What is Himalayan Foundation Nepal (HFN)? Hiamalayan Foundation Nepal (HFN), a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) was founded in 2007 by a group of social activists, educationalists, development workers and other professionals. Unlike many other development NGOs, HFN directly puts efforts for change in the hands of local people by actively encouraging them to volunteer within their communities, aiming to unite all sectors of society in working together and run local projects and specially help living orphanage. HFN has a board of advisors and a board of directors, of whom Debi Lal Prasain (David) is the Director. It also works together with like-minded national and international organizations. HFN is officially registered under the Society Act with the District Administration Office Kathmandu (Reg No. 935 and is also affiliated to the Social Welfare Council Nepal (SWC) (Affiliation No. 24693). What kinds of volunteers do you work with? Himalayan Foundation Nepal has already worked with various universities, organizations, clubs, church group, youth groups, individuals & groups around the world regardless of their race; religions, country etc who wish us to arrange them for meaningful volunteer opportunities & experiences in this beautiful Himalayan country Nepal. Anyone who meets our volunteering criteria is welcome to apply for our volunteering programs and hence accepted. When do I have to apply for the program? Volunteers need to apply minimum 15 days before of their starting date of volunteering. Is this program fee is affordable? Himalayan Foundation Nepal needs a reasonable fee for its service but, still HFN has been trying reduced its cost very low and affordable in compare to other international volunteer agencies. Please communicate directly with our volunteer coordinator at [email protected] for any question if you have regarding the cost of our program. Why do I have to pay program fee? This is the question arise when you are going for volunteering work but there are certain things that volunteer needs to pay for, Like : food and accommodation during the volunteering, language training, finding placement, communication cost, donation, administration cost and government taxes etc. Furthermore, HFN has been assisting for various community aid projects as well. The remaining money of the program directly goes for supporting these projects . How can I pay for the program fees ? Cash payment can be made in to US Dollars, or Nepali Rupees. We also accept online Payment Getway; PayPal, To checkout, Credit Card. You can pay through Western Union and Money Gram money transfers. Although we do accept international bank-to-bank transfers, we discourage this due to the high cost of banking fees. When do I need to pay program fees? All payments have to be made at the beginning of the volunteer program. Only registration fee will be paid at the time of registration conformed. HFN doesnt accept weekly or monthly installments. If you want to stay longer than your committed period, you have to inform us and pay accordingly. What Kind of VISA do I need to Apply? HFN volunteers qualify as volunteer tourists and therefore the only visa you will require is a tourist visa. When passing through immigration and applying for your visa, this means the purpose of your visit to Nepal is tourism. Do I need travel and Medical insurance? Yes, we strongly recommended that you must have travel and medical or health insurance. HFN doesnt provide any Medical and Travel insurance. In our past experience it shows that volunteer have to purchase medical and other Insurance for their financial safety. Is possible if I decide to return home before the placement is over? Once the volunteer makes a decision and pays for the program fee, upon receipt of invoice, HFN does not refund any registration fee and program fee under any circumstances. S/he should be for that particular program. But if the volunteer have unavoidable circumstances (such as illness, death of in the family etc) may request to leave the program, HFN: Volunteer Program will consider returning 25% of the host family costs, if volunteer are registered for more than 30 days program. No refund will be made if program is less than 30 days and if volunteer leave program in their own decision. Volunteer position are non transferable. Do you select my placement area? Yes, placements are decided based upon program vacancy and volunteers skills, but we try to take into account any special preferences / needs of the volunteers. If you have any preferences, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can accommodate them. Do I have to speak a foreign language? Volunteers on our short-term (1- 4 week programs) do not need foreign language skills. Those volunteers interested in participating on one of our long-term programs need to have intermediate language abilities in the spoken language of the program country. As part of your program, you will learn the basics of the Nepali language and youll learn Nepali language quickly. Although you may not achieve fluency, the Nepali people are generally very warm and friendly and willing to help. What will be the living conditions of my placement? The living conditions of the placement depend on the area. One should not expect luxurious accommodations here in Nepal. You will be placed within a family setting with your own room. Most placements have electricity. (If electricity is an