Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal. This is a bustling city –
INFO Nepal is approximately 20 minutes from the airport. Most people
travel by foot, minibus or bicycle. Volunteers here have all the
conveniences of Internet connections, Western style food, both
Internet and Landline telephone coverage.
Volunteers working in this region should bring appropriate clothing
for this environment. It is warm during the days, but gets cold once
the temperatures drop. Volunteers are also advised to bring
sunscreen lotion, lots of insect repellent and appropriate
inoculations and vaccinations for Malaria, Meningitis, Typhus fever,
Hepatitis A & B, and appropriate clothing to be working in this
environment.
All of the
villages are located within a half to one and an hour's bus ride to
Katmandu’s center. Most have a well developed infrastructure, with
water readily available, and reliable roads. Primarily, the village
economy is agrarian – you will eat many fresh vegetables. In
addition to a local "Tea House" most of the villages will have a few
shops where you can purchase bottled water, biscuits (cookies), and
stationery. Local phone calls can usually be made and international
phone calls accepted, but Internet access is usually not available.
Programs in Kathmandu
and Valley Area:
Greenlands Lower Secondary School, Dhapasi -
Originally
started for children from poor families whose parents worked in the
carpet-making industry, this school now supports poor and/or
orphaned children throughout Nepal. All children are sponsored
so that they do not have to pay any fees - not even for books or
school uniforms! Currently there are 50 students bordering at
the school, once again without paying fees. The school has 175
children from nursery through class 7. There are 10 teachers,
a music teacher, and a dance teacher. Located just outside of
Kathmandu proper, the school is looking for English teachers or
subject teachers, as well as teacher trainers.
Pabitra
Orphanage Home, Jorpati - Pabitra
Orphanage Home is situated in Jorpati within Kathmandu. There were
previously 82 children in this home which has now been reduced to 55
all aged between 1 and 14. The majority of these children have been
orphaned although there are some which have been placed there as
their parents cannot afford to feed them. Currently 8 staff run the
orphanage, which has 8 bedrooms and a kitchen.
The orphanage runs by donations they receive from various charities
and private donations, for the food, clothing, rent and all outgoing
costs, however this is a constant day to day struggle. All the children who are old enough attend the nearby Eyelens
English School, are sponsored by INFO Nepal, who provide their
school admission fees, tuition fees, books and stationary. So far we have placed 5 volunteers in this orphanage, who help out
with the daily routine including basic hygiene. There are currently
30 children who receive this funding so that they can get a good
education and further their chances in life. We hope that in the
future we will continue to work with and improve the conditions and
the everyday lives of these young children
Manibaya Children’s Orphanage, Kathmandu
- This orphanage
is based in Maharajgung in Kathmandu which currently has 41
children, aged between 4 –14. These children share 3 bedrooms, with
many to a bed.
The funding supplied by INFO Nepal goes towards the education of the
children, again paying for school fees, tuition fees and all other
school equipment.
We have been working with this orphanage for the last few months and
through donations (Dean Close School and INFO Nepal’s donor) we have
provided them with 2 large pots (they were big enough to fit a
couple of small children), an 8 liter pressure cooker, some
wastebaskets, mops and dustpans.
We also ordered a table and benches to be built by a local
craftsman. The table can be broken up into 6 pieces, with an equal
number of benches. We also ordered the benches to be made with a
storage area underneath the seats so that the children could store
their school books in an organized way that is accessible. In total,
we can seat approximately 24 children at the table, and additional
10-15 children on the floor.
We have also placed 5 volunteers to work at the home and to help
teach the administrators there proper hygiene.
We are sure that they will be able to teach better management, and
eradicate the various infestations (bed, body, hair lice etc) that
the children suffer from, and improve their lives. We will continue
to work at the home, and to slowly implement more changes,
eventually supply proper blankets and bed sheets for all the
children there. Everyone at the home is thrilled with the changes we
have made so far.
Birendra Peace Children Welfare Centre,
Balaju - This small
children's home is in the region of Balaju, a rural suburb a few km
north of Kathmandu. There are 13 children in the home, ranging in
age from 3 to 13. They live in four rooms of a shared house, and
share a backyard with the other families who live there. INFO Nepal has only recently established contact with this home,
and has made a commitment to sponsor the educational costs of the
children, providing them with the school fees, tuition fees, and
stationary.
The children were recently presented with their brand new school
uniforms to start school with, and for some of them these were the
only other change of clothes that they owned!
The home has no formal support from the Government, and is dependent
on donations from many sources to provide for the day to day living
costs of the children.
As this is such a new arrangement we have so far placed just one
volunteer there, who encouraged improved hygiene, taught English,
and encouraged play activities. There is a bare room, designated the
school room, which has now been improved by the addition of carpets,
making posters for the walls, and starting English lessons.
