Description

The Tibetan minority in Nepal face numerous obstacles in their daily life, ranging from poverty and low literacy levels to discrimination and legal uncertainty. Many do not have a residence card, which restricts their daily life to the extent where they cannot get a driver's license and their children cannot attend public school. Furthermore, many initiatives to improve their situation are blocked or complicated by political issues.

Nepal is ethnically a very diverse country, where the majority of the people live in small villages conducting a traditional lifestyle. High in the Himalayas, life in a small village is not very lucrative financially (unless you happen to be en-route to Everest Base Camp or on the Annapurna Circuit), and many migrate to Kathmandu in the hope of finding a job and an opportunity to break free from poverty.

Volunteers in this field teach the immensely popular adult English classes, mostly to women, or work in the administration or both. Administrative work includes marketing, management of website and of a brand-new job placement database, and organizing and conducting workshops on different issues faced by the Tibetan community.

The Mountain Volunteer is a volunteer placement program committed to providing enriching and affordable volunteer experiences in Kathmandu and rural Nepal. Whether you choose to teach English, assist in a Women's Empowerment program, or enroll in our Medical Internship, The Mountain Volunteer can help you get the most out of your experience. The Mountain Volunteer is a program of The Mountain Fund, which is a registered U.S. 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Highlights

Changing the world, one volunteer at a time. The Mountain Volunteer isn't just a volunteer placement organization. We are in Nepal doing development work and social good all over the country in partnership with our sister organization The Mountain Fund, USA.

Since 2001, The Mountain Fund has been working to build health clinics, improve public schools, support trekking porters and support women's programs in Nepal. The Mountain Fund currently operates clinics in the Rasuwa District, including a hospital in Kalikastan, Rasuwa. Your placement fees help to pay for this work. The Mountain Fund is a registered 501c3 charity in the USA and The Mountain Volunteer Nepal is a registered charity with the Social Welfare Council in Nepal.

Welcome to Kathmandu!

Nobody in Nepal is as prepared as we are to make your volunteer vacation a complete success. We have our own volunteer house in Maharajgunj, near the new Bhat Bhateni supermarket. Here you can use the internet to check e-mail, hang out and take a break, watch some TV or a DVD, learn some Nepali and ask our dedicated and professional staff about any aspect of Nepali culture. In addition to your volunteer placement needs, we will take you on city tours, show you where the locals shop and help you learn all about life in Kathmandu.

The volunteer placement fee includes pick up and drop off at airport, introduction at your volunteer placement, travel advice and assistance and staff support 24/7. You will have a shared bedroom (3-4 persons per room), western style bath with solar hot water, two Nepali meals each day (breakfast and dinner), and free use of the internet at the volunteer house, including wi-fi, so feel free to bring your laptop.

Languages

• English
• Nepali

Cost in US$:

USD 710 for the first two weeks, an additional USD 105 for each week after that.

Cost Includes:

• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Pre-departure orientation/Training
• Registration fees
• Written materials pre-departure

Program Fees Include:

Costs are a USD 300 project fee, which is used to support in country projects of the Mountain Fund, plus USD 15 per day for the length of your stay and includes:

* room and board
* airport pickup
* free Internet and WiFi and 24/7 staff support.

No required length of stay.

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants.

Application Process Involves

• In-Person Interview when Feasible
• Letters of Reference
• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Resume
• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time is

10 days

The Mountain Fund's Mission Statement

Everyday we are working to eliminate poverty, its causes and symptoms, in developing mountain communities around the world.

Year Founded

2001