We are a not-for-profit NGO based in Kathmandu, working in rural communities of Nepal with volunteer in Nepal. Our mission is to empower marginalized communities through equitable, inclusive, and holistic development programs.

Our Volunteering Program:

There are four pillars in our developmental approach: Education, Health and Environment, Economy, and Basic infrastructure development. These four pillars of development are supported by six major community empowerment programs namely Women’s Empowerment, Children’s Development, Youth Empowerment, Public Health & Medical, Environment Conservation, and Disaster Risk Reduction. All VIN’s developmental and humanitarian programs are aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Women and Children are the nucleus of our development initiatives. We pay special attention to women’s and children’s issues. We bring innovation to our programs by conducting research and deploying national and international volunteer in Nepal. The last one and a half decades of holistic & integrated development approach has proved to promote equality, economic well-being, and basic human rights.

Thousands of women have benefitted through literacy, life skills, micro-credit & entrepreneurship development workshops, and exchange visits. Over ten thousand children have benefitted through Early Childhood Education, Children’s clubs, sponsorship, teachers’ training, and infrastructural development programs. Thousands of people have benefitted through our medical & public health program. Our reconstruction program has been instrumental in supporting safe housing and sanitation campaigns.

Volunteer in Nepal programs:

This has been possible due to our dedicated staff, alliances with like-minded organizations, and the efforts and contributions of local and International volunteers in Nepal. We offer the most affordable international volunteering & internship placements in Nepal. VIN funds and runs mid to long-term sustainable community-based volunteer service projects, focusing on those most disadvantaged  communities with a special focus on women, children, and minority groups.  Our holistic development model – education, health & environment, tools for economic well-being, and the provision of basic infrastructure have proved to be effective to those disadvantaged communities.

Building our projects on these pillars and SDGs has ensured an integrated and sustainable impact on the community people and will give the greatest chance of independence for our working communities.  So, when you join VIN either as a donor, sponsor volunteer, or intern, you can be sure you will be part of long-term, positive change for Nepal.  Whether we have volunteers/interns or not, our projects are continuously run by our local full-time staff. This is just one of the great reasons to choose to work with VIN.

Volunteer in Nepal with the most trusted local volunteer organization.

VIN is a non-profit, secular, charitable  volunteer organization based in Kathmandu, Nepal founded in 2005. We are also a member of international voluntary networks worldwide like CCIVS, NVDA, ALLIANCE, FoVIN-NL, US, UK, and Australia.

Our overall focus is empowering the most marginalized/disadvantaged communities in rural and remote areas in Nepal. However, we also run teaching, research, administrative, journalism, and public interest volunteering projects in and around Kathmandu.

10 best volunteer programs in Nepal include:

Women’s  Empowerment, Child’s Development, Public Health & Medical Care, Environment Conservation, Youth Empowerment, Disaster Risk Reduction, Public Interest, Adventure and Volunteering, Journalism, Management, and Administration.

Thanks to our dedicated staff, VIN can ensure these projects run consistently, building the trust of the communities and relationships with our partners.  However, our international and national volunteer in Nepal are a huge asset to our projects. You may participate in our sustainable development programs as a volunteer in Nepal or intern.  We also organize group volunteering, family volunteering, work camp opportunities, and Adventure Volunteer Projects.  All that we ask is adaptability, flexibility & positive attitude. Apply to volunteer today and be part of making a real difference.

Nepal’s Challenge

Despite Nepal’s popular appeal to tourists, it is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world, with over 25% of its population living below the poverty line. A country of contrasts, Nepal is home to a dramatic landscape and a rich culture.  But its geography renders around 80% of its land hostile to agriculture, it is susceptible to natural disasters and its feudal and religious heritage means that discrimination between gender and caste prevents Nepal from looking towards a brighter future.

Landlocked, the country remains in an uncomfortable strategic position between the powers of India and China.  Much of the land itself is hostile to agriculture, with approximately only 20% being open to cultivation, yet more than 75% of the population still depend on agriculture for survival.  This means there are periods in the year when families have no source of either income or subsistence.

Despite the severe shortage of fertile land, more than 75% of Nepal’s population depends on subsistence farming for survival.  During the harvest season, children in rural areas will not be allowed to attend school, and are needed at home to babysit or complete chores.  In the months when there is no yield for land, the children become a source of income, farmed out as child labor.  In the instances where children do attend school, they are not encouraged to open their books at the end of the day because they have chores to do.  And where incomes are tight, families cannot afford the extra cost of school supplies and uniforms.

Despite a pledge by the Nepalese Government to the UN to empower its women by 2015, gender discrimination remains a constant reality.  A girl child is often seen by their family as a burden.  Instead of receiving education and the chance of a better job, they are arranged to be married at an early age and become dependent upon their husband.  Where approximately 48% of the population remains illiterate, the statistics are significantly higher for women. Only 31% of the population has access to improved sanitation and the scarce water on which the country relies is polluted by animal, human, agricultural, or industrial waste.

Political unrest has been a constant shadow across Nepal for some time.  While hope for change emerged in 2006 with the end of a decade of civil war, the subsequent coalition governments have failed to draft a meaningful constitution on time.  The new assembly elected in November 2013 expressly committed that the new constitution would be promulgated on January 22, 2015, and finally, the assembly promulgated it in September 2015. New elections were held on local, provincial, and federal levels in 2017. Nepal finally has a stable government but the government has a lot of challenges to draft new laws and acts according to the new constitution.

Our Response

VIN facilitates projects focused on the women and children of marginalized communities against this challenging backdrop.  VIN believes that the empowerment of women and children will bring about positive change so desperately needed in Nepal.

JitpurPhedi:

JitpurPhedi, an underprivileged rural community, was VIN’s pilot community, where work began in 2007.  Jitpur Phedi is situated just 11km from Kathmandu and is comprised of nine separate small villages, each of which accounts for several smaller settlements.  JitpurPhedi is home to approximately 6000 people of a variety of castes, and ethnic groups living in over 1000 dwellings.

Tarakeshwar Municipality:

Tarakeshwar municipality – outskirts of Kathmandu: 10 to 17 KM from the main city of Kathmandu, Kavresthali, Jitpurphedi, Dharmasthali, Sangla, Futung, Jhor Mahankal, and surrounding. It takes about 30-45 minutes to reach these locations by local bus. Rich in natural beauty; close to the capital; historical importance yet people are poor and living a difficult life. People there are involved in traditional farming and small-scale economic activities. It’s a great area to experience an authentic Nepali life.

In almost 13 years, VIN has made significant progress within the community; aiding the construction of toilets in 3000 homes in collaboration with local government organizations and international volunteer in Nepal; VIN formally registered Women’s Cooperatives in JitpurPhedi, Taluwa & Thulachhap helping over 2000 women to gain access to funds to use for income generation for their families; providing 4000 children with training on their basic rights and training thousands of women on vegetable farming, literacy and life-skills and other entrepreneurship building.

Okhaldhunga:

Okhaldhunga: Situated in the Everest region of Nepal, some 250km from Kathmandu, Okhaldhunga has a population of over 12,000.  VIN has been working with three villages – Taluwa, Thulachhap of Siddhicharan Municipality, and Bhadaure of Chisankhugadhi Rural Municipality.

VIN believes in financial transparency.  The project fees paid by our volunteers are the main source of income to fund our community projects.  VIN receives no funds from government or foreign agencies.  However, we are mindful to ensure our costs and the resulting fees are kept to a minimum and to maintain transparency on how the fee you pay to us is spent. These fees allow VIN to continue our work in the community.  We think you will find the fees affordable but are happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you for taking the time to read about our work.