We hope to continue our work with this orphanage as we feel they
have already benefited so much from our support.
Kwaling Monastery, Kapan - There
are 32 monks from ages 6 - 15. They have come from very remote
parts of Nepal - some are orphans, many are poor. In the
morning and evening, they are involved in prayer, chanting, and
memorizing script. During the day they do schoolwork.
Volunteers can assist the monks with their homework and teach
English language. This is a great experience for those
interested in learning about Tibetan Buddhism or teaching kids.
Orphanage, Basundara - Roughly
30 children stay in this nice orphanage home, located 45 minutes
from the INFO Nepal office. Volunteers can stay at the
orphanage, help with the children in the morning and after school,
helping with homework, meal time, personal grooming, and games.
During the day, volunteers can either help at the orphanage if there
is work to do, or they can teach at a local school.
Training Villages:
Sanga:Located approximately one hour from Kathmandu, Sanga
is INFO Nepal’s training village. Volunteers placed here work to
improve the health and sanitation in the village, and to also teach
the villagers environmental awareness. Ongoing projects here include
building toilet facilities, building an enclosed shower, and water
filtration systems. Volunteers here can travel to many of the sites
near Kathmandu by bus, or can take hikes in the area. Volunteers
here can also take the bus to China, approximately 100km and 5 hours
away. Volunteers can also work in the library, which has been
established with the
Tulsimeher Youth Club. The centre has three rooms – one classroom,
one office room and one training room.
Dhulikhel:
Dhulikhel is approximately 1.5 hours from Kathmandu. This city is
best known for its views of the Himalayas; the highest peak has an
elevation of over 7,200m. There are also quite a few temples to
visit in the region. The placement is at a school, where volunteers
work with teachers in a local government school to teach English,
and to help students with their academics. This school also has a
very small computer facilities.
There are many things to see in Kathmandu. There are many roadside
temples (both Buddhist and Hindu), and areas of interest here
depending on your tastes. Highlights of Kathmandu include:
As for the
children, I feel so lucky to have been able to spend a month with
them! They were such wonderful kids, all so lively and entertaining.
I had the idea in my head that being monks, they would all be very
very quiet and perhaps would not like to play games etc so much. But
one thing I have learned from being there is that children are the
same the world over. They all love to play games and have fun, and
every child has their quirks and personalities which you get to know
with time. The most rewarding part was seeing even the quieter
children begin to come out of their shells as they started to feel
comfortable around you. Leaving them was very difficult.
Subrina - UK
During
my time in Kathmandu with Info Nepal I was based in Humanitarian
Concern Orphanage. I spent 3 weeks at the orphanage which was based
in Maharajgunj. My time at the orphanage was a truly amazing
experience and I have many fond memories that will stay with me
forever. . The family treated me like one of their own and I
participated in chores such as giving out Daal Bhaat to the children
to helping washing dishes. Sonal - UK - April
2006
The
experience I will remember the most, was when a couple of the
children started experiencing problems with their eyes. They had not
been taken to a doctor for this and eventually, the problem got
progressively worse. Finally an eye examination revealed, a
condition causing night blindness, caused by vitamin A deficiency. The
case has been discussed with the staff at the orphanage and I hope
that they are able to improve on the dietary needs of the children
as much as they can. Truly a memorable time in Nepal, despite all the
political turmoil!
Arti - UK - April 2006
The
orphanage children were all eager to learn new English songs and
practice their English, as well as colouring pictures to decorate
the school room in the orphanage. Our other placement was in a
school, where we did a project on England and taught more songs and
rhymes. The experience was made complete by the fantastic host
family in Dhapassi who really welcomed us into the family – even the
cow was friendly! Having found time for a quick trip to Chitwan, and
bathed with the elephants, we are finally ready for home, but not
without mentioning Bicky – our ever helpful friend.
Jacquie
Crowther & Claire Harris (UK) - April 2006
During
my time in Kathmandu with Info Nepal I was based in Humanitarian
Concern Orphanage. I spent 3 weeks at the orphanage which was based
in Maharajgunj. My time at the orphanage was a truly amazing
experience and I have many fond memories that will stay with me
forever. . The family treated me like one of their own and I
participated in chores such as giving out Daal Bhaat to the children
to helping washing dishes.
The
orphanage children were all eager to learn new English songs and
practice their English, as well as colouring pictures to decorate
the school room in the orphanage. Our other placement was in a
school, where we did a project on England and taught more songs and
rhymes. The experience was made complete by the fantastic host
family in 
Dhapassi who really welcomed us into the family – even the
cow was friendly! Having found time for a quick trip to Chitwan, and
bathed with the elephants, we are finally ready for home, but not
without mentioning Bicky – our ever helpful friend.