asset it can be arranged). Overall you will be receiving good Nepali standard living environment during your placement. Is there anything I can bring with me that would be useful to your organization? We would be very grateful for educational books, illustrated books, English novels, children?s books, Organizer, Camera. Also very much appreciated are donations of clothes and stationery materials. Are there any special items that I should bring that I may not have thought of? This will vary depending on what non - HFN activities you want to participate in (for e.g. trekking, whitewater rafting, etc.) and how much you need to be comfortable during your placement. With the exception of medicine, first-aid-kit and high-tech trekking gear, you can buy everything that you would need for your placement in Kathmandu (likely cheaper than in your home country). Sleeping Bag Hiking boots Tevas/ flip flops Fleece jacket (during winter months) Light-weight cotton clothing. Waterproof jacket (a fold-away windcheater is fine) (Women) Sarong (or you can buy a lungi cheaply in Nepal) Mosquito repellent Sun cream Water purification tablets and/or water filter First aid kit Flashlight Books about your country Photos of your family / friends / home (essential!) Small presents for your family from your country A few examples of your local currency I pod/Laptop/Music/Portable music player Magazines Colored pencils and pens, drawing books, stickers Inflatable globe Books on teaching English/English Grammar for your reference What should I bring for my host family? The Nepali people are very friendly, and giving gifts to the volunteer on the day of their departure is very common. If you would like to bring gifts for your family, below are some suggestions: A framed picture of yourself and your Nepali family (you can have this made while in Nepal) A small photo album with pictures of you and your family / friends from home A coffee table book of your home town or country Posters, stickers or magazine pictures from your country Childrens books T-shirts (new) from your country, Flags etc. How much extra money do I need? We manage food and room for volunteers after training. You may need some extra money if you plan on taking part in adventure activities outside the organization (like trekking, jungle safari, white water rafting etc) or if you just want to buy some souvenirs. You must also remember the VISA fee, which can range from 30-60 US dollars depending on the length of your stay. There is also an airport tax, which you pay upon your departure of Nepal. This can range from $25 -30US dollars. Can I come with a friend or can I be placed near other volunteers? We allow people to come with a friend or even in a large group. You sometimes may be placed in different homes located within 1-2 miles. We can place any volunteer near to another volunteer already working in the field. Please be reminded that two different genders of volunteers are not allowed to stay in same house unless they are a married couple. When should I arrive in Nepal? We welcome to you aney time what aver for you available so we make egger all our volunteer to come your program starts. Does anyone Himalayan Foundation Nepal representative come to the airport to pick up volunteers? Yes, our representative will meet with you at the airport arrival point to pick up you with a play card written your leader?s name or Group?s name, according to your forwarded flight details. What types training will I receive? Where will I have to stay during the training period? Himalayan Foundation Nepal(HFN) will provide you basic Nepali Language training, cultural information. During the first phase, you will receive training in Kathmandu. You will be staying with Nepali family or in a hostel during the training period. For the second phase, you will move to your volunteering placement site. Will I have access to communications such as, e-mail, telephone, and post office? This all depends on your placement. Almost all placements will have cell phone access and Post Office. If you are in a city placement there are many places in which you can use phone or access e-mail. How can my family contact me during my placement? Depending on your particular placement, your host family may or may not have a telephone within their home. Most villages will have one phone that can accept incoming and outgoing international calls. In addition, most placements are within an hour travel to a major city that provides email/internet and/or international phone service. That said, in case of an emergency, your family/friends may contact HFN office in Kathmandu. We will do our best to get a message to the individual as quickly as possible. You must understand that the infrastructure in Nepal is not as reliable as in more developed countries. In some cases it may be hours or even a day before a message can get through to a volunteer. Can my family send me small packages, cards etc.? Yes, we generally check the post office weekly. You can have mail sent to our G.P.O. Box and we will hold it at the office or try to send it to you depending on where your placement is. POSTAL ADDRESS: (your name) Himalayan Foundation Nepal (HFN) P.O. Box: 8975 EPC 4030, Dhapasi, Kathmandu What sorts of Health Care Facilities are available? In Kathmandu, health care is relatively good - and also very inexpensive. In your placement, however, the same cannot be said. Some placements are close to