quality of life.

Programs

Teaching English at Schools

RTEES Nepal has opportunities for volunteers to teach at pre-school, primary, lower secondary and higher secondary levels. At any level, volunteer teachers can teach English but also any other of the core subjects such as mathematics, science, social science and can initiate extra-curricular activities such as art, music, sports and drama.

Teaching at primary levels: Teaching Nepalese children is a thoroughly enjoyable experience. No matter what you believe your skill level to be, you have something to offer. RTEES Nepal provides a meaningful placement for anyone willing to volunteer with teaching at pre-school and primary levels, and believes that the only skills required are a willingness to learn and an open mind. Students are between 4 and 12 years of age.

Teaching at lower secondary level: At lower secondary level, volunteer teachers can teach core subjects such as English (including grammar), mathematics, science, social sciences, and can initiate extra-curricular activities. You don’t need any formal teaching qualifications to teach at lower secondary school. You will, however, need a good command of written and spoken English, and the creativity and imagination to make an effective contribution. Students are between 10 and 15 years of age.

Assist with teaching at secondary and higher secondary levels: A teaching qualification is required to teach at secondary level. Professional teachers (or those to become professional teachers), TEFL holders, educational charity workers and professional trainers are well placed to teach English and reading classes to Nepali students at secondary and higher secondary levels. It is our goal to ensure that the children of Nepal are able to advance their practical written and verbal English language skills for a better future. In Nepal, English is important for a better job placement and educational advancement. Students are between 13 and 21 years of age.

Teaching English at Buddhist monasteries

Buddhist monasteries are the centre of both religious practice and education. It is believed that Buddhist monks and nuns are among the few who receive a balanced education of both the traditional and modern world. Many novices come from remote areas and extreme poverty and do not have access to education of any kind in their home. In addition, their parents often can’t afford to send their children to school even if a school exists in their village. The only chance for these children is to become a monk or nun.

As a volunteer at a Buddhist monastery, you will provide basic conversational English lessons to monks and nunnery students. Volunteers will be responsible for planning their own creative English lessons and activities, such as games, drawing and painting, and observe and participate in traditional Buddhist rituals. Volunteers also have a chance to participate in some monastery run programs and meditation during free time. This program combines religious learning and research through volunteering. Moreover, it will help the Buddhist children to explore more scriptures written in English and to circulate Buddhist teaching practice to the whole world.

You do not need any formal teacher training or experience to participate but you need a good command of written and spoken English. In addition you just have to be independent, enthusiastic and adaptable with an open-minded attitude.

Volunteering as a Health Worker

Each year, many Nepalese die or suffer unnecessarily due to lack of health education and access to adequate health care resources. The sick in the mountain regions or villages sometimes die long before a physician can even diagnose. Because of the poor transportation, patients often have to be hand-carried in bamboo baskets to the nearest health center, often many miles from their village.

Individuals with special knowledge in the following areas are always needed.

Primary Care and General Medicine
General Dentistry/ Oral Surgery
Pediatrics
Gynecology and Women's Health
Health Education

RTEES Nepal is working to address these issues by sponsoring village level community health initiatives, to do this we need volunteers who can train Nepalese health workers as well as provide direct health care services.

In addition, our medicine projects are also an invaluable preparation for a career in medicine. You will experience the stark contrast between Western medical practice and the realities of medicine in developing countries.

The key requirements in a medical volunteer are initiative, enthusiasm, and readiness to work in unfamiliar circumstances - a surgery with minimal equipment or an understaffed hospital. This program has the potential to give you plenty of hands-on experience and exposure to the medical field.

Volunteering in Community Development

This volunteering opportunity includes building classrooms, repairing schools, decorating and painting classrooms, building toilets, building community centers, a library hall and cleaning public. It also includes helping to build low emission energy efficient stoves which help the health of poor communities. This is an unique way of sharing skills and learning the local way of building and construction.

Your mental as well as physical contribution is required to make any project a success. Anybody interested in construction works can participate in this program. However, the job will be easier if you have some kind of construction experiences or knowledge.

Volunteering in Agriculture

Join the agricultural volunteering program to learn about organic farming methods while promoting ecological farming and fair trade to ensure healthy, diverse and safe food. This program allows volunteer to work in the fields and learn more about sustainable agriculture.

As an organic farming volunteer, you will learn how to grow your own food without pesticides, be exposed to many new and alternative learning experiences, and give something back to the environment. The Orche Nepal NGO spain has house reconstruction program and rebuilding traditionally culturally house those which was destroyed by earthquake in 2015 back then. This time we try to rebuild traditional house there, so you can join the program with them. During your stay, you will be living together with the farmer’s family where we will work together, learn together, cook together and eat together. It is a great opportunity for you to learn about the Nepalese culture and lifestyle through immersion. All you need to be is open-minded, healthy and willing to get dirty hands.

Internships and research

If you are interested in doing research work in Nepal about people, culture, society, development, education, health, gender, history, human right, law, media, human ecology, social conflict, peace process, caste system and politics, RTEES Nepal is happy to give you the opportunity to do so. We will establish contact with experts on your research topic.

In addition all of our volunteer programs can be designed as internships in case you have to do one according to your university rule to obtain an academic degree.

Food and Accommodation

We will provide you with a place to live at either a homestay with a local family or in our homely guesthouse (which basically equals a homestay). You will get a private room but you will have to share the bathroom and toilet. 2-3 meals a day are also provided for. Normally a meal consists of rice, lentil soup and delicious vegetable curries.

Training

Of course, we train you (Nepali and/or the local Tamang language and culture) before sending you to the communities and make you fit for your chosen assignment and an unforgettable experience.

Timing

We try to make almost anything possible. You can volunteer full or part-time, from 1 week to 5 months.

Costs

Unlike other volunteer agencies, where fees can be quite costly, we are trying to keep the costs as low as possible. We merely ask for a 30 USD administration fee for any assignment up to 2 weeks and for a 80 USD administration fee for any time span between 2 weeks and 5 months. The administration fee also signs you up for a 1 year RTEES Nepal membership.

For food and accommodation, we will ask you to give 6 USD to your host family per day.