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Volunteer Opportunities in the Mountainous Regions

At this point we are simply accumulating a list of resources for volunteer work in mountain areas. If you know of other volunteer opportunities, or wish to correct or expand a current listing, please contact us at sicroff@gmail.com

• One of the more effective grassroots activist organizations is The Mountain Fund. They sponsor and collaborate on healthcare, education, and economic opportunity projects in many mountainous countries, especially Nepal and Peru. TMF is always in need of couriers to help deliver items to Peru, Nepal and Uganda. Please contact Scott MacLennan at mtnfund@mountainfund.org if you can take an extra bag on your next trip.
• The Yangrima School in the Helambu region has been recruiting volunteers for over twelve years now. If you are interested, you can find further information at the following URL: www.yangrima.org Contact: Gopal Lama, Founder, Yangrima School; email GoNepal@aol.com
• Volunteer links on the Web site of the International Mountain Explorers Connection (formerly Himalayan Explorers Connection).
• Volunteer Nepal Himalaya Teaching Program. Teach English in the Everest Region. http://www.hec.org/volunteering/teaching.htm
• Nepal Volunteer Handbook: http://www.hec.org/volunteering/handbook.htm
• Tengboche Monastery Development Project. Most urgent need is for donations, but they do have opportunities for skilled volunteers: www.tengboche.org/how_to_help.htm Contact: volunteers@tengboche.org
• Educate the Children For more than ten years, ETC has been an effective advocate for women and children in Nepal. Currently its volunteer program is on hold, apparently due to the political instability. ETC sells a Volunteer Handbook containing information about practical issues related to travel to and working in Nepal; what to expect from your teaching and cultural experience; and the volunteer application itself. The guide costs $15 US ($20 US for orders outside of the U.S.A.), including postage. It can be ordered by calling (607) 272-1176 and using a VISA or MasterCard, or by sending a check made payable to Educate the Children to
  

  Educate the Children
  PO Box 414
  Ithaca, NY
  114851-0414
  USA

  
  For more information, email info@etc-nepal.org.
• Global Volunteer Network. Executive Director Colin Salisbury (email: info@volunteer.org.nz) has sent us the following information:
  

  I run the Global Volunteer Network, a non profit organisation. We place volunteers in community projects in China, Ecuador, Ghana, Nepal, New Zealand, Romania, Russia, Thailand, and Uganda. Volunteers have the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational, environmental and community aid programs. Examples of the exciting and rewarding activities available to volunteers include teaching English, environmental work, health and sanitation, and cultural home stays. Our programmes in Nepal include Teaching English, Working in an Orphanage, Environmental Awareness, Health Education, School and Community Maintenance and a Home Stay Programme/Cultural Exchange.

  Feedback from our volunteers has been extremely positive; for instance one volunteer writes "I am so impressed with your program, the ease at which you've handled all the volunteers, and how responsive and informative you are. I am very happy to be doing a program with an organisation like yours."
  Phone: ++64 4 569 9080
  Fax: +++64 4 569 9081

• We have received the following notice from Ms Sovita Thapa, founder of Nepal Reliance Organization:

  Nepal Reliance Organization (NRO)is the first not-for-profit, non-governmental organization in Nepal run by Nepalese women to see foreign volunteers in Nepal. NRO is duly registered with the government Social Welfare Council. Our mission is to recruit volunteers from all over the world, both gender, all ages, to work in areas such as health, education and capacity building, as well as fundraising. We provide volunteers with a customized program that will enable them to make an important contribution to the people of Nepal. By the same token, volunteers tend to gain an in-depth experience of Nepal’s language and culture that might stay with them for the rest of their lives.

  Initially, NRO engages volunteers in an orientation within the Nepali cultural and language. Then, we place them in health posts,schools and in other community programs. NRO volunteer programs are available to individuals and/or groups. Placement all year long range from one week to five months, according to people's availability and needs.

  For further information, visit NRO's Website at www.nepalreliance.org or contact Ms Sovita Thapa at npreliance@wlink.com.np.
• Know Nepal is a joint British/Nepali project providing volunteer opportunities
• Volunteer Nepal offers family homestays, teaching and other volunteer opportunities
• Share Nepal helps you help Nepalis help themselves
• TeachAbroad.com catalogues volunteer teaching positions in Nepal (and elsewhere)
• Stanford University has a volunteer program in Nepal
• Global Vision organizes volunteer teaching positions in Nepal
• Explorations in Travel offers a fee-based volunteer placement service

Contact

Do you have suggestions or other feedback? Contact Mountain Legacy Projects Coordinator Seth Sicroff at sicroff@gmail.com; 511 W. Green St., Ithaca NY, 14850 USA; (607) 256-0102.