Volunteer Hotspot: Nepal
Trip Start
Jan 01, 2008
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5
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Trip End
Dec 31, 2008
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Rasuwa,
Nepal
Monday, January 21, 2008
Most tourists don't come with the intention of volunteering their time, but
once they see Nepal and enjoy the awesome hospitality of the Nepali people, they are suddenly moved and motivated to spend a few days doing some volunteer work before they leave for home.
Our partner organization, Trek4Good, hosts treks in Nepal, and our staff is constantly asked by trekkers, "What can I do?" or "How do I volunteer to help here in Nepal?"
To answer this question, The Mountain Fund has built "The Mountain Fund Volunteer Visitor Center" located in Kathmandu, Nepal. The grand opening ceremony was held in March 2007.
Did you know that volunteerism accounts for 5% of Nepal's GNP, a staggering number when you stop to consider it. We think the surface has barely been scratched for what's possible. With peace in the country, Nepal can soon expect tourist visits to reach nearly 500,000 people per year.
Until the creation of The Mountain Fund Volunteer Visitor Center, finding a short term volunteer position was difficult. There are thousands of NGOs (nonprofit organizations) which make it difficult, if not impossible, for the short-term volunteer to locate, contact and actually give some time to an organization all in one trip.
Now, The Mountain Fund Volunteer Visitor Center provides a single source of contact for immediate placement in a volunteer capacity for almost any interested tourist.
Children in Nepal
You can walk into our beautiful center, choose something that interests you, complete an application and be introduced that same day to a local organization that needs your help. The Volunteer Center is truly a unique and innovative program which we've launched with the financial assistance of the Tessa Horan Memorial Fund. Tessa was herself a Peace Corps Volunteer when she died, so helping to fund a project that encourages volunteerism seems a fitting tribute to her.We're very excited about the possibilities that the Volunteer Center holds for Nepal.
Hours of operation in the off-season are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday thru Friday. In the trekking seasons, we are also open on Saturdays. If you're traveling to Nepal, please come by; see our center, and say hello to the staff.
The Mountain Fund's mission is to organize grassroots non-profit and non-governmental organizations from a diversity of disciplines, and to support and coordinate these organizations' efforts to eliminate poverty, its causes and symptoms, in developing mountain communities around the world.
For questions or comments about this article, please contact jenn@mountainfund.org.
