"My experience with VIN was positive in many ways. The VIN staff is omprised of great people who are fun to work with. The projects are also very interesting and inspiring. My primary work was teaching English to local monks at the Osel Ling Monastery in Kathmandu. It was fascinating to live among them and experience their lifestyle and traditions - both of which were completely unknown to me before my time in Nepal. I also had the chance to spend some time at the orphanage playing with the kids there. Helping them spell their names with blocks, playing volleyball, and the other activities we did with the kids to bring a smile to their faces is an experience I'll always remember. If you're coming to Nepal, take some time to volunteer - it greatly enriches the experience and one's knowledge of Nepal & its people."
Marc Nestor, USA ,
Mechanical Engineer
More than 130,000 Tibetans live in exile in India, Nepal, and Bhutan, and nearly 20 percent of those exiled live in Nepal. Although they are now free to practice their religion and rebuild their cultural heritage, they still face many problems in Tibet's neighboring countries, especially in Nepal.
Education for Tibetan children is a high priority and the biggest challenge for them. Primary education schools—called Tibetan Children's Villages—were established by the Tibetan community in Nepal. These schools support religious Tibetan practices and provides education schooling in Buddhist philosophies as well as a variety of other areas such as English and computer skills. The structure and subjects taught vary from monastery to monastery.
We need 8 volunteers at a time in the monastery and all very urgently needed!
As a volunteer in Teaching English to Buddhist Monks Program, you will provide basic conversational English instruction to Tibetan and Nepali children. Volunteers also organize games, paintings, drawings, and other creative activities. As a unique facet of this placement, volunteers will witness and participate in traditional Buddhist rituals.
Teaching English to Buddhist Monks has been especially designed for volunteers interested to learn from and about Buddhist culture. Volunteers will work in Ngesdon Osel Ling, Karmasaling and other two monasteries on the outskirts of Kathmandu, and other monasteries for a period of one or two months up to a year - the longer, the better. The duration of the involvement will be decided upon by VIN and the volunteers. These will teach English to both junior and senior monks, as well as teachers, for around two to three hours per day.
In turn, the monks will share their philosophy and culture with the volunteers as much as their English allows them to. Volunteers have access to a vast library of Dharma books and can join the monks' practices and ceremonies. Additionally, there are many pilgrimage sites in and out of the Kathmandu valley that can be visited: Namo Buddha, Boudhanath Lumbini and Swayambhunath are just a few of them.
Swayambhu stupa lies in the East of Kathmandu and, being over 2500 years of age, is one of the most ancient Buddhist sites in the world and one of Kathmandu's main attractions. Osel Ling Monastery is situated nearby on a hill overlooking the stupa and the entire Kathmandu valley. Volunteers will live in the monastery with the monks which give them the unique opportunity to become a real part of the close monastic community.
They are more than welcome to pass on any of their knowledge about mathematics, the sciences, medicine, computing, etc. too. Most of the monks have solely been educated in Buddhist subjects and greatly appreciate any skills that will enable them to manage the monastery, its business and everyday life in an increasingly modernised world entirely on their own.
Knowledge about the Western world, but especially the English language which is continues to become more and more important in any domain, will enable the monks to impart their Buddhist expertise to Westerners. The programme's focus is thus on the exchange of spiritual and secular knowledge from which both sides will benefit, monks as well as volunteers.
Before volunteers leave for the site, they will be given intensive Nepali language and cultural classes, as well as daily teacher training. They will also be taken to the holy sites around the Kathmandu Valley. After two weeks, the volunteers will be placed in the monastery with the monks.
Are you interested to learn about a different culture? Are you keen on tasting Tibetan thukpa and chia, seeing the sun rise behind the Buddha Shakyamuni statue and teaching English with a photograph of His Holiness the Dalai Lama overlooking the class?
Do you want to know what life in a monastery is like?
Find out for yourself and join hands with VIN.
Watch Our Videos
Introduction:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb-eBrGBU3k
Womens Empowerment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cJmt5KzuCU
Children Development:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfJqYFPvVKI
Youth Development:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohv2YHj_5RU
Teachers Development:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-gZSpuV4Yw
Health & Sanitation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0ST61JpgBc
Monasteries & Nunneries:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pHaqXlmc6I
