Volunteering in Nepal
Home to the Himalayas and 29 million people, Nepal is well-known for its spectacular mountainous scenery.
Nepal became a republic in 2008 and experienced a political transition following 10 years of civil conflict, which ended in 2006.
The country faces multiple development challenges, and its infrastructure has been vulnerable to frequent natural disasters. In 2015, two devastating earthquakes struck — major setbacks to development progress. More than 8,000 people died and there was widespread destruction of infrastructure, heritage sites and agricultural land. Economic growth is expected to rebound as the country continues to recover from the earthquakes.
Australia has a long history of supporting human and economic development in Nepal. The Australian Volunteers Program aligns with the Australian Government’s Aid Investment Plan for Nepal, with a strong focus on supporting government agencies to enhance organisational capacity to deliver quality programs.
The program focuses on placing volunteers in local government bodies. The Constitution of Nepal stipulates federal, provincial and local level governance structures and provides wide ranging power and responsibilities to local elected government bodies. Local governments are responsible for the planning and implementation of local development programs and delivery of services.
The majority of volunteer assignments have historically been concentrated in the Kathmandu Valley. The program is now placing volunteers away from Kathmandu Valley, in locations such as in Dharan, Dhankuta, Udayapur in Province no. 1, Sindhuli, Dhulikhel, Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Hetauda and Chitwan in Province no. 3, Gorkha, Damauli, Pokhara, Waling, Kushma, Baglung in Province no. 4 and Tansen, Resunga and Musikot in Province no. 5.

International tourists flock to Nepal to discover the delights of trekking through the Himalayas but that’s not all the country has to offer.
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