Nepal

My overall experience with RCDP in Nepal was really great. My project (conservation work) was really nice and I especially appreciated my stay at the Host Family. They were always helpful and I learned a lot about the Nepali culture thanks to their open minded attitude.
I was also working in an orphanage because the program was really flexible. The work there was really fulfilling and I had a lot of experiences with the children that I will never forget.
Also I am thankful that most of the organisation was pretty good and I only had little problems at the airport pick up. But the stuff of RCDP was very helpful and always kind.

It was a great experiance to live fore 2 month here. You was offered the opportunity to travel around the whole country, organsied very well. but it is up to you to ask for more information,alwazs ask always. I volunteered after the travelling time and a good basic nepalicourse in an orphanage. I highly recommand the mary child help center, runned by kopila kunwari. I highly recommend that place, it is outstanding, evalutated by the gouvernment with a+. There the children can grow up savely and beloved. an old grandmother is always living there. she takes care of the children as well, good and healthy food is provieded, very good hygienig standarts are given as well. you will be able to meet a lot of other nepali people there as well and come easily in contact. that is good here in the rcdp offices as well, you always will be able to make easily contacts with other volunteers. back to the children, they are very friendly, polite, modest and warm hearted, not a single day without laughing and you yourselfe can do a lot, help with daily routine, cooking, homework and organise freetimeactivities =, just aks the children, they will help you to go with them for walks as well. so please, come to mary home (especialy christians will love it, it is not a strict believe, protastant but very strong). every saturday they go to church you can join them, if you want to. rcrp willgiveyou the conact, but you can also go directly, how you like to organise everything, it is up to you. rcdp will organise your trips and take care that you will reach your destination savely. if you do not like your project rcdp can ealily arrange anotherone for you, they are always oen, just ask.

It was a great experiance to live fore 2 month here. You was offered the opportunity to travel around the whole country, organsied very well. but it is up to you to ask for more information,alwazs ask always. I volunteered after the travelling time and a good basic nepalicourse in an orphanage. I highly recommand the mary child help center, runned by kopila kunwari. I highly recommend that place, it is outstanding, evalutated by the gouvernment with a+. There the children can grow up savely and beloved. an old grandmother is always living there. she takes care of the children as well, good and healthy food is provieded, very good hygienig standarts are given as well. you will be able to meet a lot of other nepali people there as well and come easily in contact. that is good here in the rcdp offices as well, you always will be able to make easily contacts with other volunteers. back to the children, they are very friendly, polite, modest and warm hearted, not a single day without laughing and you yourselfe can do a lot, help with daily routine, cooking, homework and organise freetimeactivities =, just aks the children, they will help you to go with them for walks as well. so please, come to mary home (especialy christians will love it, it is not a strict believe, protastant but very strong). every saturday they go to church you can join them, if you want to. rcrp willgiveyou the conact, but you can also go directly, how you like to organise everything, it is up to you. rcdp will organise your trips and take care that you will reach your destination savely. if you do not like your project rcdp can ealily arrange anotherone for you, they are always oen, just ask.

I did a 1 week language and cultural programs and 3 weeks photo journalism work.
The pick-up from the airport was excellent, the guest house in the first week was perfect. The food was excellent, the people were all so nice. Our teacher Pratima was so passionate and gave a lot of insight in the cultural aspects of Nepal. Thank you for that Pratima!

The 3 weeks photo journalism was at the other side of Kathmandu, the guesthouse was clean, good food and the people also very nice. The house is located in a nice quiet area. I really enjoyed the football match that was organized by the sun with the other volunteers/interns. Ram, the journalist that helped me everyday is very nice, had good tips!
In total 4 of my photo stories were published online.

I would definitely recommend this this program to anyone who wants to do volunteer work in Nepal!

This is the 2nd time I was have volunteered with IFRE. I was in Nepal for 2 months and had 3 different volunteer projects. It is a fabulous organization!!! IFRE staff are great and very supportive in assisting with everything which began when I began organizing my trip in the states (USA) until I left on the plane from Nepal. They served as a travel guide assisting me in various places to go along with getting me great discounts at various tourist places (actually was able to enter the National park for free due to volunteering); educationally by telling me about the customs but mostly they provide a family like presence of acceptance and genuine love,. They go out of their way to make one feel at home. I
Darleen Kildow
WA, USA

