Teach, Share, Belong: Volunteer Long - Term in Rural Nepal
“Life in Nepal requires a brave, adventurous and loving spirit. I know I will come back again. I left my heart here.” Jasmine, from Sydney
Most people who volunteer with Take on Nepal come for one or two weeks, sometimes just five days. Even a short stay counts for a lot. Children who have never left the village make friends with someone from the other side of the world. Volunteers go home to Sydney, Auckland or rural Queensland a little different from when they left.
But two weeks goes by fast. It usually takes about that long just to settle in. By then you know the village paths, the children’s names, which hostel kids are shy and which ones never stop talking, and how the day runs at the community school in Batase. Many volunteers tell us that just as they felt at home and ready to really help, it was time to pack.
That’s why we’re asking you to stay longer.
Why Your Time Matters Here
In Batase, most families with money send their children to private boarding schools. The children left behind, from the poorest families, go to the local community school. These include the children who live in our hostel.
Many of their parents and grandparents never went to school. In some homes, education isn’t valued because nobody in the family has ever seen what it can do. These children don’t lack ability or curiosity. They lack opportunity, and people around them who can show them a bigger world.
You can be one of those people.
When a child spends months learning beside a volunteer from Australia, New Zealand, the UK or anywhere else, they learn more than English words. They see that life can look different. Girls see that their future doesn’t have to be decided for them. Every child starts to believe that education could take them further than they ever imagined.
What Volunteers Do
Long-term volunteers work with the children at our hostel and in the Batase community school. The work is practical and hands-on, and it’s often fun:
Teaching English: conversation, reading, games and songs. Confidence matters as much as grammar.
Hygiene and health: handwashing, dental care and personal hygiene. Simple habits that protect children’s health for life.
Routine and life skills: timekeeping, organisation, responsibility, and the habits that help children cope in the world beyond the village.
Gender equality: showing girls and boys that both deserve education, respect and the chance to follow their dreams.
Sharing what you know: art, music, sport, science, computers, cooking, gardening, first aid. If you know it, someone here would love to learn it.
Teachers are especially welcome. If you’re a qualified or retired teacher from Australia, New Zealand or another English-speaking country, your experience can change how lessons work at the school. You can support the local teachers as well as the children. But you don’t need a teaching degree. Any skill or knowledge from outside the village gives these children something they couldn’t get anywhere else.
Who Should Come?
Gap-year students and young travellers: Before you start university or a career, live somewhere completely different for a while. You’ll come home with stories, perspective and friendships most people your age never get. And to the children, a young volunteer is a big brother or sister who shows them what’s possible.
Mid-career professionals: Need a break, a reset, or a reminder of what matters? A sabbatical in Batase puts your skills to work where they’re needed most. Nurses, builders, tradespeople and teachers are especially valuable.
Retirees: You have a lifetime of knowledge, patience and stories. In Nepali culture, elders are deeply respected, and the children will treat you like a beloved grandparent. Many retired volunteers say it’s the most meaningful thing they’ve done in years.
Life in the Village
This isn’t a resort, and that’s the point. You’ll eat dal bhat with local families. You’ll wake to roosters and children’s voices. You might help herd goats after school or learn to cook over a wood fire. Some days you’ll be filled with wonder, and some days you’ll feel a little uneasy at the hardship you see. Both stay with you.
Long after they go home, volunteers find themselves wondering what their friends in Batase would think of a supermarket, a shopping centre, an expensive jacket or a backyard barbecue. The village becomes part of who they are.
How the Long-Term Program Works
You choose how long to stay: one month, three months, six months, or longer.
It costs very little: fees cover only basic accommodation and food. This isn’t a profit-making program. It exists so the children can learn from you over time.
You get support: our team helps you settle in, introduces you to the school and families, and supports you throughout your stay.
You can extend a short trip: the program can start straight after one of our shorter volunteer trips.
Real Change Takes Time
A week can open a child’s eyes. A few months can change the direction of their life.
When a volunteer stays long enough to watch a shy child start speaking English, or to see a girl stand up in class with confidence, or to see handwashing become a habit, that’s when the real change happens. It’s change you’ll see for yourself.
Ready to stay longer? Visit our Long Term Volunteering page for details, or get in touch to talk about how your skills could help the children of Batase.
The children are waiting, and they’d love you to stay a while.
