Summary
Volunteering on a women empowerment program
Program location
Pokhara, Nepal
Length of program
Between 2 and 12 weeks
Group/individual basis
Solo travel
Support
Help and advice from our UK office throughout. Local support from project coordinators.
Pre-departure information
You will receive thorough information on your My Oyster account covering project expectations, preparation, health and safety, responsible travel and arrival arrangements at least 4 weeks before departure.
Includes
- Organizing voluntary teaching work with women, running classes and workshops
- ATOL Protection (if Oyster books your flights) or through International Passenger Protection (IPP), if you book your own
- Transfer from Pokhara Airport and return at the end of the placement
- Full 2 – 3 day orientation – covering H&S, risks, volunteer work and training, orientation of local area, boat trip to temple on the lake.
- Nepali class and cooking lesson
- Accommodation with a local family and other volunteers
- All meals (whilst with the family)
- Volunteer t-shirt
Not included
- Flights
- Travel and medical insurance
- Any home country travel expenses
- Visa fee
- Further travel
Accommodation
Shared accommodation with project coordinator, Nepali family and other volunteers
Travel arrangements
Organize your own flights to Pokhara on day before the start date. You will be collected from the airport.
Medical
Vaccinations will be required. We recommend that you visit your doctor or travel nurse as soon as possible to discuss what you might need to have. Please be aware that Oyster staff are not able to give advice on your medical background or the type of vaccinations that you might need. You can get useful medical advice relating to your destination on the ‘Fit For Travel’ website – http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/.
You must inform Oyster of any pre-existing physical or mental health conditions. Oyster staff may ask for you to provide a letter from your doctor before continuing with your booking.
Any risk factors
Nepal is recovering from serious earthquakes that struck in April and May 2015. We are monitoring the advice from the FCO and our partners in Nepal.
Nepal has experienced political unrest in recent years, with street demonstrations occasionally turning violent. We advise participants to avoid them. Foreign travelers may be targeted for minor theft, so take care of your belongings. There is a low risk of terrorism. Safety standards are lower in the developing world (eg. for transport). There is risk of infectious disease, so appropriate vaccination is essential, as is protection against malaria.
Insurance
You must take out a full travel insurance policy as soon as you can before departure. This must cover you for trekking, personal accident, medical, cancellation, emergency evacuation (including helicopter evacuation), lost luggage etc. We strongly recommend that you organize your travel insurance upon booking your place. We can introduce a policy with Global Travel Insurance to UK citizens, details of which can be found in your My Oyster account, once you have completed your booking. If you are not eligible for this insurance, please read through it to have an idea of what you need to be covered for. Make sure that you are covered for trekking at altitude.
Downtime
Participants will be able to travel independently during their time off, as long as they accept that they will be outside Oyster’s jurisdiction, make appropriate insurance provision and inform others.
Accessibility
The project could accommodate those with minor physical disabilities. Please discuss with destination manager before booking.
Financial security
When you book with Oyster you can rest assured that your money will be protected and you will not be stranded abroad in the very unlikely event that our company becomes insolvent. If your booking includes a flight arranged by us, your whole trip will be subject to ATOL protection. If we have not booked your flight then your trip will be just as safe, since it will be insured through International Passenger Protection Ltd.