Kathmandu or Pokhara (another large city), but if you are in a village, there will be little to no access to health care. There probably wont even be access to medication, so we recommend that you bring your own mini-pharmacy. What types of sanitary items are available in Nepal? What do I need to bring from home? Most things are available here - shampoos, soaps, shaving products, toothpastes. It is recommended, however, that women bring tampons (if they wear them), as you cannot get those in Nepal. Hand sanitizer/ wipes should also be brought from home, as well as any name-brand/prescription medicine. Since rice is eaten with every meal here, some people may have constipation problems - volunteers should thus consider bringing fiber vitamins! What vaccinations should I consider having prior to arrival? You should consider the following vaccinations, however, please consult your doctor / local travel clinic for the latest recommendations regarding vaccines and Nepal: Diphtheria Tetanus Polio Hepatitis A & B Typhoid Yellow fever Rabies Tuberculosis Malaria tablets What Makes a Good Volunteer? Himalayan Foundation Nepal (HFN) does not ask for any formal qualifications from our volunteers. All we ask is that you have a genuine desire to help people and are committed to seeing the Program through. A positive and flexible attitude will also help you to get the most out of your stay in Nepal. If you are applying for teaching English, a strong command of the English language is a necessity. Similarly, if you are interested in volunteering at a Health Post, some prior medical experience and first aid skills would be useful. If you are applying to teach computers at the Resource Centre, to the environmental awareness program, or income generation program, you should possess the skills and knowledge necessary to work within these programs. The following attributes are vital for survival, regardless of the program! Enthusiasm to learn new Independence Patience Good problem-solving skills Sense of humor/ability to laugh at yourself Tolerance Willingness to share Flexibility Self-motivation pen-mindedness What is the best time to travel in Nepal? Any time of year is a great time to be in Nepal. If you wish to trek the best times are from September through November and March through May. The summer is the rainy season and as a result trekking is difficult. The winters are mild in Katmandu with no snow. Even though Nepal is home of the worlds highest mountain range, the country is at warm latitude, the altitude offsets the sub continental heat leaving a very pleasant climate. What is the weather like in Nepal? The width of Nepal is only about 200 km on average, but within this short distance the altitude of the land rises from lowly 60m to all the way up to above 8000m. Hence the weather depends upon the altitude of the place in Nepal. However, in general Nepal has four climatic seasons: Summer, Monsoon, autumn and winter. Summer is from March to May. The temperature of this season fluctuates between 20 ?C to 30 ?C (68 ?F to 86?F). Monsoon lasts from June to August. These are also the pre-monsoon months with occasional evening-thunderstorms and hot temperature. Autumn starts from September and ends by November. During this period, the climate is dry and mild with temperature fluctuating between 20 ?C to 30 ?C (68 ?F to 86 ?F). Winter starts from December to February. The morning and evening are very cold while the afternoon is pretty sunny. The temperature during these months rises from 15 ?C to 20 ?C (59 ?F to 68 ?F). Clothes and Climate in Placement Areas. Nepal is not always as cold as people think. The country is geographically divided into three parts. The Himalayan region of Nepal is very cold in winter while the mid hill region (Kathmandu and Pokhara) and mid-terai region (Chitwan) of Nepal have a different climate in different seasons. The weather is cold from December to March but warm and moderately hot in the summer. The spring and fall are cool and very pleasant. Please bring your winter cloths (think layers!) if you are coming in Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb and summer clothes for the rest of the months. It is important to be dressed properly for working at schools, orphanages, and other office work and to avoid backpacker dressing! Appearance is very important in Nepali societies. For health projects, bring white apron and latex gloves! We suggests incoming volunteer to find placement areas in map of Nepal and prepare for climate and clothes accordingly. Volunteers changing placement, please aware of changing climatic condition. Warm and winter clothes are necessary during trekking. Is Nepal safe for volunteers? Our answer to that is yes Nepal is safe to travel in, not only it is safe but its fun, amazing and incredibly beautiful as well. Over the last ten years Nepal has experienced problems with infighting between the government and the Maoists due to conflicting ideas and political disagreement. Though its a fact that cannot be hidden that people got killed during this conflict, there is no record of any tourists or travelers being injured, killed or involved in anyway. All people in Nepal have a strong belief that guests are equal to god; every Nepali abides by this and offers the warmest of welcomes to all visitors into Nepal.
Posted on: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 10:50:11 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015