santi The Santi School Project

school
2401 Hammonds Ferry Road
Baltimore, MD 21227 USA
info @ santischool.org
www.santischool.org

A be tter li f e s tar ts a t school

Your gu id e to vo lu n te e r te ac h in g
a t o u r s c h o o l in Ne p al !
 Wha t is Th e S a n ti S cho ol Proje ct?

W e promote quality education in rural Nepal,

especially for girls and ethnic minorities, who are
often excluded from school. We do this 2 ways:

• building and repairing primary schools

• providing specialized early childhood education

instruction for teachers because government-
sponsored training is limited

F or our first project, we built a six-room primary school

in a mountain village, Ramche. It is inaccessible by
road and a 2-hour hike uphill from the nearest town.
Recently in a nearby area, we completed structural
renovations on a deteriorating, two-story school for 150
students.

E veryone involved in The Santi School Project in the

U.S. is a volunteer.

Wha t is a cla ssro om like?

• Our students range from 5 to 13 years old. They enjoy
learning rhymes and songs and listening to stories.

• Our school has its own English teacher who can

offer advice on solving communication barriers,
and provide suitable ideas for the classroom.

• The teaching is always alongside a

Nepali teacher, so nobody has to
worry about standing up alone in
front of a class of 30 children.

How ca n I h elp?
W e need volunteer teachers at our
primary school in Ramche to help teach
conversational English and introduce hands-
on lessons that make learning fun. To give

Wha t if E n g lish isn’ t

you an idea of popular activities, Sarah, one
of our previous volunteers, started Apple Day,

m y f irst la n g ua g e?
Toothbrush Day and Garbage Police, which
encouraged the children to clean up their village.

T hat ’s OK! We welcome anyone who has a

working knowledge of English and the desire
to share it with students who are eager to learn. S ubsistence farmers in R amche
grow wheat, maize and millet on
the terraced mountainside .

w w w. s a n t i s c h o o l . o r g 2
Who should volunteer with
The Santi School Project?
YOU ARE A PERFECT CANDIDATE IF YOU:

lo ve kids.
to
want to teach English
children who are just
starting to learn.
What are the benefits
t you
ha ve a special interesuc h as of volunteering with
would like to share (s
art or sports). The Santi School Project?
ha ve an open mind, lots seof
nse
Immerse yourself in Nepali village life
pa tience, an d a health y
of humor! W e offer you the opportunity to work directly with an
ethnic Tamang community in the foothills of the
Himalayas. Many aspects of life have remained unchanged
for generations.

W e’re flexible about how you volunteer. While we expect

you to help teach English, there will be plenty of time
for you to create your own lessons about whatever topic
Support our charity work

interests you.

• Teaching or tutoring experience is helpful but not required.

T he modest $60 that you pay every week stays right in the
village. Half of the funds go to paying teacher salaries and
buying books for the school; the other half is shared with
your host, providing an important extra source of income for
• You don’t need to speak Nepali, either, but you’ll
local families who otherwise support themselves as farmers
probably learn some very quickly once you’re staying in
and laborers.
the village.
Go on a trek or visit a national park

I f you would like to go trekking or travel in other parts of

Nepal, Rabindra, one of our volunteers in Kathmandu, is
an extremely experienced and knowledgeable guide who
runs his own company, Experience Outdoors Nepal. He is
happy to help.

Cut out the middleman

W e are a non-profit charity run by volunteers in Nepal

and the United States. Our only paid employees are
our teachers and our project coordinator. We keep the costs
down— and pass on the savings to you.

Receive credit for your work

T he Santi School Project will provide you with an official

letter to verify your volunteer service.

w w w. s a n t i s c h o o l . o r g 3
 No m in imum
tim e comm itm en t
W e hope volunteers can stay for a couple months, but if
you only have 2 or 3 weeks, that’s fine. We have found
with previous volunteers that the longer you stay, the more
worthwhile your experience; it takes a little while to establish
a rapport with the children.
Come prepared to teach
W e recommend that volunteers do a little homework
before you arrive. Bring some lesson plans, ideas
for hands-on activities, and teaching materials with
you. Supplies—paper, colored pencils, playground
balls—can be purchased in Nepal. You don’t need to
bring them from home. TOEFL can be a helpful resource.
We w ill m eet you in
K a thma n du
O ur project coordinator can meet you at the airport
in Kathmandu. When you’re ready to go to Ramche,
he will accompany you to the village, a 4-hour bus ride
from Kathmandu (and then a 2-hour hike up the mountain).
You will receive a brief orientation in Kathmandu before
departing for Ramche.
w w w. s a n t i s c h o o l . o r g
We keep co sts low
U nlike other programs that charge volunteers thousands
of dollars to place them with a project abroad, our
only fee is a modest $60 per week to pay for your food and
lodging provided by a family in Ramche.
• Volunteers pay for their own travel to Nepal.
• Volunteers sleep in a house of a local family, who will
prepare your meals. Volunteers are expected to eat the
food prepared by the family; no separate arrangement
will be made.
• The typical meal consists of rice, lentils, fried egg,
spinach and/or cauliflower; when there is meat it comes
with bones. There will be plenty of opportunities to drink
tea.
• This is not an all-expenses paid trip.
The daily routine at school
E xpect to be at school for 4 to 5 hours each day, five
days a week. School is actually in session from 10
to 3:30, six days a week. The rest of the day is yours.
Previous volunteers have enjoyed learning the routines of
village life.
Best time to go to Nepal
T he weather is most pleasant September through March.
There’s a month-long break from mid-March to mid-April,
after which the school is open until the end of June, but
temperatures can be hot that time of year. School is closed
for the rainy season from the end of June to early August.
4
Wha t to brin g:

