Program Reviews

When I first got to Nepal, I was so scared. I was by myself and I had never been out of the United States before. I was really homesick for the first week or so. I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” and as the first two weeks went by, I realized that I had gotten myself into the most amazing experience I had ever had. It is hard to do construction every day. It is tiring and sometimes you’ll feel like you just cannot get through the day, but please trust me on this: it is so rewarding at the end and it is worth all of the blood, sweat, and tears. I met so many amazing volunteers, local and international, through VIN. The host family were some of the greatest people I have ever met. They are my second family. I hated having to say goodbye to all of these people that I met, because honestly, they have all impacted my life so much in such a short period of time. I enjoy every single second of this experience through VIN. It went by so quickly. I hope others have similar experiences and it impacts their life in a positive light, because it definitely did for me.

As a former U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer (Namibia '14-'15), I really can’t say enough good things about VIN and my experience in Nepal. I think what set VIN apart from my prior international volunteer experiences is that they are a local organization with staff members who are also locals. As such, they have a unique perspective and insight as to what and where the genuine needs are. This knowledge is critical in determining the success of an organization’s efforts.

The staff was amazing. Not only are they available 24 hours a day, but they are competent and effective in their roles, and are a very engaged group.

My placement exceeded my expectations in regard to my accommodations, integration, comfort and personal satisfaction. I was fortunate enough to have been placed in a small nunnery near the Bouddhanath area. In addition to the nunnery being relatively small, my class was also small – 4 students. Considering I was the first volunteer to work with them, this allowed me the ability to dedicate attention to any student who was struggling with a concept. This resulted in us having an accelerated class with the young nuns learning more than they likely would have in a large class setting.

My host family, and everyone at the monastery was friendly and welcoming, and were quick to share whatever resources they had. They also helped to explain cross-cultural differences and ceremonial activities as well as to direct me where to find various things in the neighborhood. They also took me on a sight-seeing adventure to Swayambhunath, as well as to visit an HIV Orphanage that had been destroyed by the earthquakes.

I can say with absolute certainty, that when it is time for me to do another volunteer trip to Nepal, I will definitely be contacting VIN.

I was so glad I found VIN out of many possible volunteer organizations in Nepal. The staff and the comprehensive sustainable programs they run are impressive in their coverage and impact on the local community they serve. Although I was only there for a short three weeks, my experience with VIN and the local family I stayed with was rich and impactful.

i really liked that VIN people went out of their way to make me feel comfortable in my volunteer setting bringing me there by cab and came to my good-bye party. They were always there to visit. Other than that i felt very disconnected from the services, they deaf ed was very self-sufficient VIN's role there was minimal. Though i loved the experience that VIN gave me and staying in the same place as other volunteers on the weekends. Personally I would like to see what it is like volunteering in VIN's main projects but I would probably set up something quite different when it came to Deaf education. Something closely planed through the Deaf community.
With that being said, my awareness and concept of what i would have done differently is only thought about after the experience that i have had through VIN. without VIN's website i would not have done this volunteering.

There was definitely an adjustment period to living in Nepal. The staff did as much as they could to make this adjustment smooth. However, at the monastery I stayed at, there was another adjustment period because there was barely a plan to teach. A little was known about their previous knowledge of English, so some time was wasted gauging their proficiency that could have been used more effectively. The town I stayed in was full of extremely nice people, and if I wasn't going on walks with the monks in the evening, I would go explore the countryside with local villagers.

I taught English and lived in a monastery in Kathmandu for two months and the experience changed my attitude and outlook on life in a very positive way. There are many challenges that come with living in a foreign country but I felt safe and supported by the staff of VIN and the community at the monastery. It wasn't easy, but it was incredibly rewarding.

My volunteer placement with VIN was an absolutely amazing experience that I will never forget. The cultural integration into Nepali life is just amazing, as are the people you who meet and who's lives you touch. The warmth and care of both staff and the communities just astounded me and volunteering combined with trekking because an incredibly rewarding and eye opening experience.

I participated in the VIN program that allows you to live in a Buddhist monastery or nunnery whilst teaching English to the residents. My nunnery looked out over the Kathmandu valley, and provided me with an amazing experience - aside from the teaching, I was attending the prayer rituals and ceremonies and the absolutely fantastic Losar New Year festival celebrations as I was there in Feb - March. The difficulty of living in a nunnery is that you need to be able to deal with time by yourself - it is a quiet life, a great opportunity to look inside yourself a bit, whilst taking in the Tibetan Buddhist culture around you. The beautiful nuns who were my students but became my friends appreciated having a live-in English speaker, as I appreciated how much they taught me. This is a fabulous program for people wishing to experience Tibetan Buddhism and have a peaceful, reflective experience - but on days off you can always go into the city to meet up with other volunteers for a catch up and a night out.

Volunteers Initiative Nepal (VIN) has an integrated approach to social development work. They work WITH all the local stakeholders and work towards empowering the communities through education and implementation of basic health and sanitation.
Poverty is a complex phenomenon; its causes and symptoms are complex and there is no one-fits-all solution. Education alone isn't enough, healthcare alone will create positive lasting change nor will the sole support of women's and children's programs.
VIN addresses all and after a period of 5-7 years they pull out their active presence in the community and leave the various programs to the locals to develop and continue. I believe that this holistic way of working is the only way to sustainable development.

I chose Nepal for my internship journalism and found a placement with VIN . Because I’m a student journalism, it was also a relevant choice as Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world and politically unstable. But after my experience I came to notice that Nepal is a very fascinating an rich country because all the people are just amazing.

I spent 10 weeks working with VIN making documentaries. While I was here I learned more about how VIN’s health program worked and I also made a volunteers video.

My host family an VIN’s staff were all so hospitable and during our free time we went walking, or shall I say climbing, through the community, talking and drinking tea with the members. I loved living in Tinpiple!

Internship with VIN is a so much more then being a tourist in Nepal. Living with my host family, to live with Sailadai, and to really experience the culture of Nepal!

In Nepal I've made lifelong friends that I know I can visit when I come back to Nepal. And I will never forget the enthusiasm of the members of VIN is inspirational.

Alien De Deken