When I began my search for volunteer organizations in Nepal from home, I was overwhelmed by the number of options. After further research and e-mail correspondence with several organizations, I decided to apply to VCD Nepal. And I’m so thankful I did! I came to realize not only through my own experiences, but also from speaking with other volunteers working in Nepal, that VCD was the right choice. The prices are the lowest and the language lessons and cultural awareness sessions proved to be invaluable. Bicky, the director, was consistently helpful and supportive during my 9 weeks of placement.

VCD Nepal was extremely accommodating and flexible in providing me with the placements I wanted. I was given good guidance in my work, but also freedom to create my own projects and implement my own ideas.

I wanted to see as much as Nepal as I could, so for the first 3 weeks I lived with a wonderful family in Chitwan and taught English at the Secondary School. Then I moved to the Pokhara region to teach Primary School. My last two weeks were spent living and working in an orphanage outside of Kathmandu. I recommend the home-stay 1,000%!! It’s been the most memorable part of my experience and my main reason for falling in love with the Nepali people and culture.

My only regret is not staying at each place longer. Three weeks really is the minimum amount of time you need feel apart of the community and get something accomplished. It always felt too soon to leave. Now, after 9 weeks, I would like to give a huge THANK YOU to VCD Nepal for giving me such a life-changing experience. This has been more educational and eye-opening that anything I’ve studied in college and left me with incredible memories and many new friends which I will keep for life.

Everybody should volunteer in Nepal! You’ll love it!!

Julia Marks
USA
Teaching English – 9 weeks
Jaunary 2009

Organization details:

Volunteer for community development Nepal(VCD Nepal)

Email- info@vcdnepal.org

Website- http://www.vcdnepal.org

Phone no- 00977 9851017902

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I arrived in Kathmandu realising that it wasn’t going to be easy to find some volunteering work. How wrong I found myself! Very rapidly my worries of traveling on a wing and a pray disappeared as I discovered the welcoming nature of the Nepali people. It is through this generosity and good will that I came to know VCD Nepal. Very rapidly and efficiently the placement I wanted to do was set up. The school was a incredibly welcoming and the children where just as you would expect them to be, buzzing with energy and incredibly curious. The classes where hard at first but with VCD Nepal’s helpful guide book packed full of games, lesson plans and teaching method the whole process became a walk in the park.

VCD is a special NGO, it is rivaling large companies who offer placements here for large amounts of money, with which little of this money is seen arriving the actual people who need it. This is something which really put my heart at rest, the idea that my money (which I worked damn hard for!) was going to a good cause! VCD also offered me great opportunities as a amateur photographer. I was able to do two weeks volunteering whilst taking pictures in different regions of Nepal with the prospect of getting some pictures published in a the National newspaper. It’s been a great experience and I wouldn’t change it for the world! The beauty of the whole thing is that it supports the real local people rather than large companies based abroad millions of miles away from the realities on the ground. VCD has a great leadership, is very approachable and honest NGO doing great work in Nepal! There is no doubt in my mind that i will be returning to volunteer for them again!

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Education Supplements International is a non-governmental organization(NGO) based in Nakuru,Kenya.

We are seeking volunteers from North America & South America,Europe,Asia,Australia and New Zealand and Africa willing to come and offer voluntary service in Kenya in the fields of education(teachers,counselors etc),medical help,poverty reduction projects,women empowerment,water resources development,HIV/AIDS programmes,environmental conservation projects among others.

Full information of involvement is available on request.

Looking forward to working with you.

Kindest regards,

Nicholas Ng’ang’a
Executive Director
Education Supplements International
P.O Box 3305,
Nakuru,
Kenya.
Email:edsupintl@yahoo.com
Cell Phone:020 3528347

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I came across this post while searching for a volunteering opportunity for an organization we founded 2 years ago in Montréal, Québec. Thank you very much for this inspiring post! I was wondering if you knew about any opportunity in Mexico, or a country not very far from Canada/USA. We are a group of 20 persons, working on local and international volunteering projects. Usually 10 persons go abroad, and we are trying to bring the costs of travel down, that’s why for the summer 2009, we are planning on going probably in Mexico.

Thank you so much for any help or insights you could give us.

Kind regards,

ilias Benjelloun,
Action Benevole Communautaire
http://www.hec.ca/abc

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