Kathmandu - Nepal
Date: 14-July-2009 to 29-July-2009
Flight: Thai Airways (Singapore -> Bangkok-> Kathmandu)
SIN (0740) -> BKK (0900) (2 hrs 20 mins)
BKK (1035) -> KTM (1245) (3 hrs 25 mins)
Total flight time: 5 hrs 45 mins (Transit 1 hr 35 mins)
This is my first overseas Volunteer Trip. I was teaching English in a government primary school in Kathmandu! Having a chance to "give" and "share" is a fortune given by God. Nothing is much happier than be able to do that!
I have signed up this volunteer program with International Volunteer HQ, and the working partner in Nepal is "Hope and Home".
If you are interested to be a volunteer, please visit http://www.volunteerhq.org
If you are interested to volunteer in Nepal, please visit http://www.hopenhome.org
Alternatively, you can contact me and I will try my best to give you the information you required. If you have no time to go for a volunteer trip, you may also choose to donate something.
How much do it cost for this volunteer trip?
To be paid to IVHQ: Registration: US$ 220, Program Fees: US$ 320 (for 2 weeks). Click here to see details.
Airfare: On your own (I paid S$ 925 for a return flight with Thai Airways. You may look for promotion/offers every now and then, sometimes, you can get the same flight for about S$500+. I dont have the privilege to wait for offer, as this is the only time slot I can make it)
Other expenses: Your own shopping needs, food/transportation during the return trip (from the placement back to Kathmandu, and to airport), Visa (US$25 for 15 days, US$40 for 30 days, US$100 for 100 days). You may also like to spend some money buying something for the kids at the village (I spent some money on Stationery and board games like Scrabble for the kids).
Visa to Nepal (for 15 days)
NOTE:
(1) It is very important NOT to give too expensive gifts or money to the villagers/people. We shall NOT set a precedence for future volunteers, it would make future volunteers difficult NOT to oblige. The expectation from the Villagers need to be managed.
(2) It is easy to donate money from home, we dont need to be there. Since we are there, the main reason is we want to contribute our time/effort to help the needed ones.
(3) However, if you are buying something really beneficial/useful to them (more like a necessity item), I would encourage you to do that.
(4) If you have an old computer/handphone/books/clothes/stationery/etc, and you wish to donate to them, the villagers will be overjoyed!
Here are some more pages on my trip, enjoy reading:
Orientation and Sightseeing in Kathmandu
Journey from Kathmandu to Chitwan (Narayangadh), and back
Where do I stay? Whom do I stay with?
Map of Padam Pokhari (modified from Google Maps)
What kind of volunteer work?
Some thoughts after the trip (where do I go from here?)
FAQ (from Hope and Home)
Finally, after staying up late some nights, I have completed my blogs on my Nepal Volunteer Trip. I appreciate very much if you can read, especially the page on my thoughts. You may have good ideas. I need more ideas, more support, more help. I cannot do it alone, you can definitely help, JUST DO IT!
Thank you in advance, on behalf of the people in Nepal.
2 comments:
wow.. sounds interesting.. but i don't understand that you offer yourself to do volunteer works and still pay hundreds of dollars.. ahahah. but nepal sure is a beautiful country.
yes, basically, there is nobody sponsoring my trip, so I have to pay all expenses myself.
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