About the ProjectBuild a home for a family and distribute bikes in Nepal
Build a place of opportunity and hope
The word “home” can mean different things. For children and parents in poverty, it is not the idyllic place that springs to many of our minds.
Sunita Kumal is nine years old in grade three at Buddha Jyoti Secondary School in Dang province, Nepal. Like many other people in her area, her family situation is very difficult. She and her father, Ballu Chaudhary, live in a small hut on government land. They rely on the market for food and struggle to afford even the necessities with the one thousand rupees per month that Ballu earns as a potter. The condition of their house is very poor; the walls are weathered and broken and leak during the rainy season. Flooding in October, 2022 further damaged the hut and destroyed all of their clothes and food.
Ballu didn’t have the money to rebuild their home and Sunita was sent to live with her aunt.
Sunita and her father’s situation came to the attention of DWC’s Nepalese partner Creating Possibilities. This organization identifies local families needing assistance and supports them through multiple programs and self-help groups. Sunita and Ballu were provided food and clothing and it was determined that getting them into safer, drier living conditions would be a platform to improve their health, security, and future livelihood. This will reflect well on the whole community.
A home transforms how a people interacts with the world. A safe place to live will mean Sunita can focus on her schoolwork and give Ballu an opportunity to earn more and improve his livelihood. They will also be safeguarded against dangerous weather.
As part of our EVERY GIRL program, which removes barriers to education for girls in developing countries, our volunteers on this team will host a bicycle giveaway for 100 local girls.
In Nepal
- Nepal has a massive housing crisis especially effecting the elderly
- A bicycle allows access to opportunities. A girl sometimes walks long distances to school or takes routes that could be dangerous. They suffer intimidation and harassment. Having a bicycle makes a real impact. School absenteeism and dropout rates decrease substantially.
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.
The work will include carrying and wheelbarrowing materials such as gravel and bricks, mixing of sand gravel and cement for mortar, floor and base work, cutting and placing roof joist structure and a tin roof. A latrine will also be constructed, as time permits, and paint will be provided to allow for additional work in the community. If construction is not completed by teams, Creating Possibilities will engage tradesmen to finish the project.
Work conditions can be dusty on rough ground and weather unpredictable. Work gloves, dust masks, footwear with ankle support are recommended.
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.
By working on this house project, families’ health, safety, security and convenience will improve. 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:
Martin France
Marty is a retired US Air Force officer and university engineering professor with extensive international experience, having served in Europe and traveled to 73 countries, including many in East and West Africa and throughout Southeast Asia. He’s a former Fulbright Scholar who taught at Singapore’s top science and engineering university. Marty coordinated his first service trip with DWC in 2014 when he led a team of students working with Equitable Cambodia to build sanitary latrines in villages and then did the same in Nepal in 2019. He also led a teams that constructed a campground, bathroom and shower facility in Costa Rica in 2022 and 2023. He currently lives in Colorado with his wife of 41 years. He has two sons, four grandchildren and enjoys hiking, cycling, photography, and helping at his son’s craft brewery.
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
Volunteer Program Manager