Cultural Exchange & Homestay

Cultural Exchange  Home Stay program is different from volunteer programs. Different kind of tribes resides in different parts of the country. Each tribal group has its own dialect. They celebrate their own festival like sherpas, Gurung and Tamang they celebrate “Lhosar”.  Newari group celebrates “indrajatra, ghode jatra and kwanti purnimaa.” The other tribal group like Rai, Limbu celebrates Chandipurne.

This is a unique opportunity to observe Nepali and other tribal group culture and their lifestyle. Hands for Help Nepal offers a homestay program for students, expatriates volunteers or anyone who wants to see Nepal very closely. The homestay program will be arranged in both rural and urban locations on BB basis or full board basis. Our hosts have already served numbers of international paying guests who experience a worthwhile time. They are very hospitable, helpful, understand the more western culture and respect it.

Hands for Help Nepal’s main objectives of this program are to introduce a Homestay program in Nepal and help students who wish to research related to Nepal and Nepalese. Moreover, we aim to support volunteers in understaffed community schools, teach local women group and youth groups. Depend on participants’ availability you can work 3 to 6 hours a day, 6 days a week.

As a participant for cross-culture and homestay program you will be:

1.  demonstrate respect for others’ culture;
2.  sensitive to local cultural values;
3.  willing to observe prevailing workplace hierarchies and protocol;
4.  able to work independently;
5.  willing to serve others in the way they want to be served;
6.  demonstrate initiative and have a sense of humor;
7.  open to other possibilities, differing opinions, and values that may contradict your own;
8.  able to function as a member of a team;

Project Location:

1. Kathmandu & Patan
2. Sindhupalchok
3. Lamjung
4. Parbat
5. Chitwan

Cost:

Orientation:

Our representative will collect you from the airport upon arrival. You will go to Hands for Help office to introduce with a staff member, code of conduct about Hands for Help Nepal and briefing about your project and placement.

You will have orientation appropriate to the length of volunteering duration. Volunteers will participate in a day orientation which is designed to ensure a smooth transition into Nepali culture life and a productive contribution to the local community. The orientation will provide you with extensive information about new working and tips for handling cultural issues. After completing the orientation, we will place you in your placement.

1. Nepali cultural orientation, dos and dos not in Nepal
2. Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) and peer teaching ( if necessary)
3. Personal safety/health /communication system
4. Sightseeing/ travel and tours information

Date and Duration:

1. The program starts on the first and sixteenth of each month.
2. You can volunteer from 2 weeks to 5 months in a calendar year.

Schools are closed in these dates:

1. 17th to 27th October-The biggest festival, Dashain
2. 29th Dec to 26th January-Winter Break
3. 30th March to 15th April-Final Exam
4. 15th June to 15th July-Summer Break

Volunteers can switch their projects to other programs like Teaching at Buddhist Monasteries and Orphanage Program.

Accommodation:

You will be staying in a hostel in Kathmandu in orientation time. You will get your own room or share with your group friends. If there is enough space, you will be staying at monasteries.  Nepal is one of the poorest countries, the accommodation is a quite basic level. Some placement may not have electricity they use solar panel electricity with small voltage power, candle and kerosene lamp.

Food:

You will have food as per your choice in Kathmandu in the orientation phase. There are, however, varieties of restaurants that offer Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Nepali and other continental foods. In placement, host families will provide you with Nepali food; Daal (lentil soup), bhaat (rice) with vegetables. If they have buffalo or cow, they will offer you non-pasteurized milk. Usually, host family eat food at 8:30 am and 7:30 pm in the noon they provide you snack that would be puff corn, beaten rice, noodles, etc.

Excursion:

The places where you will be escorted to explore are:

1. Day 1 – visiting monkey temple (a famous Buddhist stupa on the peak of hill swayambhunath) and Kathmandu Durbar square built by Lichchhabi, Malla and Shah Dynasties.
2. Day 2 – Visiting the biggest Hindu Temple the Pasupati Nath and the world Biggest Buddhist Stupa Baudha Nath