General Info
Maasai International Challenge Africa (MICATZ.org) currently has volunteer opportunities available through our partner organization in the beautiful land of Nepal.
About Nepal
Full country name: State of Nepal
Area: 147,181 sq km
Population: 29.5 million
Capital city: Katmandu (pop 670,000)
People: Newars, Indians, Tibetans, Gurungs, Magars, Tamangs, Bhotias, Rais, Limbus, Sherpas
Language: Nepali (also called Gurkhali)
Religion: Hindu 80.6%, Buddhist 10.7%, Muslim 4.2%, Kirant 3.6%, other 0.9%
Government: Parliamentary democracy
Major industries: Tourism, carpet, textile, small rice, jute, sugar, oilseed mills, cigarettes, cement and brick production, rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops, milk, water buffalo meat.
Major trading partners: India, US, Germany, UK, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia
The Program
Teaching English: In this program volunteers are placed in local schools to teach conversational English and reading classes to Nepali children. In Nepal, English is increasingly becoming a required skill for job placement, educational advancement, and future success. Class size can range from 10 to 80 students. School runs from Sunday to Friday with Saturday off. Students are between 4 and 16 years of age. To teach English at a Nepali school you aren’t required to have formal teaching qualifications, just a good command of written and spoken English, and plenty of enthusiasm and a lot of patience.
Nepal
Living and working in Nepal is a fascinating experience! You will get the chance to be part of day-to-day life in this ancient and mystical country. You will be close to some of the world’s best treks, and the Katmandu valley – with its wonderful historic towns and temples.
Our projects all work with indigenous people to help them promote their skills and knowledge. Our program are not linked with any religious or political movement.
Room / Food / Supervision
Home Stay / Cultural Exchange: This is a fantastic way to get more out of a trip to Nepal, especially if your time is short. You will be placed with a Nepali family upon arrival in Nepal, and will live in a small rural village or within a city. During your home stay you will learn about all aspects of Nepali culture, lifestyle, and food. You will also be able to attend 2 hours of language lessons in the morning and in the afternoon.
As the experience will be a cultural exchange, you should also try to offer your host family some knowledge of your own home culture and customs as well. Home stay programs can only be arranged for two weeks or one month. They are best between August and December – the time when most large local festivals take place resulting in an overall more exciting experience. Please write to us and request information on other projects available which you might be interested in being involved with
Benefits:
Dates: Flexible dates and durations of stay. Available throughout year, from 4 weeks-3 months+. You pick your start and finish dates.
Cost: Costs vary depending on length of stay. Starts at $500-$700usd for 4 weeks including accommodation, food, transfer from the airport, full pre-departure support, local in-country team support and backup, 24-hour emergency support.
Requirements:
No any qualifications are necessary to join most of our Tanzania volunteer programs, just a good dose of enthusiasm and some experience if you have it and if you don’t have it then no problem with it! Everyone is welcome on a micatz programme, whether gap year, undergraduate, on a career break - or even retired! From 15 years old upwards, and all nationalities. This placement would suit anyone who wants to make a real difference, wants first-hand experience of a different culture and has initiative.
