Experience Nepali village life and help out at our school and NGO

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Are you looking to spend an unforgettable time teaching amazing children surrounded by the Annapurna mountain range?

You came to right place! Heaven Hill Academy is truly amazing in so many ways!

Description:

Hello, my name is Shamser. I am the principal of the primary school as well as a chair person for a local NGO in Lamjung, Nepal. My family has a homestay located in a beautiful part of northwestern Nepal on the top of a hill with stunning views of Annapurna, Fishtail, Manaslu, Peak 29 and Lamjung. My village is called Gaunshahar. It is the original abode of the royal family of Nepal that later relocated to Kathmandu. The small palace and courtyard still hosts traditional festivals that attract many people from all around many times a year. Gaunshahar is 4km uphill from Besisahar, one of the starting points of the famous Annapurna Circuit trek.

Our school currently welcomes 93 students, aged 3-10, divided into 6 grades; Pre-school, Lower Kindergarten, Upper Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3. We currently have 3 children with special needs. All students from the village are welcomed irrespective of caste, and we focus on helping students whose parents are unable to pay for school fees, uniforms, books, stationery and meals.

Current Projects
-We are constructing a building for our new 4th grade class as well as a kitchen in which to teach our children how to cook. We will need people to do manual labor- digging holes, moving rocks, etc.

we have school holiday from 1st of April 2018 to 14th of April 2018.
During that time, we ask volunteers to help to carry rocks to build computer class, to teach cooking lessons to our students and to prepare teaching materials.

Thank you

Help:

Previous volunteers have participated in many different ways. Most commonly, people who visit help out at the school by assisting teachers, teaching classes, and running creative activities in the library. However, volunteer involvement is not limited to that. In the past, volunteers have designed, planned and acquired materials for projects to improve the infrastructure of the school, including painting projects, rebuilding old paths and gates and improving the electrical wiring. Other volunteer occupations have included teacher training initiatives, helping with grant writing and building our equine therapy program for our three students with Down Syndrome.

We have many projects for the future and we always welcome any new ideas that volunteers can bring. Don’t worry if you think you might not have any relevant skills, there are many ways to help in the school and the children will appreciate your efforts and support.

We ask volunteers to give about four hours help a day in any way you can. The rest of the day is yours!

We are particularly looking for people who are interested in staying for longer periods of time to become more integrated with the school, however we are still very happy to have people visit for any amount of time.

If possible, we would like to ask you for any help you can give to buy school uniforms and books for the children as well as building materials for the school.

We are in the process of building a new kitchen to teach cooking skills to the children in our school. So if possible, please bring kitchen materials such as pots, pans, cutting boards, eating dishes and utinsels, etc. Also, f you have this brand in your country, please bring Irish Spring soap for use in the kitchen as well as to help keep rats out of our library.

The area:

You will be a member of the family at Heaven Hill Academy and with that you will be valued, respected and loved by all its many members!

The village of Gaunsahar itself is around 1,300 people who rely primarily on farming. There are many oxen, goats and chickens scattered around the plateaus of rice fields! As you explore the village and surrounding communities, you will find paths winding to homes of friends and relatives of the students.

Everyone here knows each other, it is a strong community and so Heaven Hill Academy is very much a community school. The people here are invested in the school and the futures of the students and as a teacher you will be respected and cherished for helping their children - so expect to be invited in for lots of tea and the occasional meal! The people living here are some of the most welcoming and friendly in a country renowned for its hospitality. You'll have no problems making friends or learning the local language and customs!

The homestay, where you will live with the founder and principal of the school's family, is one of the most 'western' styled houses in the village. You will be in either a shared or private room, have a shared bathroom with western plumbing, and be given two meals a day at the house. Lunch is not included, but a shop next door to the accomodation can provide lunch for a small fee!

If this sounds like the role for you then please get in touch! The position is for immediate start and open to both single applicants or couples, no age restrictions.

You will have an experience like no other in Gaunshahar, it is a beautiful environment with beautiful people!

Cost:

We ask volunteers to pay a small sum of 5 US dollars a day to stay here. This cost includes two meals, filtered water, tea, cold shower and WiFi. Our food is sourced almost entirely from local ingredients and we can easily accommodate vegetarian diets. Please note that the served food is basic, however you are able to stock up on extra items from Besisahar. In addition, we have a local shop where you can buy snacks, drinks and other items (such as toilet paper and water).

We hope to hear from you soon - this will truly be a life changing experience!