Overall the trip was very memorable. I got to watch a ton of endoscopes, discussion and shadowing the doctor’s at the hospital, there were a few other volunteers and students working at the hospital at that time, I’m glad I came and stayed with a host family so that I could really immerse myself in the culture. There are tons of options for sightseeing, trekking, and traveling and I very much enjoyed the experience.
I would advice if you are coming during winter, BRING LOTS OF WARM CLOTHINGS! Nights get freezing during winter and you’ll be glad you brought sweaters, hats and gloves. Definitely go to Pokhara and Nagarkot. We had a lot of fun in both of those places but prepared to travel for a long time to get to/from Pokhara.
The Staff support in country was great – he was extremely helpful in both orientating me to the city and helping to plan any outside trips. He’s is very dependable and whenever I needed anything he would accommodate. He’s super patient and has no problem sitting down and explaining anything I found confusing or needed help with. And the rooms are spacious and there is a locker in each room to put your personal belongings. Sudir and his family are super nice and gave us extra blankets. The food was tasty with a homemade traditional Nepalese dinner and a more western breakfast. The doors all lock and I overall felt very safe. Watching the sunrise over the Himalayas in Nagarkot. It was a really beautiful, once in a lifetime experience and I would recommend it to anyone.

I stayed in Nepal for 4 and a half months and I loved my time here!!! RCDP organized everything very well. Espacially during the "Fun program" (Rafting, Trekking, National Park) at the beginning, we were always surprised that all the times and in all places there was someone to take care of us and tell us where to go.
And everything is much more flexible than I expected from what my german organization told, which is nice! I was volunteering in the school Spring Valley Academy and when I asked for the possibility to go for a trip during the 8 days of Exam it was no problem at all.
I felt very comfortable with my host family, the teachers and especially the students (I only had some problems with the school`s principal but that`s not the fault of RCDP) that I`m sure I will miss everyone very much when I get get back home! And I got very easily used to Nepalese habits and the way of living that I will probably get a culture shock by returning to Germany!
The only thing which could be improved in my eyes is the cooperation with the partner organizations abroad. Some facts that my german organization told me (for example that a single bed room in the accomodation is guaranteed) are basically not true according to the national habits and I think a better communication would avoid some misundestandings.
But all in all I can only recommend Nepal for a volunteer stay to everyone because it`s beautiful landscape, the lovely people and the different way of live are fascinating in every way!!!

I paid $500 to this organization for registration, which was supposed to include: "the placement process, accommodation, food, leadership and work materials for the duration of the project" (I copied this from their original email). Upon my arrival to Nepal, the local organization ended up charging me for the same things that were supposed to be included with the VFP registration fee. I contacted VFP to clarify and I was provided with different information regarding the $500 registration fee different to what was originally provided to me. Both VFP and the local organization did nothing to resolve this issue and I was forced to cut my trip short because I wasn't able to afford the rest of my stay.

- VFP illegally mislead information on what was included with the $500 registration fee.
- Housing and food were not provided by VFP, although it was clearly stated in the emails when the registration fee was paid.

-VFP needs to clearly state in their emails and website what is included with the registration fee and make sure their partner organizations are involved in the disclosure of this information to prevent any confusions. Some of the volunteers that apply for these organizations do not have a few hundred dollars to spare when mistakes like this happen!

I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND WORKING WITH THIS ORGANIZATION AT ALL!

I was teaching English in a primary school and helping in an orphanage in Chitwan. The work in the orphanage included helping kids with homework, weeding in the garden and helping in the kitchen. Overall, the experience was very positive. While teaching in the school is far from easy (kids and disobedient), you can feel it is valuable for them: local teachers don't teach English well. Helping orphans with homework also requires some patience but in return you can feel their love.

In the evenings I organized computer classes for kids using my small laptop. And the best memories are from doing handicrafts from paper with them on Christmas Eve.

The host family was from middle or even upper-middle class with good facilities. They were super friendly and treated my like their own daughter. Very tasty food. Only small disadvantages were frequent electricity outages, absence of hot shower and quite low temperatures in the room at night, but those are realities of Nepalese life.

The only improvement points for RCDP are to improve communication with the local school. The teaching hours were not from 10 to 4pm as RCDP told me but from 10 to 1pm. Also, I wasn't informed the school would have 10 days of exams and holidays during my stay, when I wasn't needed and had to do gardening work instead of teaching.

I really enjoyed my stay in Nepal, all the people I met here that were involved in the organisation were so helpful and kind. I stood in the Nepal Mary Child Help Center near Balaju in an orphanage where 15 children are living. I really felt comfortable with them after such a short time and I dont want to miss that time. They taught me so much without even knowing. It was really one of the best times I've ever had and RCDP made it possible and everything went well and I could really trust them that they care for me! Danyabaad for everything!