Description

Are you interested to learn about a different culture? Are you keen on tasting Tibetan thukpa and chia (tea), seeing the sun rise behind the Buddha Shakyamuni statue and teaching English with a photograph of His Holiness the Dalai Lama overlooking the class? Do you want to know what life in a monastery is like? Find out for yourself and join hands with VIN.

More than 130,000 Tibetans live in exile in India, Nepal, and Bhutan, and nearly 20 percent of those exiled live in Nepal. Although they are now free to practice their religion and rebuild their cultural heritage, they still face many problems in Tibet's neighboring countries, especially in Nepal.

Education for Tibetan children is a high priority and the biggest challenge for them. Primary education schools called Tibetan Children's Villages were established by the Tibetan community in Nepal. These schools support religious Tibetan practices and provides education schooling in Buddhist philosophies as well as a variety of other areas such as English and computer skills. The structure and subjects taught vary from monastery to monastery.

As a volunteer in Teaching English to Buddhist Monks Program, you will provide basic conversational English instruction to Tibetan and Nepali children. Volunteers also organize games, paintings, drawings, and other creative activities. As a unique facet of this placement, volunteers will witness and participate in traditional Buddhist rituals when happening in the monastery.

Teaching English to Buddhist Monks has been especially designed for volunteers interested to learn from and about Buddhist culture. Volunteers will work in six different monasteries and nunneries outskirts of Kathmandu, and other monasteries for a period of one or two months up to 5 months- the longer, the better. The duration of the involvement will be decided upon by VIN and the volunteers. You will teach English to both junior and senior monks, as well as teachers, for around two to three hours per day and 5 to 6 days a week. We do not accept volunteers less than a month.

In turn, the monks will share their philosophy and culture with the volunteers as much as their English allows them to. Volunteers have access to a small library of Dharma (religious) books and can join the monks' practices and ceremonies. Additionally, there are many pilgrimage sites in and out of the Kathmandu valley that can be visited: Namo Buddha, Boudhanath Lumbini and Swayambhunath, Baudhanath, Pashupatinath, Patan Darbur Square are just a few of them.

Swayambhu stupa lies in the East of Kathmandu and, being over 2500 years of age, is one of the most ancient Buddhist sites in the world and one of Kathmandu's main attractions. Osel Ling Monastery is situated nearby on a hill overlooking the stupa and the entire Kathmandu valley. Volunteers will live in the monastery with the monks which give them the unique opportunity to become a real part of the close monastic community. In some monasteries, there are not enough rooms and volunteers may have to stay outside the monastery in a flat but will share the food with the monks/nuns.

Volunteers are more than welcome to pass on any of their knowledge about mathematics, the sciences, medicine, computing, etc. too. Most of the monks have solely been educated in Buddhist subjects and greatly appreciated any skills that will enable them to manage the monastery, its business and everyday life in an increasingly modernized world entirely on their own.

Knowledge about the Western world, but especially the English language which is continues to become more and more important in any domain, will enable the monks to impart their Buddhist expertise to Westerners. The programme's focus is thus on the exchange of spiritual and secular knowledge from which both sides will benefit, monks as well as volunteers.

Before volunteers leave for the site, they will be given intensive Nepali language and cultural classes, as well as daily teaching orientation (TEFL). They will also be taken to the holy sites around the Kathmandu Valley. After the program orientation, the volunteers will be placed in the monastery with the monks.

Highlights

Nepal is the Birth Place of Lord Gautam Buddha. You can enjoy different life whileworking with the monks.
Before volunteers leave for the site, they will be given intensive language classes and teacher training everyday. The volunteers can choose between Nepali and the language of the monastery-Sherpa, Lama, etc. The monks are able to speak both languages; it is therefore really a matter of the volunteer's preference. However, most overseas people find Nepali easier to learn. During their language and cultural classes, the volunteers will be taken to the holy sites around the Kathmandu Valley. After two weeks, they will be placed in the host family near to the monastery.

Qualifications

Anybody having English background and has interest to work with monks in the monastary can apply for the post.

Languages

• English
• Hindi
• Nepali

Cost in US$:

Starting at EUR 485 for 4 weeks

Program Fees Include:

- Transportation: Pick up from the airport;
- Pre-service (e.g. Nepali language and culture, health talk, program orientation, e.g. teacher training -TEFL tips);
- One day sight seeing around Kathmandu, world heritage sites, (e.g. Patan Darbur Square, Pashupatinath, Baudhanath Stupa, Swoyambhunath Stuple);
- Accommodation and Food during program induction in a budget hotel (VIN has set menu);
- Accommodation and food during placement with a host family / hostel (Nepali standard 2 to 3 meals a day);
- Administrative charge;
- Stationeries during program induction;
- Transportation to the project site;
- 24 hours emergency support;
- Regular follow up support / visit (1-2 week interval) by VIN's staffs;
- Support for local staff and volunteers;
- Support for ongoing VIN's established projects in the community;
- Online / off line program advertisement
- free wireless internet at our office

* For more details please visit our website.

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

Age Range

18 +

This Program is open to

American, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi, South African and Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Apartment/Flat
• Group living
• Home-stays
• Independent living

Participants Travel

Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups of 3-5

Application Process Involves

• Letters of Reference
• Phone/Video Interview
• Resume
• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time is

1 week

Post Services Include

• Alumni Network
• Exit Debriefing Abroad

Volunteers Initiative Nepal's Mission Statement

Our mission is to empower marginalized communities, with a focus on women and children, through enhanced education programmes and whole community training to achieve democracy and raise economic productivity.

Year Founded

2005