Volunteer Opportunities
Bring your skills to Pokhara.
Spend two months in Nepal supporting our team of counsellors and teachers as they care for at-risk girls. Volunteers share clinical expertise, mentor staff, and experience the warmth of the NHK community first-hand.
Time commitment
Two months on the ground in Pokhara, Nepal.
Room & board
Pokhara has accommodation for every budget. Our team will help you find a fit — most volunteers walk, cycle or bus to NHK. Fundraising support is available for selected volunteers.
Language
The Nepali counsellors and teachers all speak and work in English.
Volunteer role
Counsellor Supervisor
The NHK team is made up of three wonderful therapists who will benefit greatly from the presence of an experienced child and youth supervisor.
What you'll do
- Meet with staff at least 5 days a week to provide counselling training and case supervision
- Assist and support our teaching staff — including helping children with learning challenges and trauma histories
- If possible, provide a training of your choice to the wider community
What we're looking for
- Master's degree or equivalent in a related field
- Experience working with children and youth
- Thorough understanding of child development and the effects of attachment disruption and trauma
- Experience assessing the emotional underpinnings of children's behaviour and providing intervention strategies
- Experience providing supervision, training and support to staff
- Competence in working with diversity and gender equality
- Understanding of human rights and client-centred approaches
- Ability to use initiative and function independently
- Diplomacy and assertiveness — ability to discuss sensitive issues with respect and care
- Maturity, flexibility and adaptability in working with traditional cultures
Volunteer role
Teacher Mentor
The NHK team is made up of three wonderful teachers who will benefit greatly from the presence of an experienced teacher.
The teaching staff at Nepal House Kaski use a holistic curriculum based on Nepal educational requirements with therapeutic, trauma-informed elements. They use experiential learning for fundamentals like reading, writing and math, and nurture supportive, caring relationships.
Montessori materials, garden work, art, dance, daily exercise, organized games, songs and yoga are all part of the day. Festivals and special rituals are an important part of the curriculum. Teaching staff also accompany children to regular medical, eye, and ear checkups.
The student group is a combination of girls of different ages, usually between 5 and 12 years old.
What you'll do
- Assist and support our teaching staff, including children with learning challenges and trauma histories
- If possible, provide a training of your choice to the wider community
What we're looking for
- Master's degree or equivalent in a related field
- Experience working with children and youth
- Thorough understanding of child development and the effects of attachment disruption and trauma
- Experience assessing the emotional underpinnings of children's behaviour and providing intervention strategies
- Experience providing supervision, training and support to staff
- Competence in working with diversity and gender equality
- Understanding of human rights and client-centred approaches
- Ability to use initiative and function independently
- Diplomacy and assertiveness — ability to discuss sensitive issues with respect and care
- Maturity, flexibility and adaptability in working with traditional cultures
Ready to apply?
Send us a resume and cover letter and we'll be in touch to talk through the placement.