• water purification tablets and/

or a quality water filter or
purifier

extra batteries for electronic

devices

personal items: camera,

journal, photos of your family
and friends

basic English/Nepali dictionary

flashlight

lightweight waterproof jacket

basic first aid kit, with a full

supply of any medication that
you will need for the duration
of your stay, along with a copy
of the prescription

sleeping bag (You can also rent

or buy one in Kathmandu)

color pencils and pens, drawing

books, stickers (optional)
B uses from K athmandu stop in the town of B arabhise .
books on teaching English for Then it ’s a hike uphill to R amche .
your reference (optional)

You n eed a
It’s also a good idea to carry
a photocopy of your passport

Make sure your visa to en ter

and visa in case of loss or theft,
and keep it separate from the
original documents. This could
help make it easier to replace
them. You also may want to
e-mail yourself a scanned copy.
If you wish to use a mobile
phone while in Nepal, you
can bring an unlocked
mobile phone from home and
purchase a Nepali SIM card to
use during your stay.
travel vaccines are
up to date
B efore you leave for Nepal, you
should consult a health care provider
for information about the necessary
immunizations (including Hepatitis A
and B, typhoid, tetanus, polio). Malaria
is present in some parts of Nepal but
not Ramche. A health care provider can
advise you about malaria protection if you
plan to visit other areas of the country.
Nepa l
Y ou are responsible for arranging
your Nepali visa. (All foreigners,
except Indians, need one). You can
obtain a multiple-entry tourist visa
from the Nepali embassy in your home
country or a single-entry visa upon
arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport
in Kathmandu. We recommend that you
obtain your visa before you arrive to
avoid the long lines at the airport.

w w w. s a n t i s c h o o l . o r g 5
 Wh a t d o o u r v o lun te e r s sa y a b o u t
th e ir e xp e r i e n c e a t T h e S a n ti S c h o o l?

‘‘
After working at Santi School, I feel like I have family in
Ramche. I could hardly walk through the village without
someone inviting me to sit down and have a cup of
tea or partake in a meal. I wasn’t a
‘‘
Being a woman opened many doors for me that would
have otherwise stayed closed. I feel very fortunate to
have become friends with Rosy, a teacher at the school,
and another woman from the village,

‘‘
stranger or a foreigner, but a cousin, a F e at u r e d Vi d e o who accepted me as I am and opened

‘‘
brother, or an uncle. I gave the people
of Ramche a little bit of my time and
they gave me everything they had.”
—Joe, United States
As my knowledge of Nepali grew, also my
relations with the kids grew tighter and
many of them are settled deep in my heart.
… There are so many great moments
we shared together. … Try to not put
yourself under too much pressure
W at c h : S a r a h ’ s E x p e r i e n c e Being from a different country and
about how much they learn from you
in English. They will have English
W i t h Th e S a n t i S c h o o l
their hearts and homes for me without
reservations. I felt at home very quickly.”
—Uli, Austria
I had the most wonderful experience
in my life, definitely a life-changing
experience. Working and living with
such great people changed my way of
thinking about Nepal and rural life.
different religion and living with such
unique people gave me the chance

‘‘
taught by many other teachers and for a longer period to experience real Nepal, such a thing that I would not
than your stay. But in giving them attention and acting be able to do if I visited Nepal as an ordinary tourist.”
in your own personal way, they will benefit a lot.”
—Mohmmed, Saudi Arabia
—Sarah, Austria
Ramche is a welcoming village that happens to be home to
one of the most well-run schooling projects in the country. The
Santi School has changed the fabric of village life by instilling
hope that the children of Ramche - regardless of caste, ethnicity,
or economic status - are receiving a world-class education. A
visit to Ramche, and a stint working at the Santi School, will
inspire you - with its awesome beauty, and beautiful simplicity.”

—Kyle, United States

For more details about The Santi School Project: W atch additional videos online :

www.santischool.org info@santischool.org

2401 Hammonds Ferry Road

Baltimore, Maryland 21227 USA

Photo Credits: Uli Loskot, Joseph Vanderhyde, Kyle Knight and Christopher Heun © 2010 The Santi School Project 6