Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What I should bring with me to give to the children?

Any second-hand clothes for children aged 5-15, but especially:

• Underwear
• Socks
  
• T-shirts
  
• Track suit pants
  
• Trousers
  

Best not to bring brand new clothes, as they are easier and cheaper to buy in Nepal and buying clothes here also helps support the local economy. If you want to buy brand new clothes, bring the money instead.
Also helpful are things like art materials, books and toys:

• Art materials (things that can be shared easily and that are durable, e.g. crayon pencils rather than felt-tip pens)
• Books (English books, “how to make” or “how to do” books, e.g. origami, drawing)
  
• Toys (things that can be shared easily, e.g. an English word game rather than a doll)
  

Volunteers from France or Germany are asked to contact SolHimal, France and help transport medical and other urgently needed supplies here to Nepal. Before the flight is booked, a luggage exception can be issued to grant an excess of 20 kg.

What should I bring for myself?

Bring as little as possible because everything can be bought easily and cheaply here in Thamel, the back-packer/tourist district of Kathmandu. There are a few things you will want to bring from home, like good quality shoes, personal medication, etc. Remember, in the summer, it gets very hot (day and night), and in the winter, it stays warm during the day and gets very cold at night. You’ll need thermal underwear, warm socks and fleeces, but remember you can buy all of these in Thamel at a fraction of the price you would pay back home. If you wish, you can bring a computer, as there are several wireless internet cafes in the city.

What do I do about visas?

You can obtain a tourist visa from your local Nepal Embassy before arrival, or at the airport in Kathmandu upon arrival. Most volunteers state the purpose of their visit as “tourism” not “volunteering”, as it is possible to volunteer on a tourist visa. Separate visas for volunteer work do exist. However, they are much more difficult to obtain and cannot be obtained at the airport on arrival.
Visas are issued at the airport when you arrive in KTM. You will need 40 Dollars U.S. in cash (or Euro equivalent) and two passport photos. Entry tourist visas are for one or 3 months, and you can renew them at the Nepal Tourism Board office 30 days (US $40 each), up to 150 days in a calendar year.

Can you collect me from the airport?

Due to the increased number of volunteers who arrive every month, sometimes many in the one week it became impractical for us to provide an airport pick up service. We now ask that when a volunteer arrives they take a taxi.
Ask the driver to take you to Kimdole Choke, near Swoyambhu. Once you get there ask the driver to phone this number 014670932 and ask to speak to Amy or Stephen. Somebody will be sent to collect you. Volunteers are sent the Nepali instructions in case your driver does not have sufficient English. This journey should cost no more than 400 rupees.
Please confirm with the office your flight details so that we can have an idea when to expect you.

Do you have a phone number I can reach you on?

Yes.

Are all of your children's homes located in Kathmandu?

Yes, all eight of our homes are located in Swoyambhu, northwest Kathmandu. It is possible to take a taxi for about 100 rupees (less than one euro) into Kathmandu, including Thamel, the back-packer district of Kathmandu, where you can find western-style supermarkets, tourist shops, and restaurants. The journey from Swoyambhu to Thamel takes about 10 minutes. (Be careful with the taxi drivers, they can try to charge up to 500 NPR from a tourist to travel to Thamel from Swoyambhu - the cost should be only 100 NPR!)

Do you know which house I will be working at?

Before you arrive, we usually try to work out which house you’ll be working in. However, given the nature of the work, you might be moved to where you’re needed most. We try to place at least one volunteer per house. The work you do will depend on how long you wish to stay and how many volunteers we have when you visit.

What do I do for accommodation?

Accommodation will be provided in the volunteers' house (when space is available). The volunteers' house is basic lodgings with shared rooms, sometimes up to 4 people sharing a room. There are 2 communal bathrooms, one with hot water. There is a communal kitchen with basic cooking facilities. There is a live in Didi, a woman who will perform basic cleaning and will answer the door so that volunteers will always have access to the house.

If there is no space left in the volunteer' house, alternate, shared accommodation can be arranged in a guesthouse in close proximity to Umbrella. Volunteers wishing to arrange their own private accommodation are free to do so but the cost will have to be covered by the volunteer's personal expenses.

What does the programme Cost?

We now ask volunteers to fund raise a minimum of €1000 before coming to Umbrella. This €1000 will cover your living expenses while living with Umbrella; accommodation in the volunteer's house for three months, two meals a day, programme running costs and expenses for the Saturday activities. It will also cover the cost of caring for one child for an entire year! Asking volunteers to fund raise before coming on the programme has many benefits for the overall organisation:

• Raises enough money to care for one child for one year (Umbrella spends ~€750 per child every year)
• Covers the cost of the volunteer programme       
  
• Raises awareness of the situation and needs in Nepal
  
• Raises Umbrella's network of supporters
  
• We feel that the programme should not cost the volunteer, they are giving their valuable time

How/what will I eat?

Volunteers have the option of eating in the houses with the children or of feeding themselves. You can eat your breakfast, lunch and dinner with the children in their houses. Hot tea and biscuits are served at 7am, Daal Bhat (rice with lentils and curried vegetables) is served at around 9am and again between 5 & 6pm. Hot milk or tea with a cake, boiled egg, biscuit or scone is served around 3.30pm. These meals are covered by the accommodation fee, so there is no additional cost. You are welcome to eat at any of the houses.

If you wish to feed yourself, you are welcome to use the kitchen in the Volunteer House. There are a variety of restaurants and grocery stores in Thamel. Closer to the Volunteer House, in Swoyambhu, there are small stores and produce sellers.

How much money will I need for my stay?

The Nepali rupee exchange rate is currently about 65 NPR to the U.S. Dollar and 100 NPR to the Euro. Money can be converted either by traveller’s check, cash, or taken out from ATM machines in the city (be sure to inform your bank before if you plan to do this, otherwise they may block your account).

Some average prices(100NPR = 1 Euro)

What about health? Do I need to have any vaccinations before coming out to Nepal?

Yes!  We recommend you visit your doctor at least six weeks in advance of travelling to Nepal, as you may need a series of vaccinations or booster injections for typhoid, diphtheria, tetanus etc. As there are so many monkeys here, we advise you have a rabies vaccination before arriving. Some doctors advise you also have Malaria & a Japanese encephalitis vaccination (This depends on where you wish to travel to during your time here. Please inform someone at Umbrella if you plan to travel away for a few days).

The most common things you might suffer from here are colds and stomach sickness. Bring medication for that kind of illness.

There are many health clinics around the city which provide basic services quite cheaply. If you have an emergency or become very ill, there are a few Western clinics (CIWIC is the best) that are very reliable.

How safe is it in Nepal, especially for young, single women?

Nepal is a safe country and so far none of the volunteers have encountered any problems. Swoyambhu, where all our homes are based is a close-knit and family like community feel to it. In Thamel, you might be hassled as a tourist to buy things. But Swoyambhu is relatively quiet.

Will there be phone or internet access?

The volunteer house, as well as all of the children’s homes, is equipped with a telephone. If you bring your own mobile with you, you’ll be glad you did! It is possible to buy a cheap Nepali SIM card here. We find mobile phones are very useful for keeping in touch with each other.

There are also lots of cheap, reliable internet cafes. They cost about 20 rupees (about 20 European cents) per hour. You can also use the computer in the Umbrella office when it is free. Some volunteers bring their laptops for word-processing and internet access; if you have your own laptop, you’ll be very glad of it here.