Description

Volunteer with Nepali and Tibetan children in the beautiful Himalayan mountain city of Pokhara.

* About the Placements & Locations

You can work in local primary schools teaching English, sports, music, art and other subjects or you can work in child care centers & nurseries joining in with the day to day running of the centers and helping to improve the quality of life of the children and the care givers. Our placements are based in the city of Pokhara.

Pokhara is a beautiful mountain city in the Himalayas. It is defined by the dramatic snow capped peaks of the Annapurna Range and the Fishtail Mountain overlooking the city. The Southern side of the city is bounded by a beautiful lake that reflects the peaks. Volunteers live in the area of Lakeside and work all over Pokhara.

The ability to speak English in Pokhara for many locals will represent the difference between being able to find work and not. Pokhara is a city that relies on the tourist trade so if a local person has a better grasp of English, they will be in a stronger position to work in tourism and bring benefit to the community. Knowledge of English also opens up the internet, empowers people to learn for themselves and creates new areas of potential.

* A Typical Day

A typical work week is five days for about four to six hours per day. However, bear in mind that this is Nepal, and there are over 3 million gods in the Hindu religion to worship as well as political instability leading to strikes, school closures and other disturbances!

Teaching volunteers will be required to prepare their own lessons for their classes within the school curriculum and the focus of these lessons will be primarily English. Teaching volunteers will also teach other lessons such as sports, music, art and sometimes other academic subjects such as math. Much depends on your personal drive and skill set. If you have a particular interest, you can make it happen. Local teachers are encouraged to participate in the volunteer classes so that they can help and learn, but this is often not the case, so volunteers should be prepared to handle a class on their own.

Child care volunteers will join in the day to day activities of the center. This will normally include games and activities, tutoring, teaching some lessons and helping with homework as well as helping out with general childcare, cleaning and meal times. Day care centers and nurseries will have volunteers joining in with day to day activities such as playing, singing songs, reading stories, preparing arts & crafts as well as helping with general childcare, cleaning and preparing meals. At some of our placements the children go to school through the day leaving the most valuable times for volunteers to help very early in the morning before school and again in the evening after school.

Highlights

* The Work Place: Schools
We work with a combination of Private English Medium Schools and Local Government Schools. English Medium schools are taught 100% English; however, the standard of English even among the teachers and administrators can be very poor, and often you may not realize that you are being spoken to in English at all. Although some are "private" schools, conditions are often basic and many lack the simple resources or qualified teachers that you would expect at a school. Government schools provide the most rewarding experience and true need for volunteers; however, this can be a very challenging environment with extremely limited English and lack of support from teachers.

The children at both types of schools are generally very excited to have volunteers working with them and with a little effort and perspective, you should find the volunteering extremely rewarding.

* The Work Place: Child Care Centers / Nurseries
The child care centers and nurseries we work with are generally caring for a large cross section of Nepal's society. Some centers may care for the most disadvantaged members of society as well as children from low-middle class families who need a place for their children in order to be able to make a living. Not all children in such centers are true parentless "orphans". We believe that it is important to help people at all stages of their development. Providing a single mother with a safe day care center so that she can earn a living and feed her child is a valuable contribution to society, and although such a mother may be considered middle class, we value the participation of volunteers in such a setting. Simply acting as a good example, being a big brother or sister and helping in anyway we can is valued at any level in a country such as Nepal.

Placements such as these may be an emotional experience and you are unlikely to view poverty and disadvantage in the same way after the placement.

* Benefits:
Volunteering in Nepal will open your eyes to a new culture and a very different life to that back home. Many volunteers describe their time working with children in Pokhara as 'life changing'. This is a chance to work with some of the poorest and most disadvantaged people in the world.

The children that you will work with are full of fun and always delighted when volunteers work with them. You can show them that people do care and you can bring a little more love and fun into their lives. You can also help them towards a position where they can get work by developing their confidence in communicating in English.

Qualifications

No previous experience is required, just enthusiasm, energy and a willingness to get involved. Volunteers should be fit and healthy and must be at least 18 years old.

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

3 weeks: GBP 695, extra weeks: GBP 55

Program Fees Include:

* Comprehensive information pack
* Pre-departure travel advice
* Airport pick up and hotel night in Kathmandu
* Bus transfer to Pokhara
* Accommodation in Pokhara throughout
* Cultural introduction to Pokhara
* The set up of the volunteer placement
* Ongoing support throughout the placement

You will often be able to eat main meals at your placement though this will be basic Nepali food.

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

Age Range

must be at least 18 years old.

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Apartment/Flat
• Other

Participants Travel

Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups of 1-5 volunteers

Application Process Involves

• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Other

Post Services Include

• Exit Debriefing Abroad

Personal Overseas Development (PoD)'s Mission Statement

PoD is a leading non-profit organization arranging ethical, inspiring and supported volunteering opportunities around the world. Established in 2001, our aim is to support ongoing projects with our partners in Belize, Cambodia, Nepal, Peru, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand and Vietnam by providing passionate and committed volunteers. We work with long term projects that we know personally and where there is genuine benefit to local communities. A placement with PoD will not only develop volunteer's skills and confidence, get them out of their comfort zone and exploring incredible parts of the world but also the ability make a genuine difference. We currently offer gap year, career break, working holiday, volunteer projects and school expeditions from 1 week to 6 months with year round departures. We offer a personal and professional service drawing on years of experience from staff in the UK and overseas. Volunteers are needed to help work with disadvantaged children, communities, animals and conservation projects including: caring for elephants and wild animals; joining an Amazon jungle conservation project; scuba diving and marine conservation; community building projects; volunteering at orphanages and care homes; teaching English and running summer English camps. PoD believes in providing challenging, safe and fun experiences for individuals and groups to enjoy. We are passionate about giving volunteers of all ages the opportunity to use their energy, enthusiasm and personality where it counts.

Year Founded

2001