Arrival
You will be greeted at the airport by a FACE Nepal team member and taken to your accommodation, a guest house. FACE Nepal can arrange all your accommodation needs regardless of the commencement date of your program, and our representative will also orientate you with the city.
You will be given contact details for support staff at this stage and an itinerary for your first few weeks.
Placement
When you have completed your training (see Orientation) and are ready to commence your programme, you will be escorted to your placement by a FACE Nepal Liaison Officer, who will stay to see you settled in. All placements will have a hospitable host family, approved by FACE Nepal, and a local FACE Nepal representative nearby. Both parties will be capable of conversing in basic English. These parties are here to ensure you enjoy your stay and are fully equipped to undertake your volunteer program. You will also be introduced to any other volunteers and local hosting parties.
During your placement, members of our FACE Nepal team will continually check-in with you to ensure you are adjusting well. Your family and friends are also welcome to contact our FACE Nepal office should they have any queries or concerns about you, or if they wish to visit you in your placement. We are happy to arrange any necessary details including collection from the airport, transportation, and accommodation for them.
Completion
Upon completion of your program, you will have a leaving ceremony organised by our local team as a thank you for the value you have brought to our charity. We will then assist with transport and accomodation leading up to your departure. Should you wish to travel after your programme, we can assist you with any on-going arrangements.
After your FACE Nepal experience, we will ask you for feedback. We consider all feedback valuable and appreciate any opportunities for improvement. You may also be a random recipient of a quality control survey upon your departure. These surveys are internal documents undertaken by the international Board of Directors (BOD) and used to ensure overall satisfaction in our programmes.
Personal Excursions
FACE Nepal are happy to assist you in the arrangements of any excursions and help you find the best rates available. We can also manage your timetable so that any personal interests are incorporated into your stay. In a schooling situation, this may involve the placement of temporary teaching cover to support your absence.
Ongoing Relationship
As a contributor to FACE Nepal, we consider you a team member for life. We have an annual newsletter which will be sent to you and we will aid you in any on-going correspondence you may wish to have with local communities.
Program Locations
Pakadi
FACE Nepal is based in Pakadi, between Bharatpur and the Chitwan national park. Our office and the majority of our local team are within easy reach of Pakadi. Therefore, the vast majority of our volunteer placements are in the Chitwan area; we have a strong presence in the villages of Patihani, Ganganagar, Kumiya and Jutpani. In recent years we have begun to branch out into the neighbouring hill country including the municipality of Gaindakot.
Chitwan
When people think of Nepal, they think of soaring snow-clad mountains. Despite this, nearly half of the country's population lives on a narrow strip of flat and fertile land that lies wedged between the Indian border and the mountains. This is known as the Terai. One of the well known tourist sites of the Terai region is Chitwan whose name means "heart of the jungle". This area is one of the last surviving examples of the continuous band of forests and grasslands which once extended from the Indus River in Pakistan to the Burmese border.
The main attraction of Chitwan is Chitwan National Park, the first and most famous national park of Nepal. The Park is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and is home to teeming wildlife such as the rare great one-horned rhinoceros and the elusive Royal Bengal tiger. Besides these, Chitwan also supports a great variety of flora and fauna and several species of elephant, deer, sloth bear, leopard and wild boar. Gaur (the world's largest wild cattle) and many other smaller animals have made the Chitwan jungle their home. The swamps and riverside provide a home to marsh crocodiles and the rare and endangered Gharihal or Gangetic crocodile. Volunteers in Chitwan are conveniently placed to visit the Park and experience activities such as an elephant ride through the jungle, bird watching and canoe rides on the Rapti River.
For an in-depth look at the volunteer experience and the support we offer, please read our information booklet.
Additionally, prior to your arrival you will be asked to sign a code of conduct.