What's included?

• Pre-departure information and advice
• In-country assistance and support
• 24-hour emergency contacts
• Sightseeing activities
• In-country induction or training
• Donation to the project
• Transportation: airport pick-up
• Accommodation: volunteer or on-project residence or homestay
• Food: Three meals included and provided by staff or host family during workdays

What's NOT included?

• Flights
• Insurance
• Visas
• Monthly stipend
• Transportation: airport drop-off, transportation from the accommodation to the project and back

Teaching English in Nepalese monasteries is a great opportunity for volunteers who want to teach English abroad.

Dates and duration

Available dates:

Please check availability with a Twin Work & Volunteer travel advisor. Call 0800 80 483 80 or contact us.

Eligibility

• Minimum age 18 yrs.
• Teaching experience is desirable but not mandatory.
• A good command of oral and written English.
• Volunteers need to be independent, enthusiastic, adaptable and hard working, as well as have an open-minded attitude.
• Most importantly you need to enjoy working with children and be respectful of the Nepalese culture.
• International volunteers are welcome.

Location

Project life

Induction Week:

Upon arrival in Kathmandu, you will be met at the airport and taken to your accommodation. All volunteers will receive a one-week induction/training period before their project begins – this induction takes place in Kathmandu and is facilitated by the language instructors 'Sanju' and 'Sila'. This week is designed to allow you to familiarise yourself with the town and the surrounding area, as well as learn about Nepali culture, food and language.

• Once your placement begins, you will be given an additional mini-orientation at the program site so that you are aware of your responsibilities and the opportunities that are available to you.

Project Life:

Your main duties at the monastery will be to teach English and occasionally supervise extra-curricular activities and sports classes. Ability levels in each class may vary and the children's ages can range from 5 to 20 years old! So there is plenty of scope in the type of classes you will be teaching. You will be responsible for planning your own English lessons, organising games, conducting workshops and other creative activities.

In your free time:

Your monastery will be based in Kathmandu. You can arrange to take days off to explore Nepal and some of its world famous attractions - rafting on the Tibetan border, trekking the Annapurna circuit, kayaking along the Himalayan River, or even bungee jumping with the longest free-fall bungee jump in the world.

Festivals take place in Nepal almost every month of the year. The main festival in Nepal is Dashian, usually in November. If you're lucky enough to be around during some of these festivals you'll be able to celebrate them with your host family and fellow volunteers.

Accommodation and Food

Accommodation:

• Shared accommodation is provided with a local host family or inside the monastery.
• To keep things comfy, volunteers are required to bring their own sleeping bag.

Food:

• Three meals a day will be provided during workdays - except during the induction period!
• Cups of tea are served every morning and afternoon.
• Food will be healthy, nutritious, and locally sourced. One of the staple parts of most Nepalese meals is dal bhat (rice), which you will have to eat with your hands – it is uncommon to use cutlery in Nepal.

Flights, Transportation & Visas

• Flights are not included
• You need to book your flight to the international airport of Kathmandu, where you will be met and taken to start your induction

Visa
A visa is necessary to enter Nepal. You can obtain your visa from Royal Nepalese Embassies or consulates as well as at entry ports into Nepal.

Safety & Insurance

• All of Twin Work & Volunteer's placements are in partnership with recognised and established local organisations, run by or employing local people. These organisations, depending on the nature of what they do, might be small-scale NGOs, family projects, schools or orphanages, or local initiatives with environmental or social goals.
• We often use local businesses to provide logistical and support services to volunteers such as transfers, pick-ups, accommodation and so on. In this way, we support the local economy through helping independent local businesses to thrive. We take our partnerships very seriously and work extremely closely with all our partners.
• We provide 24-hour emergency support from the UK and our partners provides support locally.
• We have an agreement with the crisis management service Tranquillico, should the very worst situations arise.
• If any wider safety concerns arise in the destination, such as civil disturbances or natural disasters, we seek advice from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO)  and implement their recommendations where appropriate.