Nepal Volunteer Projects with IVI from $395

Overall one of the best experiences of my life. I was immersed in the Nepali culture. Interacting with the locals, learning what daily life is like in Nepal. Volunteering was great! Hard work, but rewarding at the same time. Best part was spending time with the other volunteers. All like minded people, there for the experience and trying to help make a difference. The volunteers were from all over the world, so I was able to learn about their cultures and differences as well.
The team was fantastic! Clean and comfortable lodging. Very friendly staff, all willing to help make the most out of your stay. Whether is was teaching about this very unique culture or getting around to historical sites. Food was also fantastic! A mix of local and western cuisine. Always plenty to eat. The chef was top notch:)

Nepal is a country based on deeply-rooted faith, tradition and welcoming attitude towards guests. Coming from a Christian society, I have been exposed to a variety of Hindu and Buddhist places of worship during my cultural week. The first week provided me with opportunities to grow, learn and immerse myself to be able to understand their way of life.

The week started off with a pooja (Morning Prayer ritual) and our coordinators gifted us with a Nepali Name. I was given the Name Menuka, which means “Princess”.

Although I have seen plenty of places of worship, the walkthrough Kirtipur was the activities that stood out the most. Despite it being so close to Thamel, it is very different from the city. I was able to interact with the locals, both young and old, allowing me to experience a different side of Kathmandu. It is refreshing to see locals being so open and friendly to foreigners.

To further immerse my fellow participants and myself into the Nepalese way of life, the coordinator arranged cooking classes, Nepalese language class and Yoga. I personally feel that the cultural week is essential as I might not be as an empathetic participant if I had not gone through the program.

For the second week, I have been teaching at a kindergarten for underprivileged children. I feel grateful to have been part of an organization that is able to provide free education for these children, allowing to enter into public school. It has been an interesting journey to be able to communicate and deliver lessons to these children as they have very basic English skills. Initially, found it a bit of difficulty to connect with them due to the language barrier. However, I quickly learnt to communicate and understand after a few days of interaction with them.

The process of getting to know them is definitely a two-way street and the children openness towards me made it easier for me to develop a deeper connection with them.

Saying goodbye to the children is going to be difficult because they left an everlasting impression on me with such a short period of time. The experience is definitely worth it and it is a something I would most definitely recommend to anyone who is considering volunteering in Nepal.

Got to know more about the culture and city. Explored less touristy areas and prepared for volunteering program. Everyone was so helpful with any questions or advice we needed. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming.The hikes were really fun – amazing scenery and nice to be away from the busy city and off the beaten track for a while.

Food is delicious! Just a little bigger than I normally eat. Accommodation was very comfortable, a little noisy at night but you get used to it very quickly. It was nice to see a bit of the city and have Rajesh explain some of the history along the way to the house. Nice to experience the local culture/ customs with the bus. Food is fantastic! Very delicious and filling. Meal times were a good way to have a break and relax. Accommodation was also really good, very easy to commute to breakfast! The bathrooms were also really good. Just a little noisy at night but it’s ok.

best bits...
Language lessons – very helpful, we had great teachers!
Cultural classes – very interesting to understand more
Cooking class – nice to give Dai a break and learn new recipes that is easy to remember for home.
Making a map of the area – would have been nice to be shown around as we got lost!

Coordinators always happy to answer questions or help bookings etc. Super friendling and approachable and welcoming.

I had an amazing time volunteering at the KAT center. I really loved spending time with the animals. Answers are below.

Highlights of the trip:
The highlight of the trip was working at the KAT center. It was so rewarding and I just loved being able to spend time with the dogs and able to bring them so joy throughout the day.

Comments on the team, food and accommodation:
The team was amazing. Lok was fantastic and assisted with every request. The team at the house were also great especially Sapna.
The food was great also. The staff who did the working at the house were so kindly and friendly.
The accommodation was good. My bed was very hard but I did expect. My only disappointment was the bathroom and that the toilet didn’t work all the time and some of the other volunteers didn’t have enough respect for others to clean up after themselves. It was really quiet gross at times. I did inform Sapna about this.

The hospital was great I learnt so much from Dr Shanta he was an amazing mentor.

Earthquake rebuilding was definitely my favourite week, it was so authentic and I felt that I was making a real difference there. The host mother was beautiful and fed us very well. It was nice to get involved with the locals more than I did in Kathmandu as well.

Doing the extra activities including the HealthOutReach program was really good as well because I could see there had been a lack of education around basic hygiene, nutrition and first aid so I think it was really beneficial to the schools that we went to to teach them this. And I hope that they will talk with others in the community about what they learnt so that it can spread and do greater good.

The hosts were fantastic, all the staff were friendly, efficient and ready to do absolutely anything to help us. The food was great and so was the accommodation, it was located in a good spot and I felt safe at all times.

Honestly I think IVI have been amazing, both in Nepal and before we left. I have no complaints and will definitely be recommending IVI (and possibly coming back again!)
Thank-you
Jessie