Many travellers want to give something back to Nepal. Done well, volunteering can help; done badly, it can cause harm. Here's how to make a positive difference.
Quick answer: avoid orphanage volunteering: child protection organisations warn that it can fuel the separation of children from their families, and many children in orphanages in Nepal have living parents. Choose organisations that use your professional skills, work with local communities, and have clear child protection policies. Supporting local businesses, guides and porters also helps.
What to avoid
- Short-term visits to orphanages or "orphanage tours".
- Roles that a local person could be paid to do.
- Organisations that charge high fees without transparency.
- Any project allowing unsupervised contact with children.
How to choose an organisation
- Is it locally led and registered?
- Does it have a child protection policy and background checks?
- Can it explain where your money goes?
- Does the role match your skills (for example, medical, teaching training, engineering)?
Other ways to help
- Hire licensed local guides and porters and treat them well; see responsible trekking.
- Stay in community homestays.
- Buy fair-trade crafts.
- Donate to established local charities.
Why orphanage volunteering is harmful
Research by child protection organisations has found that many children living in Nepal's so-called orphanages are not orphans: they have at least one living parent, and were placed in institutions because families were promised education, or because unscrupulous operators recruited them to attract donations and volunteers. Short-term volunteers who form attachments and then leave can cause children further emotional harm, and unvetted access to children creates safeguarding risks. The Nepali government and international organisations now discourage orphanage tourism and support keeping children in family-based care. If you want to help children, support organisations that strengthen families, keep children in school and reunite children with relatives.
Responsible volunteering options
- Skilled professional placements: doctors, nurses, engineers, teachers of teachers and other professionals working with established organisations, often for several months.
- Conservation and research: projects working with national parks, community forests or research institutions, where volunteers contribute specific skills.
- Disaster reconstruction: through registered organisations, mainly for those with construction or engineering skills.
- Remote support: using your skills, such as marketing, translation or IT, to support local organisations from home.
Questions to ask before volunteering
- Is the organisation registered in Nepal, and who leads it?
- What does it do year-round, and how do volunteers fit in?
- How are local people involved in planning and decisions?
- How much of my fee goes to the project, and how much to the agency?
- What child protection and safeguarding policies are in place?
- Does my role take a job away from a local person?
- What happens to the project after I leave?
Visa rules
Volunteering in Nepal on a tourist visa is a grey area, and working without the correct visa is not allowed. Organisations hosting volunteers should advise on the right visa, which may be a non-tourist visa arranged through the relevant government ministry. Check the rules carefully before you travel. See visa guide.
Giving back while travelling
You don't need to volunteer to make a positive difference. Travelling responsibly in Nepal already supports many families: hire licensed local guides and porters through companies that pay fair wages and insure their staff; stay in locally owned lodges and community homestays; eat in local restaurants; buy handicrafts directly from artisans or fair-trade shops; and tip generously. If you want to donate, choose established local organisations working in health, education, disaster preparedness or conservation, and check their track record. See responsible trekking and tipping.
Supporting porters and guides
One of the most direct ways to support people in Nepal's trekking industry is to ensure that porters and guides are treated well: that they carry reasonable loads, have proper clothing and equipment, are insured, and are paid fairly. Organisations that support porter welfare provide clothing banks and education. Ask your trekking company about its policies. See life of a porter.
Teaching English
Short-term English teaching by untrained volunteers is popular but often of limited value: it disrupts lessons, takes time from local teachers and changes every few weeks. If you are a qualified teacher, more useful roles include training local teachers, developing materials, or working with established education programmes for several months. If you are not a teacher, consider supporting education through donations to reputable organisations instead.
Medical volunteering
Qualified doctors, nurses and other health professionals can make valuable contributions through established hospitals, clinics and organisations, but must register with the relevant Nepali medical council and work within local systems. Short "medical camps" by unqualified volunteers are not appropriate. If you are a health professional, contact organisations well in advance to arrange registration and a suitable placement.
Reflecting on your motives
Before volunteering, ask yourself honestly whether your role meets a real local need, whether a Nepali could do it better or be paid to do it, and what you can realistically contribute in the time you have. Many travellers find that the most meaningful contribution is to travel thoughtfully, spend money locally, learn about the country, and continue supporting causes after they return home.
Disaster volunteering
After disasters such as the 2015 earthquake or major floods, many people want to rush to Nepal to help. In the immediate aftermath, untrained volunteers can be a burden on stretched resources. It is usually more helpful to donate to established organisations already working on the ground, which buy supplies locally and employ Nepali staff. Skilled professionals, such as engineers and medics, should offer their help through recognised agencies that can deploy them effectively. In the longer term, returning as a tourist supports recovery by bringing income to affected communities.
Conservation volunteering
Conservation projects in Nepal sometimes welcome volunteers with relevant skills, such as ecology, GIS mapping, wildlife monitoring, or environmental education. Projects work with national parks, community forests, red panda and snow leopard programmes, and wetland conservation. Roles are usually longer-term and arranged through registered organisations in partnership with government agencies. Short-term "voluntourism" packages in conservation should be checked carefully for real impact. See national parks and red pandas.
Our approach to giving back
We believe responsible tourism is one of the most effective ways to support Nepal. We employ local guides and porters on fair terms, provide them with proper equipment and insurance, use locally owned lodges, and support community projects in the regions where we work. If you would like to contribute to a specific cause during your trip, ask us; we can suggest reputable local organisations. Contact us.
Donating wisely
If you prefer to donate rather than volunteer, choose organisations with a long track record in Nepal, local leadership, transparent finances and clear results. Health, education, women's empowerment, disaster preparedness and conservation are areas where established organisations do valuable work. Small, direct donations to schools or families can sometimes create dependency or inequality, so it is usually better to give through organisations that understand local needs. Avoid giving money or sweets to children on the streets or on treks, which encourages begging.