Volunteer Skills and Qualification
If you're thinking about volunteering in Nepal, you're probably wondering if there are any skills or qualifications that you need to volunteer. And while many organizations are open to volunteers of all ages, the majority of volunteers are young people with limited work experience, especially professionally. Don't let this deter you from volunteering abroad. Most programs do not require any sort of skills or qualifications in order for you to participate. The most important thing is that you are enthusiastic, hardworking, and ready to help people and the community. In general, as long as you have a good command of the English language, you are ready to volunteer abroad.
Of course, some projects are a bit more specific, and may require at least a little bit of experience so that you can adequately perform your job. For instance, teaching English may require complete fluency in the language. Medical work also may require some background in medicine, understandably. Below we have listed our volunteer projects and described what sort of skills and qualifications, if any, are needed.
Orphanage Work With Children
The most important skills needed for working in a children’s orphanage are love, compassion, and patience. These children are simply looking for affection and kindness from you. Occasionally, you will be teaching them very basic skills such as math, science, and English. You don’t need any extra skills, as you will most likely already have the education needed. Other things you might be doing are cooking, organizing games for the children, and doing creative projects. As long as you are creative, flexible, and patient, you’ll be able to do great work.
Teaching English
This is one of the most popular work choices for volunteers. Although teaching a class full of students may sound intimidating, all it really requires is patience and knowledge of English. If you have previous teaching experience, you’ll be able to apply it here. If you don’t, it will be a great
opportunity to gain some.
Medical/Health Work
HHFN will require some sort of previous experience in the medical field for those who want to volunteer doing medical or health work. You will be asked to show certification or proof of your experience before being allowed to enroll. For those who want to do medical work but have no experience, an internship might be arranged through your volunteer program.
Community Development
For those looking to do work in community development, so specific skills or qualifications are required. Previous experience in leadership, project management, or teaching may help, but isn’t absolutely necessary. As long as you are committed and hard working, you won’t have any problems.
Women’s Empowerment
For these projects, no specific skills or qualifications are needed, but a general understanding of women’s issues in your host country will add to your understanding of the work. If you have social work experience, that is a plus, but in general as long as you are passionate about the issues and like interacting with women and girls, you’ll enjoy the experience.
Nature Or Wildlife Conservation
Conservation projects are very popular among volunteers because it usually means you’ll be spending your time working with animals or in nature, and usually in a tropical setting. You will be working with several animals, or working in a rainforest or other natural setting. Conservation projects generally require no previous experience or special skills other than a love for animals, nature, and the environment. You should be prepared to work hard and learn a lot. Now that you have a basic understanding of what sort of skills or qualifications are needed to participate in the most popular volunteer abroad projects, you’ll hopefully feel more confident and secure in your choice of a program. Or, understandably, you may have some additional questions about things you might need to know before going abroad. Below are some of the most common questions volunteers have:
Do I Need To Know The Local Nepali Language?
It can be scary at first to think about working in a foreign country where you don’t know the language. For the most part, you’ll be able to find someone everyone who at least speaks a little English. Knowing the Nepali language is usually not required, but having some prior knowledge can be very helpful. We offer weeklong orientations with intensive language training, which is highly recommended. You can also take some time to study the language before you leave for your trip – there are many resources online that make this manageable. Every program is different, so if you are really worried about the language barrier, speak with someone your coordinator about your concerns.
Do I Need To Be Physically Fit?
It’s important to be in good health when volunteering, simply because you will be in a new environment and you want to take every precaution that nothing will happen to you while outside of your home country. While there are generally no requirements as to your fitness, you will be traveling, consuming new types of food and drink, and perhaps participating in some adventurous activities, so make sure you are in good enough health to enjoy the experience.
Does It Matter Where I’m From?
You can volunteer no matter where you come from. There is no any restrictions on the nationality of the volunteer. You do, however, need to take into consideration any visa restrictions your home country may have, as you will need to obtain a visa before arriving Nepal.
