A Rural Experience in a Buddhist Monastery

Carolien is volunteering with Volunteer Society Nepal in a place far away from Kathmandu. She is in a mountain village. She volunteers at a monastery. Below Carolien shares her story.

An Authentic Experience:

“Now I am totally immersed in authentic Nepal. Since I’m far away from Kathmandu and also not on the tourist route, I have no WiFi, sometimes no running water, and a bucket shower. The volunteer work is incredibly fun and grateful. You are not just visiting, you also learn the names of the monks and the children, you eat with them and every day I learn a little more about the Sherpa culture. I am a Westerner, but I feel that I am easily included in the community.

I also have a lot of fun with the monks. In addition to the serious English lessons, we also play football, badminton and a paper game like hangman. Tomorrow is my last day and I’ll see if I can do something with English music. I am also teaching at the Montessori school with kids between 18 months and 4 years old. They can now sing ‘Clap your hands, happy happy joy joy” and almost everyone can count up to 20, knows the Alphabet and many English words.

The food is also really good! I was a little bit worried about that beforehand but I lunch with the monks, eat from stalls along the road and have a rice meal with my homestay family. I did not get sick yet!

I feel like I’m having a big smile on my face all day …. volunteering is a lot more beautiful and intense than just travelling!

Tomorrow is my last day here and then I go on a 12-day trek, even further from the inhabited world”.

With the monks

Helping my host family with making momo’s

Teaching at the school

The monks during their prayers

Join us in a Monastery!

Learn about ancient religious practices and connect with otherwise isolated monks by volunteering in a Buddhist monastery

This program remains one of our most popular at Volunteer Society Nepal. Few other placements in the world offer the opportunity to work alongside Buddhist monks. You can observe their unique monastic environment, while also helping them communicate with the outside world. For volunteers who are interested in learning more about monastic life, meditative techniques and Buddhist teachings, this is an incredible experience.>>>>