» The Program

The Love Company 002

The objectives of The Love Company and the projects we run are as follows:

To promote community development without destroying traditional ways of life.
To educate the children for their future. The English language, hygiene, and environmental management (littering and recycling!) are a few of the important topics.
To bring western methodology and experience on variety of education and health matters to the village communities.
To provide education and training to community youth to encourage and create opportunities for self employment.
To focus on improving life for the poorest and most marginalized members of Nepali society, especially the Dalits.
To provide lessons of Nepali language and cultural information to the people who come to Nepal to study, conduct research, and do voluntary work.
To introduce volunteers to richness of Nepali culture and ensure a safe and memorable stay in a supportive environment.
To enable volunteers to study the society and culture of Nepal.
To mobilize volunteers in the sectors of education, health, environment, human rights, agriculture etc.
To promote volunteerism.
To promote the Nepali culture worldwide.

“So- How does it all work when I begin the program?”

Here is a run down of what will happen once you decide to volunteer for us:

Introduction

Once volunteers arrive in Kathmandu, they will be picked by someone from The Love Company. The volunteer will be placed one night at a hotel in Kathmandu and then transferred via Tourist Bus the next morning to Pokhara, where they will be placed in another hotel for the duration of their stay. You will be able to see Himalayas from the roof of the Hotel.

We have an optional 1 week program for learning basic Nepali language and volunteers can continue with lessons for the duration of their stay. You will have opportunity to teach in schools, monasteries, and health posts. The orphanage is our main focus to bring volunteers from all over the world to help our children.

We also have an optional program to become accustomed to the Nepalese culture. We offer our volunteers the opportunity to experience a true Nepal farm stay in a remote village. This is the area which the majority of our displaced children call “home”. A village stay will enable you to better understand and relate to our children. After this orientation into the Nepali lifestyle, you will stay in a private room with private bath room at a hotel in Pokhara for the duration of your stay.

Volunteer hours

The volunteers may come and go to the orphanage as they wish. Arrive as early as you want to help the kids get ready, then at 9:30 am you may to walk children to school. You can pick up the younger ones at 3 pm or you can come to help them with their homework around 4 pm. On their days off (there are many festivals in Nepal, where they shut down the schools), sometimes it is nice to organize a picnic around lunch time and bring them various snacks and treats.

Below, you will find the children’s daily routine. Note that these are approximate times.

Children’s Daily routine – School days (Sunday-Friday)

6-6:30 Wake up and have tea and snacks.
6:30-7:00 Free play.
7-7:30 Fetch water from local spring.
7:30-9:00 Activities in the playroom. (Volunteers may organize activities.)
9:00 Breakfast time Volunteers have breakfast with children. Children have their places to sit and eat.
9:30 Get ready for school. Take younger children to school. Older children go by themselves.
10:00-14:45 Free time for volunteers.
15:00 Children finish school at 15:00. Volunteers may go and collect younger children from school.
15:30 Snack and tea.Volunteers join them for this.
16:00-16:30 Homework time. Help with homework if needed.
16:30-17:30 Activities for children. Volunteers to organize.
17:30-18:00 Evening meal .Volunteers join them.
18:30 Getting ready for bed. Volunteers can help with washing and brushing teeth; depending on the time of year this may be later.
19:00 Bed time.

Children’s Daily Routine – Holidays/weekends

6:00-6:30 Wake up and have tea.
6:30-7:00 Free play 7:00-7:30. Fetch water from local spring.
7:30-9:00 Activities in the playroom. Volunteers may organize various activities for this time.There are no organized activities. Clean-up and washing during this time.
9:00 Breakfast time.
9:30-11.00 Activities for children either in playroom or outside. Volunteers may organize more activities for this time.
11:00-15:30 Free time for volunteers. Children responsibility of housemothers.
15:30 Snack/tea time. Volunteers may join them for this.
16:00-17:30 Activities for children.
17:30-18:00 Evening meal. Volunteer to join them for meal.
18:30 Getting ready for bed. Volunteers can help with washing and brushing teeth.
Depending on the time of year, this may be later.

“And what exactly do we do as volunteers?”

Your job, as a volunteer, can be any of the following tasks:

Help the children with their English language with your own teaching tecniques
Assist with homework (math, science, English)
Help with getting ready for school/the day, or going to bed
Pick up/drop off to school on their school days
Teach about personal hygiene and keeping a clean, organized space
Help the house mother with whatever activity she is doing (house work, cooking, grocery shopping)
PLAY with the kids! Frisbee, football, carrom board (Nepali game), cards, races, etc
Teach them any form of art, or let them teach you! Drawing, macaroni art, face painting, whatever else
Dancing is always fun to do as well
Take them to a picnic in the park
Take them to the waterfront to go swimming
Whatever else you can think of that would be fun and educational for them