Our volunteers, community
members, and students are committed to social justice, community development,
and education.
As the government in Nepal
is unable to provide free and accessible quality education in the rural
areas of the country Maya Universe Academy's mission is to give a chance to children in remote areas of the country.
Volunteers work hand-in-hand
with the community in order to provide a free quality education to these unprivileged children.
Today, thanks to the help of
motivated and enthusiastic believers, Maya Universe Academy grew its facilities, and its educational possibilities and is starting the become self-sustainable thanks
to its social enterprises.
We operate with the help of local and international volunteers and our own dedication to hard work. We drink spring water, tend fields, cook on an open fire, and bare the harsh conditions of living in a remote village of Nepal with a lot of fun in order to offer the opportunity of education to children otherwise overlooked.
Inspired by our gracious
supporters and friends, Maya Universe Academy continues to educate and inspire
our students and their families. The community recognizes the power of
education, and our school continues to expand as we accept new students,
teachers, and volunteers.
Be a part of this innovative
education solution for Nepal by joining us in this volunteering program.
How can you get involved?
In order to
provide safe classrooms, toilets, and housing, the construction team is always
busy. The projects vary with the needs and growth of the school. For
instance, after the massive earthquake of 2015 affecting Nepal, volunteers in
construction built a hostel to accommodate children from affected areas.
Furthermore, due to the rapid increase of children attending school, we need more and more facilities.
Volunteers are guided by local experts, with who they will be able to learn about construction techniques as well as the different ways to use very limited resources.
By working in construction for a school, the volunteers will be able to enjoy the company of the children during their free time and work closely with skilled locals.
Despite the construction work, volunteers learn and grow from their experience and the children from Maya Universe Academy. They gain perspective through the differences in language, culture, and way of living.
Who lives in Maya?
At the school, you will be able to enjoy the beautiful scenery as it is surrounded by hills and mountains. By being further away from big cities, the area is quieter and more refreshing.
Every morning, volunteers have breakfast with the children from the school at 8:00 am.
At 9:00 am we all gather in the morning assembly which takes the form of a circle. All students, teachers, staff, and volunteers gather to share news, poetry, music, dances, and other creative work, which is sometimes followed by a team-building game or the Nepali national anthem. Volunteers and teachers also perform on Friday mornings.
At 10:00 am, the working day starts for volunteers in either education, agriculture, or construction.
Lunch is at 1:45- The volunteers eat at the 'old kitchen'. Students and Staff eat in the 'new kitchen'. A few volunteers help with cooking too and the menu changes all the time as different people share their cooking recipes from home.
At 7:00 pm the volunteers can have a traditional and simple meal with the children at the 'new kitchen'. The volunteers have a meeting with the coordinators to plan for the next day.
After having dinner, volunteers usually gather together to enjoy their free time before going to sleep. Some people read, make a fire, drink coffee or a beer, discuss and debate and make friends with the others on the team.
Volunteers also go hiking up the hill, visit the homes of the villagers, go to other tourist destinations nearby, shop in the nearby towns, etc. Saturdays are holidays while Sunday work is optional.
During their free time, volunteers generally hang out together in the volunteers' facilities. It is a nice time for everyone to get to know each other and integrate into the group.
The privileged location of the schools offers different hiking possibilities where you can enjoy views from the top of the hill during the afternoon.
During the weekend, volunteers can travel to cities not far from the schools. Damauli for instance is the nearby town where one can find food, clothes, and general shopping. For a more cultural escape, Bandipur, a pretty hill station is good for chilling, food, and shopping in a well-preserved Newari architecture. The same can be said of the historic place of Gorkha. The school is between Kathmandu and Pokhara. Most tourist destinations are only an hour or two away from the school.
We ask volunteers to contribute a fee to cover the costs of food, accommodation, as well as a small contribution to help pay local staff and teachers salaries. Volunteers staying over 90 days can stay for free, after the first 90 days.
Volunteers sleep in the main school building in a hostel set up and atmosphere. Basic bedding is provided – mattress, bed sheet, mosquito net and pillow. Especially during the winter months (October - March) a sleeping bag is required.
We have electricity supply and solar energy supply.
We provide two meals and lunch snack daily. Breakfast and dinner is Nepali style cooked Rice, Lentil soup and seasonal vegetables, occasionally we eat eggs and meat. We use our own grown organic vegetables and from nearby villages and students homes. Fruits can be bought from the nearby town, Damauli.
Volunteers may bring their own food and snacks if they wish to cook in the volunteer kitchen.
We drink water from a pure and natural water source, three minute walk away from the main school building. Some like to purify the water using purification tablets or using a UV purifying device to prevent any possibilities of getting sick. You must bring your own water bottle. This is a communal tap where all volunteers and locals take shower, collect water, and do laundry.
When enrolling in the program, you will be put in contact with a member of the staff who will help you through the process and any questions you have.
The direction to the school will be explained in detail to you, otherwise, we can arrange private transport from Kathmandu to the school for approximately $140.
You will get a tour of the area and can always ask for more directions. There are several volunteers who have made their own houses in the village. Most arrived when they were younger and chose to make their second home here. Hence, there is a large number of returning volunteers who can also be of help and give counsel.
Construction work in a community school
Be a part of the construction team which helps build facilities for Maya Universe Academy School.
$66/week
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