Looking for a unique project in a unique place?

There is nowhere quite like Kathmandu; a maze of cavernous alleys shoot off the dirt streets offering you your only hope of avoiding the rickshaw drivers as well as a million different colours, smells and rug designs! Take tea while you watch the circus go by and save your energy for a valuable volunteer project. You’ll help out in a children’s home which provides an alternative for children who would otherwise have to live with their parents in jail. Your days will be free while the children attend school but there’s plenty to do, like exploring the many attractions in Kathmandu, plotting trips to the mighty Himalayas or visiting Chitwan National Park, home to one or two animals you may not expect to find here.

Project details:
In Nepal we work with two Community Development projects based in and around Kathmandu. The Prisoner Assistance Nepal is part of a network called PA Nepal Childrens Home and works in conjunction with a ‘sister’ home in Sankhu, 10km outside of the city . In Nepal when parents are sent to prison, if there is no alternative care-person available for their children, they usually go to prison with their parents.

PA Nepal Childrens Home was established in 2002 by a social worker with the aim of providing a home and some education to children whose parents are currently in prison. There are approximately 23 children living at the home (girls and boys), from small infants to an 18-year-old. Most of the children are aged between 8 and 13.

Siphal Child Protection home was set up approximately 15 years ago with the aim of providing a home and some education to children whose parents are currently in prison or for those at risk from their families. There are currently about 70 children living at the home.

Why the project needs volunteers:
Children's Homes were established in Kathmandu with the aim of providing a home and some education to children whose parents are currently in prison or for those at risk from their families. There is currently no social support system for children if their parents are sent to prison so they either have to go with them or end up on the streets.

Therefore volunteers have a vital part in contributing to the care and daily lives of these children. There are often other international volunteers assisting and temporarily resident at the project.

What kind of skills you need to go on this type of project:
The home suits those who can find the initiative to organise themselves and the children well and overcome the lack of communication due to language barriers with the children. Children are at school during the day, so working hours are early mornings and late afternoons. There will be the opportunity to do some teaching in local schools.

Your role as a volunteer:
You can help the staff care for the children in groups and help the children with their homework, (English, science, social studies and mathematics, all taught from textbooks in English). You can also take part in teaching sessions and play games and lead craft activities with the children as well as take part in singing and dancing.

You will be able to help the staff by providing the children with social skills as well as helping to maintain a safe community for the children to protect them from abuse, drugs and crime.

Where the project is based:
PA Nepal Childrens Home is within walking distance from Thamel, this is combined with time based in Sankhu in onsite accommodation where you will spend the week and return to Kathmandu at the weekends.

The Child Protection Home is located 5km from Thamel and there is local transport, which stops nearby.

You need to book your flight to arrive into Kathmandu (airport code KTM) on the advertised arrival date to ensure your airport pickup. (Please note that when booking flights the airline Nepal Air does tend to be unreliable and is not unusual to be subject to delays.)

What exactly do i-to-i provide?

It may seem like a strange concept to pay for your volunteer experience. You'd be right if you think you shouldn't and the truth is you actually don't! Your placement is free; it's the benefits around it that you pay for. It's important to note that i-to-i is a travel company and not a charity. We provide a professional travel service. We are responsible for finding and assessing worthwhile projects across the world, preparing you for the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.

Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….

Project sourcing and assessment

We work with hundreds of locally run partner projects around the world and are constantly sourcing new opportunities. We visit all projects to check that they are worthwhile and legitimate and we also conduct a thorough safety assessment before we'll send volunteers there. More

Expert help-desk

Almost everyone who works for i-to-i has traveled extensively or worked overseas. This means we're a goldmine of information; we're always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.

Thorough project briefing materials

Once you book on to a project you'll receive a Welcome Pack that contains loads of general information about volunteering, about your chosen country and project, and a DVD about how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.

TEFL training

If you are volunteering on a Teaching project then a 40-hour Online TEFL course is included in your placement fee. This is an internationally recognised and accredited certificate that will help you to make the most of your time overseas. More

Airport pickup

It can be pretty daunting arriving in a different country for the first time… especially after a long flight! If you arrive on your project start date, there'll be a welcoming face at the airport to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.

Arrival orientation

Soon after you arrive you will attend a thorough orientation with our in-country team. This is to cover important safety and security information. You'll also get some tips about sight-seeing options for your time off and maybe even learn some of the local lingo!

