About the ProjectBuild a latrine for a family in Nepal
W.A.S.H.
Water, sanitation and hygiene for all
WASH is an acronym that stands for “water, sanitation and hygiene”. Water services is a key issue within international development. Water is essential to population welfare from health and food security to social well-being and livelihoods.
Globally, 2.3 billion people are without sanitation facilities and 844 million people are without access to safe and clean drinking water. Preventable related diseases claim tens of thousands of lives in the developing world. Lack of water and sanitation facilities prevent students from attending school, and reduce later achievements and work productivity.
DWC’s W.A.S.H. program provides sustainable interventions aimed at improving health, food security, student learning, gender equality and other issues that affect poverty reduction through access to healthy and safe water, better sanitation, and improved hygiene behaviours.
The construction of wells, watergates, irrigation and rainwater systems provides collection and storage of safe water for family homes and community facilities, particularly in areas where there has been highly irregular and declining precipitation.
Latrine construction in remote communities aims to eradicate open defecation by providing affordable and sufficient sanitation. This benefits health, safety, and livelihoods, and offers cleaner soil, air and water supplies.
In Nepal
- A home with concrete floors increases family security
- Nepal has a massive housing crisis especially effecting the elderly
What to ExpectA Typical Workday in Nepal
Nepal is a country with much beauty and much poverty. Many families here bring in little income and circumstances leave them trying to eke out a living. Volunteer in Nepal and improve sanitation health in rural communities.
Our goal is to build latrines for the poorest families in need who have been identified by our in-country partner. Creating Possibilities Nepal (CP), is a non-political, non-religious, non-profit social organization. The group envisions a democratic society and believes in the universal realization of human rights and in transparent and good governance.
CP’s achievements include an educational fund for the underprivileged children and women of Nepal; launching income-generating programs for parents; helping women and children improve their quality of leadership; and initiating local, regional and international alliances to combat labour exploitation and sexual violation of children and women.
By working on this latrine project, families’ health, safety, security and convenience will improve through more hygienic waste disposal practices. You’ll work alongside like-minded volunteers who are also passionate about travel and giving others a hand up, not a hand out.
It's Not All Work
Expect warm and sunny days with daytime temperatures generally hovering around a pleasant 26°C. Temperatures can vary, depending on how high up in the mountains you’re working, so it’s a good idea to prepare for a little of everything.
Nepal is a Mecca for trekkers and weekend time will offer lots of chances to hit the trails or take in some of the many cultural experiences that the country offers.
Trip Details
Each trip is coordinated by DWC with the help of a Team Leader, who has travelled with DWC previously, is First Aid Certified, and has completed a Criminal Record Check. Your Team Leader will liaise with DWC and ensure all your questions are answered. Your Team Leader will handle all team finances through the trip and travel with you to ensure the best possible travel and volunteer experience for their team! They also facilitate fun, cultural experiences where possible, ensuring group cohesion. See your Team Leader Biography here:
Heather & Jenn
Growing up, Heather spent a lot of time outdoors with her family hiking, camping and travelling around Canada and the U.S. After high school, Heather put on a backpack and spent 6 weeks making her way from Greece to Denmark. This European vacation sparked a love of international travel and adventure. Always interested in combining her passion for volunteering with travel, in 2016, Heather joined a DWC trip to the Philippines. Working with DWC and Kamloops Hot Yoga, the group built a house for a local family and completed various projects for DWC’s local partner, Rise Above Foundation. She loved it so much she led a DWC trip to Peru in 2018. In her spare time Heather she can be found doing yoga, hiking with her dogs, kayaking or finding any excuse to be outdoors.
Jennifer Erickson has travel in her blood. She is passionate about exploring new places and cultures. Her first trip with DWC was to India in October 2015 where she worked on a project to build a women’s shelter. This project hooked her on the kind of engaged travel that DWC trips provide. In 2016/17, she took a one-year leave of absence from work to travel and participated in two DWC projects – building a home in the Philippines and a return to India as a team leader. Jennifer is a public servant in her work life, working for the Ministry of Health in Victoria. In addition to India, Jen lived in France and has travelled to places as varied as Peru, Scandinavia, the Middle East, Asia and East Africa. She is passionate about community development and empowering people to contribute to improving their lives.
Travel Light Offset Your Carbon Footprint
Carbon offsets are used to compensate for the greenhouse gasses that we create through certain activities, such as flying. For every tonne of carbon released into the atmosphere, an ‘offset’ is a carefully designed project that absorbs or stores the equivalent CO2 emissions. You can choose to offset your own flight, your whole family’s, or do this as a gift for a friend.
Offset Your Carbon Footprint
Joy
Trip Coordinator