AVS15-VIN-1

Hosting NGO
VIN (Volunteers Initiative Nepal)
 
Contact person
Dinesh Khatiwada, General Secretary
 
Project Place
Jitpurphedi Village Development Committee, Kathmandu
 
Remark for Period
3 months participation from 02/01 and 05/01 is possible. Open to 1-2 months participation if the places are not full at 2 months before the starting date.
 
Background
Local/ social situation/ needs for the project
From the baseline study, it was found that most women in the community cannot read or write. Subsequently, they feel they cannot argue and fight for their rights with men. To date Nepal operates under patriarchal value system. The female child will often spend most of their time with their mother at home. The mother, largely uneducated, is unable to provide proper support for her daughter’s education and this results in great difference in the literacy rate between males and females, which in turn has a large impact on social and gender disparity. The women of the under developed nations like Nepal are exposed to any kind of exploitation and violence. We strongly believe Until and unless our woman doesn’t feel safe and protective in their own nation the women empowerment initiation obviously would not be beneficial.
 
Name and description of the local host
The holistic and sustainable development of the community is the main focus of VIN. The community can never proceed toward development unless the women in the family are educated, independent, safe and empowered. We thus prioritize the women empowerment project to achieve our mission of community development. VIN’s Women Empowerment projects consists of four sub programs:

• Education, Rights and life skills,
• Income Generation and Marketing,
• Microcredit Cooperative/Support Program,
• Women’s Trafficking Prevention.

VIN has developed a project which is focused on developing the capabilities of women. VIN plans to conduct various life skills training sessions for women groups, and to develop a literacy centre, running women literacy classes.
 
Aims and expected impact of the project
VIN aims to empower the Nepalese women by addressing the various problems which create an obstacle in the overall women development process.
 
Main voluntary work

• Impart awareness (cause, challenge and probable solution) regarding the women issues
• Research and conduct case studies in the community
• Provide psychological counseling and moral support to the women
• Involve in a research and documentation
• Provide life skill and income generation training, so that they don’t have to depend on others
• Work for micro co-operative and with women in their fields for their income generation
• Help & support the poor women to construct their toilet to improve their health and sanitation
• Teach English and computer to women
• Approximate working hours: 5 hours x 5 days (weekdays) in a week

 
Accommodation
Type of building: The host family identify by VIN in the working site in a simple building

• Sleeping: Sharing with other vols.
• Meals: Cooked by vols. & locals
• How and how long to go to work: 10-25 minutes’ walk from their family
• Smoking: Only outside building
• Internet access: In working site internet is not available. It is available in half an hour travel by
• public vehicle. They can also use internet in VIN’s office which is in 40 minutes distance by
• public bus. VIN will provide them the local SIM cards to use in their phone.
• Any other points: The volunteers should come with their sleeping bags and personal use materials like laptops, camera and other cream, towels, etc.

 
Location
VIN has been implementing its programs in the Jitpur community of Kathmandu District, which is only about 10 km away from main ring road of Kathmandu. About 95% people are Hindus. However, people are open minded and accept people of all religion.There are mixed castes within the communities. Dalit (otherwise known as ‘untouchables’) and Balami (a mongoloid tribe) seem to be particularly marginalized. There ere are more than 550 women following income-generation activities facilitated by VIN. The community area is very beautiful surrounded by woods, hills and fields.
Nepal has a typical monsoonal climate, with a dry season from October to May and a wet season from June to September. The main monsoon is from mid-June to September, and the very best times to visit are Autumn (September to November) and Spring (March to May). Kathmandu is not as cold as many people think. Even in the winter months (December to February) the day time temperature in the sunshine can reach a pleasant 20 degrees, but night-times can fall to near freezing. In the summer the temperatures in Kathmandu climb to 30 degrees and above. For detail, please visit https://www.volunteersinitiativenepal.org/faq/
 
Terminal

• Nearest international airport: Tribhuwan International Airport. VIN’s staff will pick the vols. up.
• Transportation from the capital or other major city: VIN arranges the hotel/ accommodation, food and transportation to go to the project. The flight detail should be sent in 2 weeks prior.

 
Other activities
The volunteers will be involving in different local festivals and events with their host families. They also can go for sightseeing around Kathmandu valley and outside Kathmandu like Chitwan Jungle Safire, Pokhara, Lumbini in their own costs. VIN can organize these visits if they are interested.
 
Qualification for volunteers
Required: Those who can communicate in English, motivated and who want to contribute for marginalized communities.
 
Attraction for volunteers
The volunteers will get chance to work with children, women and community people. They can develop the construction skills, presentation, communication and so many other skills. The volunteers will be working with VIN’s community staffs especially doctors and Women Empowerment program officer. They can learn the community development process of the organization.
 
Financial condition

• Participation fee to the host NGO: 900 Euro for 3 months (300 Euro per month)
• 720 Euro for 3 months (240 Euro per month) for those coming from less expensive countries where the annual GDP per capita is less than 10,000 US$.

 
Meetings

• On arrival training: For a week at the beginning. It will be conducted at VIN office.
• Special care during Project: VIN coordinator will visit twice on the first week and every two weeks to the project or the family. Besides, we make phone calls, text message/ email (where available) regularly. VIN’s local staffs will be always available in the community/ project site.
• Evaluation meeting: Monthly at VIN office. We conduct written evaluation every month to the working site and final written and oral evaluation and send it to Partner NGOs with pictures.

 
Other remarks
Open to Non-Asian if the places are not full at 2 months before the starting date.