Volunteering at Buddhist Monastery in Nepal

Real Journey Nepal arranges volunteer placements for both qualified and unqualified teachers. From teacher training in schools to teaching English in a Buddhist monastery…

1.Volunteer in schools

Unfortunately, for most children in Nepal the quality of education received is very poor. Government funded schools are dismissed by the majority as ineffective due to untrained and unmotivated teachers, overcrowding, lack of building space and unfordable resources. Therefore charitable organizations like Real Journey Nepal have started to set up schools in Nepal to help children get a head start. These schools offer a much better education for children at affordable fees for the parents. Private schools are also legally obliged to take in children from local orphanages, who would otherwise get no schooling.

Real Travel Nepal places volunteers in government schools that are in desperate need of support, and also in their own charitable private school that has been recently set up in Kathmandu.

English language ability is a vital component to a good education in Nepal. Volunteer to teach English in a school and you will give your pupils a huge head start in life

What work does an English teacher volunteer do?

Depending on your experience you may run English language classes on your own or act as a teacher’s assistant. Either way, we encourage you to think of creative ways to teach the children and to bring in new teaching resources where appropriate. The age of the children varies from 4 – 16 years old and you can decide which age group you would like to teach. Volunteer’s spend up to 6 hours a day at the school. On arrival you will have a meeting with the principal to discuss your ideas, aspirations and experience. At all times we ensure the volunteer is comfortable with their level of commitment and involvement. Don’t worry, you won’t be thrown into a classroom of 60 children on your first day… unless you want to.

Do I need any qualifications or skills to do this work?

You do not need any qualifications for this placement, but you do need to have a good command of the English language. It helps if you have had experience of working with children in the past, but if you have not then being a confident and enthusiastic person is important. There will be basic support materials to use but these are always in short supply, and so anything you can provide to help will always be appreciated. In the past volunteers have brought photos, videos and items from home to share

2. Volunteer in monasteries

This volunteer program acts like a cultural exchange. International volunteers leave with a better understanding of the religious practices of Buddhists in Nepal and the monks gain a better understanding of spoken English. Some of the monasteries are very isolated and so this program provides monks with valuable contact with the outside world. It is equally important for the outside world to understand the religious culture and practices of the monks. The placement is designed for people who are interested in religious culture and are willing to commit to teaching English in a challenging cultural environment.

Many of our volunteers come to Nepal to teach English. The schools throughout Nepal are in desperate need of extra help with their English language classes. As English increasingly becomes the language of business and opportunity, fluency creates many more opportunities for children when they leave school at 16. These schools need native or nearly fluent English speakers to encourage and support English language learning. Volunteers that participate in this placement may also get involved in extra lessons for struggling children or lead recreational activities in schools.

Volunteer to teach in a Buddhist monastery and learn about ancient religious practices while providing a valuable international experience to the otherwise isolated monks

This program remains one of our most popular at Real Journey Nepal. Few other placements in the world offer the chance to work alongside Buddhist monks and observe their unique monastic environment while also helping them communicate with the outside world. However, this is also one of the most challenging for us to arrange. All we ask is that if you choose to volunteer in a Buddhist monastery you ask yourself the following questions:

1. Are you prepared for the significant culture shock of volunteering and living with Buddhist monks?
2. Are you happy being isolated from other volunteers and Westerners during your placement?
3. Do you have a real understanding of what life in a Buddhist monastery is like?

We just ask these questions to ensure you get the most out of your volunteer placement. For those who are keenly interested in the monastic life and learning more of the meditative techniques and Buddhist teaching, this is an incredible experience. If you are just curious, then the longer term nature of this placement warrants consideration.

What work does a monastery volunteer do?

Volunteers in our monastery placements teach English to the monks, both young and old, for around 3-4 hours per day. In turn, the monks will share their knowledge and culture with the volunteers. If requested by the volunteer, they may get the chance to learn meditation techniques and receive an in depth knowledge of the Buddhist culture here in Nepal. This is one of our most popular volunteering posts due to the unique way it allows you to truly become involved in the life of a Buddhist monastery.

