Stichting Veldwerk at Nepal

Secretariaat: Stichting Veldwerk Postbus 163 1850 AD Heiloo The Netherlands

Tel:+31 (0)72-5339585 veldwerk@wlink.com.np IBAN nr. NL51ABNA0543703266 Attn. Stichting Veldwerk, p/a Egmond binnen Bank: ABN-Amro 543703266

My experiences working with Veldwerk as a volunteer.

My name is Jimi,

I'm 24 years old and I decided that a wanted to see more from the world before I committed myself to a long-term job as a teacher in Holland. I didn't want to go somewhere as a tourist without a goal but wanted to do something.


I decided that I would try to find work as a volunteer somewhere outside Europe and started to search for organizations in that direction. I was very surprised about the way that most of them worked, I wasn't able to offer a lot of money, and their profit would be 5-6 months free labor from my side. Most of the organizations where only interested in the money and the work that I would do there was more like a detail. Through a friend I heard of a Dutch guy, who had an organization in Nepal and who regularly placed volunteers in projects over there. The first mail he returned carried the title: 'A lot of reasons why you shouldn't be a volunteer in Nepal.' After reading it I decided that I could handle all the given points and now I'm already here in Katmandu for two months.
Rene found a school for me where I took over from another volunteer that was going to leave the next week. Especially the first few weeks he didn't only arrange everything on the school but also made sure that I knew where to go in Katmandu and arranged a guesthouse with volunteers discount for the weekends. I'm very glad that I found this organization, the work at the school is exactly what I hoped for and I know that I always can call Rene's children's house whenever there is a problem which I can't solve by myself.


My work at the school
I'm working at the Mount Kailash boarding school. During the week I also sleep and eat there. There are about 220 students on the school, from nursery till class 10 (16-19 year). During the day I have several tasks, I teach English to class 1 till 5 and I guide one of the teacher with several of her lessons. In the evening I've formed small groups of weak students out of class 1 till 5 and I give them extra English lessons. When it comes to English the education system in Nepal is basically all about reproduction, the children have to make sure that they have the exact copy from their books inside their heads. The principal of the school is trying to change it but it's not easy when the government delivers the exams. Still we manage to do new things with the students. We give them more questions that are asking them about their opinion or about a story that we told them so they have to give an answer, using their own words.



The students are children who came to Katmandu from the remote areas or as a refugee from Tibet. Every child has a personal sponsor, who makes it possible to provide the child clothes, food, a bed and education. Beside the lessons there is a lot of contact with the children and the teachers and there is a very good atmosphere. One time your teaching the little children how you should play football and the next day you are wandering how on earth somebody did managed to create a game like cricket while one of the students is running very fast towards you to throw the ball in the direction of your bat, which of course is placed the wrong way.
I think that it is a great experience for anyone to work here for a few months because the impressions you get are so different then as you would go here as a tourist. There is much more contact with the local people and you still have time enough to discover the beautiful places, temples and mountains that the country contains. So, after closing my note book and walking outside my room so that I can hear the homeless dogs from the city below and the jackals in the mounains above me, I hope you got a bit of the picture I'm getting from Nepal right now and also feel like going there.

Jimi Oostrum