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Placing Volunteers from overseas at our partner schools has become one of our key projects over the past few years. We do this because we strongly believe that connecting rural schools with people from around the world armed with new ideas, enthusiasm, and long-lasting friendships will allow children to broaden their horizons and unlock their potential. Volunteer teachers are welcomed with excitement in Helambu. Students are usually taught through rote learning from textbooks, with exams every four months. Volunteers bring a different approach to learning and teaching, as well as new skills and ideas.
They introduce a more interactive way of teaching, which can often inspire local teachers and have a much longer-lasting effect on the school. They make learning fun and engaging, encouraging children to come to school regularly and encouraging parents to enrol them. Volunteers can be especially helpful with pronunciation (both for students and teachers), grammar, expanding vocabulary, communication skills and confidence levels of students. As well as teaching children, volunteers also provide English lessons (and, where possible, computer lessons) for teachers after school, creating a more sustainable and lasting impact.
Before starting their placement, international volunteers also fundraise a minimum of £300 for their placement school and HELP's core projects, providing a vital source of income for HELP's activities. HELP acts as a facilitator, rather than a 'volunteering agency', recruiting volunteers from abroad with the help of several partner organisations and placing them at partner schools. Since receiving its first volunteer in 2010, HELP has placed over a hundred volunteers at fifteen partner schools, with the number increasing each year. This has largely been possible due to a number of international partner organisations such as CU HELP and CUELST at Cambridge, OU HELP in Oxford and ITA in Denmark.
Testimonials:
Laxmi Piette, from Cambridge University, who volunteered with us in 2017, writes,
"I don't think words can ever do justice to this experience! I remember it very fondly and with a great sense of gratitude that I had the opportunity to share and receive so much from the people of Bhotenamlang. I remember what re-assured me the most about the CU HELP volunteer programme (over other international development programmes available to students) is that it is a grassroots programme led by people wanting to change the communities they grew in for the better, as opposed to an external voice imposing change. I want to request all the upcoming volunteers to throw themselves into it and just embrace the whole experience - there's little point in telling you what to expect, as words simply can't do justice. Just go out and try it for yourself, and you will never look back! For donors and supporters, HELP is such a wonderful charity; down-to-earth, direct, caring and connected to all supporters past and present, committed to driving positive change through a truly beautiful combination of local and foreign talent. It's been such a pleasure working for CU HELP, witnessing its amazing work first hand and would thoroughly recommend getting involved! ''
Douglas Hull, from Cambridge University, who volunteered with us in 2013, writes,
"I have very good memories of my time at Tartong and the rest of my trip. I remember that the children were very friendly and keen to learn, that the new school looked very smart (though it was unfortunately subsequently destroyed by the earthquake), and that I had an amazing host (David), who cooked all kinds of tasty food on the stove, including chapatis, chips and I think even apple pie. I would defer to you and your colleagues on the best way in which to continue this volunteering programme - if you still see that it delivers value to the schools, then I would be very supportive of it continuing. My only words of recommendation would be to go for as long as possible, take every opportunity along the way, and try to learn as much as possible from the local teachers and community."
Dan Jollans from Durham University, who volunteered with us in 2013, writes,
"I had a brilliant time volunteering in Nakote. I've yet to meet a more enthusiastic group of children! I remember dark evenings spent trying to plan lessons, long scrambles down the hill to collect the ball during lunchtime football and classrooms of children with far too much energy. The teachers at Nakote School we welcoming but really had limited resources to work with. At Nakote school, I remember the welcoming teachers and beautiful setting, the limited materials in the classrooms, and the long distance to the closest secondary school for the school leavers. I hope that the volunteering programme continues for a long time to come. The HELP team are improving the programme each year; from a volunteer's perspective, it's a great opportunity. To future volunteers - make sure to give yourself enough time out in Nepal and bring as many teaching materials as possible. To donors and supporters - this is a great local organisation that needs all the help you can give. "
Natasha Godsiff, who volunteered with us in 2018, writes,
"The experience was incredibly rewarding. It was a fantastic opportunity to live with a host family and interact with the community to learn more about Nepali culture. We aimed to make our teaching as interactive as possible, often getting children to write on the whiteboard, running games at the end of every lesson, and teaching songs with actions. We loved seeing the confidence of the children grows after each lesson. We also ran after-school classes for the teachers to improve their English, including conversation skills and hosting debates between the teachers. The experience brings benefits to both the volunteers and the schools. For the schools, local teachers could observe our lessons and therefore adopt our interactive teaching style to make their lessons engaging. The children, particularly older children, tried to engage in conversations with us to improve their English skills, and we often helped them with their homework to improve spelling and grammar. I wholeheartedly recommend the programme for future volunteers! The experience is like no other, and you will learn so much. Volunteers impact the schools through their time and effort in teaching, but the children also impact volunteers and leave unforgettable memories. "
Interested in volunteering with us? Please contact us to find out more.