Do I need any qualifications or skills to do this work?

No you not need any specific qualifications for this work but a good command of the English language is vital. You must also be a very culturally sensitive person because you will be working in a religious environment that is likely to be very alien from your own. Volunteers tend to get more from this placement if they are willing to take the initiative where necessary.

Where in Nepal can I volunteer in a monastery?

Volunteering in a monastery is available in Kathmandu and in the towns of Salleri and Charikot in the Himalaya Region of Nepal. In Kathmandu volunteers may work in a monastery with an attached school that teaches boys and girls, not only monks. However in the Himalaya region volunteers are more likely to be placed in a poor monastery where there is no outside schooling. This can therefore be more of a challenge. Please note that if you want to volunteer in a Tibetan Monastery you must be willing to stay for 3 months or more.

What accommodation will I be living in?

Wherever you choose to work in Nepal you will be placed in a homestay with a local Nepali family. By living with a family you will gain a greater insight and understanding of Nepali culture. The standard of lodging will depend on whether you are in a rural or urban area. In a rural area the facilities will be basic with minimal running water and a squat toilet. However, in an urban placement you will most likely have a flushing Western style toilet and a shower. All of your food will be provided for you at your homestay and you will never be more than 30 minutes from your place of work.

Payment and Booking Process

If you are energetic, motivated and wish to provide a helping hand to needy children, youth, and community people, your initial interest in volunteering in Nepal will quickly be followed by a number of questions and doubts. We hope to answer most of these initial questions in this prospectus. We assure you, volunteering in Nepal through Real Journey Nepal is an investment for life and one that will impact all the decisions you make in the future. Our goals, education, peace, understanding, and true sustainable development, are reflected in our ethos as well as our low fees. Helping those in need is a job bigger than one country, so we invite all volunteers to join us in our efforts: Can you afford not to give your mind and body for a relatively short time in exchange for limitless life-changing experiences?

1. Choose a Project and Apply Online

At Real Journey Nepal we do not have a complex process for the Payment and Booking Process. Simply complete the form on the Apply Now page, including uploading a passport photo and CV, and click submit. Applying does not commit you to a place yet, it helps us to get to know you and provide you with more information on the project and check if it’s the best match for you. Browse our projects and choose a location and the project you wish to join, and include the dates you wish to volunteer. Complete and submit our online application form with the details of your chosen program and possible dates.

2. Receive Volunteering Information

Within 48 hours (2 working days), Real Journey Nepal sends you an email confirming that Real Journey has received your application. The communication manager will acknowledge your application and answer any questions you have. The communication manager will help you with finding the right project. He or she will then confirm the location, project and dates of your program. You will then receive details on how to pay the reservation fee. We require this to confirm your booking with Volunteer Society Nepal.

3. Book Your Place

Once you receive your confirmation, you can secure your place. You do this by transferring a reservation fee of 100 euro to our bank account. If you book multiple programs for a longer term we might ask more. As soon as your reservation fee has been received by Real Journey Nepal, we will provide you with all the information and support you need to prepare for your upcoming volunteer program.
As we have to do all the administration jobs to secure your placement and also we need regular funding to run our projects , this Reservation Fee is a non-refundable fee which also covers processing your application and pre-departure support.

4. Real Journey Nepal Volunteer Confirmation

We will book you onto the project and email you a confirmation with your dates and then you can book flights. Once you book your flight, we ask you to send your flight details.

5. Welcome to Nepal!

Real Journey Nepal representative will be waiting at the Kathmandu, International airport to welcome you!

6. Final Payment and Start Volunteering!

The payment of remaining fees is to be made once you arrive at the Real Journey Nepal office and can be paid in cash in Nepali rupees, American Dollars, Pounds Sterling or Euros.