Accommodation and meals

Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are even included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard. More

Local in-country coordinators

Your in-country coordinator (ICC) will pick you up from the airport and conduct your orientation upon arrival. All ICC's are English speaking and are locals of your destination country. They won't be at your project every day, but will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need them. More

24/7 emergency support

Aside from the local support from your in-country coordinators you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by i-to-i staff in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals Docleaf to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More

Ongoing training

The safety and security of our volunteers is paramount. For this reason we provide ongoing crisis management and emergency response training to our local teams around the world. At the end of 2006 we flew all our in-country coordinators to the UK for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More

Supporting our projects

We don't fund our projects directly, but once a year they are all invited to apply for funding for special projects or resources from our registered charity arm, the i-to-i Foundation. i-to-i funds the operation of the i-to-i Foundation and is the largest single donor. Along with the generous support of our volunteers, we have distributed over US$200,000 in funding in the last two years alone! More  

Recruiting people like you

We make no secrets of the fact that part of your placement fee is reinvested in to recruiting volunteers just like you! The volunteers recruited in one week will typically deliver over 2000 man-days of service. The difference this makes to projects overseas is immeasurable. Many of our overseas projects rely on assistance from international volunteers, so it's necessary for us to put together brochures and websites to find the people who can support them. This recruitment process is vital to ensure programs have a constant stream of reliable volunteers.

The intangible benefits

VVolunteering through a company like i-to-i has a lot of intangible benefits to developing overseas communities and the individual projects that we work with. To find out more about our placements. click here

What we will do after you've booked:

• Once booked on you will instantly receive a welcome email confirming your booking with access to your online account
• We will send a Welcome Pack in the post containing further information and a t-shirt, the information in this pack should answer most things you need to know
• Community Development and Teaching customers will receive an email introducing them to their Online TEFL course
• Community Development and Teaching customers will be requested to complete a police check (where relevant) or send through a reference
• We will contact you if we require anything else e.g. CV/resume for some projects, doctors note for medical conditions etc.
• We will hound you to complete your forms and pay your final balance when they are due
• We are available for any questions you may have on 800 352 1794 or operations@i-to-i.com
• We will prepare for your trip and send you an email with final project and accommodation confirmation 21 days before you go

What you need to do after booking your place with us:

• Book your flights
• Arrange suitable travel insurance
• Fill out some extra details through our online interface:
  • application from
  • travel details
  • insurance details
  • medical information
  • emergency contacts
• Complete your police check or request your reference (where relevant)
• Do your Online TEFL Course (where relevant)
• Make final payment at least 60 days before you go
• Make sure you have a visa for your trip if its needed
• Visit a nurse or travel clinic for advice on inoculations and malaria prevention
• Read all details and prepare as much as you can for your trip
• Take contact details of the in country team and where you're going in your hand luggage - just in case!
• Get on the plane!

Orientation Information

We aim to provide you with a safe and soft landing into your destination by picking you up from the airport, giving you an orientation that helps to settle you into the country as quickly as possible. It's also the best time to ask any questions you have about your time in Nepal. Here's what will happen:

You will arrive on the Arrival Date - Sunday and will be met at the airport on that day. You will be taken to the Student Guesthouse (see contact details below) which will be your permanent accommodation during your stay.

Note: If you're arriving early we can arrange a meet and greet for you. If you require this please contact us to arrange this service. If you wish to make your own way please arrange to be at the address below on the arrival date:

Your orientation will take place the next morning at the Student Guesthouse and will introduce you to life in Nepal, places to go, what to do, as well as important information about staying healthy and safe. Chris has a wealth of knowledge about life in Nepal so please do ask him lots of questions! You will be shown to the project the next day, Tuesday where you will start your work as a volunteer either on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Insurance

It's important that you get adequate travel insurance for your i-to-i experience and as many of you will be working this often means standard policies won’t work. The good news is that no matter where your coming from we have already found a policy to suit you.

The best time to get your insurance is when you book your project as this means you can get a fully tailored policy exclusive to i-to-i, just ask your consultant for further details at the time of booking.

EU Customers – find out more here >>

Australian customers - find out more here >>

All other customers - find out more here >>

Flights

As with insurance we advise you get these booked as early as possible to avoid high prices and to make sure you arrive on the right day. The i-to-i team is right up to date with the best deals no matter where you’re flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.

Early Airport Pick-up

If you are arriving before your designated arrival date, we can arrange for an extra meet and greet service for you. For an extra supplement we will be there to meet you at the airport and take you to the orientation accommodation. Accommodation payment for any extra nights will then be made in country directly to the accommodation (approx 500 Rupees per night).

The cost of this Early Pick-up service is US$ 36.00