Nepal Volunteers Council: Volunteering Program in Nepal

I was in August, September 2013 in Kathmandu. And I was for 2 months in the project of the NVC. It was a great experience for me.

My English is really bad. But I try to give you some information about my experience.

Living:
The volunteers were living all together in a big house. In the evening and all so at the weekends you have time to visit the sightseeing places in and around Kathmandu and time to talk and have fun with the other volunteers and also with the person from NVC (Keshab, Manoj and Mahesh). In the morning and in the evening we ate all together. The food was always very good!!!

Working:
I was teaching primary class 2-5 in mathematics in a school in Kathmandu. I was working from 10am - 3pm. The kids are very interesting in learning new things and during the breaks they like to do small games. We also did a one day school trip once. And the kids were so happy. Was wonderful to see that. And the good thing is, you can really help. Because the school always need teachers.

Nepal:
A great country. The nature is beautiful and the people are wonderful. About Nepal the people say: "You go to Nepal because of the mountains and the nature and you go back to Nepal again because of the people." - it's true.

I can recommend this project to everybody. If you have the possibility don't go only for one or two weeks. For the kids is good if they have a teacher for a little bit longer.

My name is Adam Ward. I am a 29 year old male from the UK, but I have lived for the past 4 years in NZ. I came to Kathmandu and worked at Deeya Shree English Boarding School (the name is a misnomer there are no boarding students) for a period of two months.

I was rather naive when applying to volunteer in Nepal. At the time of applying and paying the program fees I was in the process of completing my PhD and so most of my attention was focused on that. However, once I had booked my flights people began to tell me various horror stories about volunteering in Nepal. If I could make one point clear with regards to the above project it would be this:

THE PEOPLE AT THE NVC (KESHAB - THE LEADER AND PRINCIPLE OF THE SCHOOL, MANOJS & MAHESH) ARE VERY HONEST, VERY GENUINE, VERY CARING PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING A GREAT JOB IN HELPING THEIR COMMUNITIES. FIRST IN THEIR MINDS IS THE WELL BEING OF THE CHILDREN THEY EDUCATE IN THE SCHOOL AND OTHER PROJECTS THEY ARE WORKING ON. THEY ALSO SET YOUR HEALTH AND WELL BEING AS A PRIORITY. I CANNOT SPEAK HIGHLY ENOUGH OF THEIR CHARACTER. WHILST I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE OTHER PROJECTS RUN BY THE NVC, CERTAINLY VOLUNTEERING AT DEEYA SHREE SCHOOL IS A WORTHWHILE PROJECT.

THE SCHOOL ITSELF:
The school itself is situated right next to the international airport in kathmandu. As you fly in take a look out of the right hand side of the plane. You should be able to see the (slum) area where most of the children live. If you get to the school early enough in the morning you can see most of the students walking to the school from this area. Certainly this is a very underdeveloped area and there is no doubt that the children are in need of the support of the school (which provides education for free - this is unusual in Nepal).

The school itself has pretty basic facilities. mainly desks for the children to sit o n and whiteboards for the teachers to write on. The textbooks used are fairly old, but from what I can gather these are the standard textbooks used across Nepal. The children have uniforms and school bags. Apparently, some previous volunteers have taken this as a sign that the students are somewhat affluent and therefore not deserving of aid. I believe this to be a mistake for the following reasons....
1. As I said most of the children live in the slum area near the school.
2. All schools in Kathmandu have uniforms. You will see hundreds of children walking to and from school in uniform even in the most deprived areas.
3. The children have to wear something to school. Having one set of designated clothes is probably beneficial rather than having to provide lots of different sets of clothes.
4. It is quite evident that a lot of the children's uniforms are hand me downs from older siblings.

The school consists of classes 1,2,3,4,5 & 6. In each class there is a large range of abilities and ages. This is because the children start school at different ages and in order to progress from one year to the next it is necessary to pass an exam in Nepal.

TEACHING:
There are not enough teachers at the school. Sometimes this results in classes either not having a teacher or one teacher taking multiple classes at the same time. As such, your presence there is definitely useful. However, before you go you should consider what lessons you can teach. If you have no teaching experience then perhaps a shorter stay is best. Simply being able to look after a class and so fun activities is an important thing. However, you cant do this for a whole year say because ultimately the children need to learn something. My advice would be to contact Keshab, tell him your experience and see what he suggests.
Having been a maths lecturer in Auckland I spent most of my time teaching maths to the students. This was not so difficult. However, they also asked me to teach English to class 2 and class 3. This was a lot more difficult as I had never worked with children so young before. Generally speaking, if you give a lecture at a university the students do not start running around, fighting or teasing each other. :)
If I could give some advice it would be this "It is better to be feared than loved". The first day at the school you should shout at anyone being noisy and threaten to (or actually do) send misbehaving students to the principles office. By doing this you will set the tone that you expect the students to work and do not tolerate misbehavior. After a couple of days ease off a little bit and reward students when they do something well.
Whilst this may sound harsh, ultimately I think it is better for the students. As most foreign teachers do fun activities with the students they have unconsciously been trained to think that a lesson with a foreign student is playtime. If you actually want to get them to learn something you must establish yourself as an authority figure rather than as a friend.

CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE:
Yes. The school needs teachers. No one can save the world on an x-month volunteering trip, however, I think you can make a positive impact on the education of a group of children who sorely need it. Whilst evil may prosper when good people do nothing, even the smallest candle lights the whole room.

The staff is so welcoming and helpful. From the moment I arrived, they always made sure I was full and not overworked; even made special meals when I was sick. Very conscientious about how much volunteering you want to do versus seeing the country. I taught at their school and the kids were awesome! They loved that I was there longer than the other volunteers and I really got to know them on a personal level. They all drew pictures and made cards when I left. I had a great time planning lessons and Keshab and the rest of the staff is happy to help you figure out what/how to teach as well. They are all very passionate about their mission and will do anything to help the kids.

Nepal itself is an awesome place to visit! Very easy to get around to any city, just walk up to a bus and ask if they are going to your city; they will tell you which bus to take. It does take a while to get around the country, but it is not difficult to figure out how. The language barrier is not a problem, and the people are all friendly; it is quite safe. The smog is an issue in Kathmandu but on your first day they will take you to get a mask if you would like. The power is regulated by the government and is out at somewhat random times (though usually during the day), but this is not as much of an issue as it seems because they have solar powered lights in the house.

I did a medical internship in a village hospital and stayed with a host family. I learned a lot about healthcare and culture. The friendships I created will last a lifetime. The NVC staff was incredible, they addressed any concern I had right away and always made sure I was safe, happy, and getting the most out of my trip. I was able to travel around some and they took me to all the near by historical sites. I was amazed at how accommodating they were! They were easy to work with from overseas to set up my trip and they made sure everything I needed to arrive was in order. I look forward to going back to see them in the near future. Working one-on-one with the doctors was fantastic. They taught me so much, and were respectful of me and eager to get me involved. It was an unparalleled experience.

I cannot speak highly enough of NVC and the work they do.

I've been back to work with NVC twice now and have loved every minute. Not only are they warm, caring and welcoming people, but the Program Leaders take real action against poverty with the best tool possible: Education.

These guys need all the help they can get and deserve it.
Please pick NVC if you really want to directly help the wellbeing and future of children of Nepal.

I have never felt more welcomed in a foreign country than I did the moment I stepped into Nepal. NVC organizers met me off the plane with big smiles and open arms, which was a prime example of what was to come.

The organization itself was still in it's infancy. A very simple and modest office space was utilized as a headquarters. I spent a lot of free time here learning about the mission and goals of the organization. I was also treated to very informative lessons of Nepal history, culture and language. On many occasions, I was also treated to dinner out with the staff, in which far too many dishes were ordered on my behalf, so that I may try everything that Nepal had to offer. I felt so special, absolutely apart of a family network working together to share the Nepali experience, and to work together to help improve the lives of their countrymen.

The project itself was wonderful. I stayed in a monastery, where I taught a few classes, but most of my work was done down the road at a local school. I worked with 10th grade students and I think the most heartbreaking moment was when I had my students do presentations about their future. One student stood up and spoke so eloquently about how he dreamed of becoming a teacher, because (and I'm paraphrasing) 'if our health was weak, we had medicine, if our heart was weak, we have family, but if our mind is weak, we have nothing. We have nothing without education. But I am from a poor family, so I will be a farmer'.

I have worked with students around Asia for the past 6 years, and no one has such a passion for education as the Nepali do. NVC is working hard to provide positive and proactive learning facilities for students who truly understand the blessing of an education. The head of the program is a former educator himself, and thrives off of the achievements of his students. It was so wonderful to work with people who really understood why their program was so necessary. I couldn't recommend this program more.

I went to Nepal not sure what to expect. I had decided to travel alone and volunteer and was quite nervous.
I was greeted at the airport like I was family that had been away for a long time. The instant friendliness and welcome put me right at ease.
The children at the school are so eager to learn and hear all about where you come form, your family, what you do for work pretty much anything and everything about you and they love to tell you all about them.
The food they cook for you is amazing. I was very surprised as they don't have all the modern things that we have but cook food that is just as good if not better than what we have at home.
The house that you stay in is nice and clean and is very close to the school.
I can not recommend this program enough!

the accommodation is simple but comfortable. It is not in a touristy area so you really get the feeling of living within the community.

Meals in the house are delicious. Local food, cooked with love. There is always plenty for everyone.
You will experience day to day life, travelling with the locals to the school.
When you arrive you are greeted by curious, excited and friendly smiles and waves. The children are all so grateful.
Even if you think you have nothing to teach, just talking and telling stories is teaching. The kids ask questions and learn from conversation.

I knew nothing of this organisation before I went but I can assure prospective travellers that they are legitimate.

I was picked up at the airport, looked after the entire time and it was a really worthwhile experience.

The cost is minimal and covers expenses of housing you.
I highly recommend it. A great insight into daily life and way to spend holiday time. Would also be suitable to teach western kids the differences in culture and value.