Thanks to the enthusiasm and dedication of the people involved with our organisation (be they regulars, volunteers or donors), multiple humanitarian projects have sprouted up.

We are looking for overseas volunteers to help us in our ongoing hospital project, setting up programs to educate people on health problems and a healthier lifestyle, bringing education and lesson programs to children otherwise incapable of attending school, improving sanitary infrastructure, promoting careers in the medical sector, collaborating and coordinating with other health organisations and so on.

How can travellers benefit and learn by volunteering with Mountain Heart Nepal

Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world and ranked among the lowest on the UN’s index of human development, Many basic services that are regarded as normal elsewhere in the world, are often an unknown or untouched luxury for a lot of Nepalese nationals. Yet Nepal offers a unique story: despite its hardships, the crime rate remains low and people overflow with a joy for life and opportunity. Ask anyone who has visited the home to the roof of the world and they will tell you with abundance about the unique footprint it has left in their lives.

Nepal itself has a special history. For example, it is one of the countries that was never colonized and spent a long time isolated from significant foreign influence, yet it sports a grand and special mixture of ethnicities among the populace.

Aside from drawing inspiration from Nepal itself, you can learn about disaster relief, working as a team, health care in very specific environments, the organisation (Mountain Heart Nepal and its hospital) and running of an NGO, bridging gaps between institutions, educating people and so on.

Details of help required:

Basically, anyone can pitch in in some way. A positive, helpful attitude and state of mind are paramount to us and it is the foundation of anyone wanting to join us as an overseas volunteer.

Thanks to the myriad of projects going on nowadays, there are plenty of options to help out in multiple ways. Medical professionals, teachers, web developers and people focused on fundraising are obviously always in high demand, but once again: anyone with a humanitarian heart will be able to help out in some way.

The organisation has branched out since its birth, undertaking various projects across Nepal. The main objective is to provide and promote sustainable, cost-efficient health practice. Our ultimate goal is to make healthcare indiscriminately accessible to people throughout Nepal.

1) Expeditions to remote areas
We regularly undertake expeditions to set up medical camps in regions that are hard to reach, have insufficient health care options available or are reported to us as problematic by our ever-growing network of contacts throughout the districts of Nepal. Our medical expeditions bring the necessary health professionals to the people, who identify and treat patients on the spot or refer them to hospitals for specialized care at a discount and even arrange the transport. This often requires a few hours of trekking to reach the project site.

You can support the camps in several ways. You could provide general support or develop your own program, which you think might benefit the population of the area you will be dispatched in.

• Teach classes and educate the local children
• Courses on hand hygiene, nutrition, dental care, …
• Organize activities for children
• Provide entertainment of all sorts
• Take on the role of photojournalist

…or bring your own initiatives to the table! We are always open to good ideas.

2) Education program
We have linked up with a local school in Kathmandu and Hetauda (our hospital site) to mobilize volunteers to help teach classes to underprivileged children. You could teach a plethora of things: English, History, Geography, Health, Yoga, any kind of sports class, Music, etc.
Volunteer are also always welcome to provide training to the local teachers in either new skills or new methods.

3) Travel to support our hospital
We are particularly aiming to mobilize volunteers -willing to go on a trek through the mountains- to visit and support our hospital that is a bit more off the grid. It can be a real lifechanging experience to work in a resource-poor setting. You can make a real difference by helping in the construction work of the hospital, bringing modern skills such as project management and further training to our staff as well.

4) Photojournalism and more
We are always to receive creative people to capture and present our projects through different media and communication channels. Anyone with the passion for any of the seven classic arts or just anyone who likes to work around social media is always a great asset in finding new ways for us to reach more people and getting them involved.

5) Web development
We are looking for volunteers with some experience in Webdesign to further develop our online platform, as well as gauging if some of our digital ambitions could be fulfilled one way or another. It is really important for any organisation to be easily and comprehensively reached in a digital way, so we are always happy to receive people who have the insight to do exactly that.

6) Fundraising for different projects
We are an ambitious organisation that really wants to make a difference and although our people their dedication comes without a cost, many of our projects do need external funding. Volunteers can really make a difference by putting their shoulders under an existing or their own developed project by raising funds to make it possible. We will make sure to guide towards the platforms and resources to get this started, as well as provide support as you go on. For now, we are in desperate need of funds to complete our hospital project.

Read more about our hospital here: Mountain Heart Nepal (mhn.org.np)

A little more information

Internet: Volunteers will have access to internet.

Volunteers hours expected: maximum 4-5 hours a day in working days

Minimum stay: No minimum

Type of accommodation: Volunteers will be staying with a host family. No more than two people will be staying in a room together at any given point and we can generally assure a private room, depending on the number of volunteers at that time. Free WiFi is available, as well as unlimited access to electricity and water.

Things to do during time off: What volunteers should absolutely do during your time here, is put on their hiking boots and discover some of the trekking trails taking them through a landscape that is simply unique in the world.

Nepal offers a unique mixture of cultures and ethnicities because, for the longest time it was the crossroads to the Spice and Silk route. Along with that, Nepal was never colonised!

You visit many ancient cities like Bhaktapur, Patan, Kathmandu valley, Pokhara, Lumbini (Birth Place of Gautam Buddha), and Everest Region.

Nepal is home to a wide culinary tradition, volunteers shall definitely have a plate of Dal Bhat, Mo Mo and other delicacies that go around.

We will also provide our own informative ebook free of charge to our volunteers, which includes places to visit, customs to follow, in depth explanation about how to adapt to the culture and important dates in the Nepali calendar.

 

Contact us today to volunteer with Mountain Heart Nepal at info@mhn.org.np or mountainheartnepal@gmail.com