Community Empowerment

Empowering Communities through responsible travel is a form of responsible tourism that supports local communities and people for improved livelihoods in rural and semi-rural part of Nepal. It is also an initiation to bring in front the hidden beauty of Nepal which are not explored through main stream tourism.

Empowering Communities is a program which shift the mindset of tourism from “seeing” to “experiencing”. Its core is to bring the communities who are out of the circle of mainstream tourism to reduce the impact of rural poverty in marginalized and unprivileged populations by empowering communities through participation and education. Empowering communities through responsible travel has major positive impacts on the locals, their controlling powers and conservation of the community. One of the main responsibilities of participant is to bring positive change in the community through their skills, experiences, learning etc.

You can be involved in school, field, community, youth club and can initiate or be involved in any program that helps in sustainable development of community, people, environment, culture etc. You can be involved in various awareness program on environment protection, livelihood opportunities, introduce best practices for waste management in rural communities in Nepal. As you will live with a local family and experience the wonders of Nepali life as you immerse yourself in the community and culture.

This is a program designed to make real differences at a grassroots level in needy Communities of Nepal.

Opportunity

Nepal is a home of 126 castes and ethnic groups speaking as many as 123 languages. 90 percent of these languages are spoken by Indigenous Peoples who have distinct cultures, languages and belief systems. Eighty-one percent of Nepali live in rural areas, including municipalities with rural characteristics, and 74 percent rely on agricultural land, forests, and fisheries for their livelihoods.

Empowering Communities is an opportunity to experience a rural life with these different ethnic group people who are spread all over the country with their unique lifestyle. The social structure of Nepal has left behind some of the caste and ethnic group, which are also regarded as “untouchables”. Our program focuses on empowering these communities of Nepal through participation in tourism field into remote village communities using sustainable tourism to touch the lives of many people and eradicate discrimination by promoting homestay in the remote region of Nepal.

Empowering Communities Project aims to provide a platform to travellers for experiencing the life of traditional Nepalese community and also help to raise awareness within the targeted community about dignity of labor and motivate them for participation and engagement.

The travellers will have an opportunity to see the real Nepal and meanwhile play vital role in the commencement of income generating enterprises, building capacity in various field within the communities in Nepal. It’s a two-way learning process where both volunteers and community people will be exchanging life time experience with each other.

There are wide spread issues where volunteers can be engaged in the community on the basis of their length of stay, group numbers, interest and experience.

Responsibility

One of the main responsibility of participant is to bring positive change in the community through their skills, experiences, learning etc. You can be involved in school, field, community, youth club and can initiate or be involved in any program that helps in sustainable development of community, people, environment, culture etc. You can be involved in various awareness program on environment protection, livelihood opportunities, introduce best practices for waste management in rural communities in Nepal. As you will live with a local family and experience the wonders of Nepali life as you immerse yourself in the community and culture.

Tourism is one of the main industries in Nepal and a strong command over the English language can land a decent pay job to anyone in the village. Volunteers can run English classes in the schools, community, women group, youth club etc. As many government schools of Nepal lack experience teachers in English language, as a result child are negligence towards the subject. Your participatory and creative approach on teaching English would add charm to learn the language among children too.

Starting with the basics of the language, the kids would be delighted if they are able to learn simple, short sentences, which enables them to understand English and express themselves in the same language. You’re also encouraged to arrange extra-curricular activities and games for the children after school to keep them engaged and provide a safe and supervised after-school environment while their parents are working.

Participant who have skill on facilitating awareness program, skill development training and are experienced in livelihood program can educate and aware women in the communities. If we see the rural society of Nepal, an overwhelming gender gaps in literacy, enrollment in educational enterprise is seen. Women are financially dependent upon male members of the family so they have very less decision-making power. Social, economic, and cultural factors exacerbate the situation and illustrate the need for a holistic response. Thus, volunteers can also assist women group of communities with various educational program.

Practical and Informative information:

• You need to remember that your stay in the community is the first step of empowering them. This is a perfect program for the people who want to travel, know & experience real Nepal and be a part of community empowerment.
• Get to know Nepal from the words of expert. You will also have chance to visit various organization and understand the issues on which you are going to work in the community. You will be given additional information on the specific sector you choose.
• Choose between four community development sectors where your work makes a real and lasting difference and if you have any other expertise, you can contact us so that we can explore the possibility.
• Enjoy the experience of a practical volunteer project that produces long-term results you can be proud of later.
• Community development involves many different things, from empowering women to become self-sufficient; to help promote the traditional culture of the locals.
• This is a program where you will see Nepal from the eyes of “local”-specially the marginalized and unprivileged community.

Typical day during your stay in village.

First Day: On your first day of volunteering, our staff will introduce you with the local community leader who will be briefing and helping you during your entire stay in the village.

Weekdays: While a volunteer’s daily schedule will vary depending on the specific program, a typical day is as follows:

1. 8:00 AM Breakfast at your home-stay.
2. 8.30 AM Volunteers leave home for the volunteering work. The number of hours volunteers will be working depends on each program. You will be provided with light snacks break around 1:00 pm.
3. 2.00 PM – 3.00 PM Work for the day usually ends at this time. Then you are free to explore the village and head back to your homestay before dark.
4. 6.00 PM – 8.00 PM Dinner at the homestay.
5. Weekend: You can do the hiking and explore the nearby areas.