Unatti’s International Volunteer program is the perfect way to turn a summer break, vacation abroad, or gap year into a life-changing, karma-empowering trip of adventure, service, and self-exploration.
Share the simple, beautiful Nepali way of life with the Unatti girls and the close-knit community of Bhaktapur.
Shed your fears, your inhibitions, and your worldly worries and follow in the footsteps of those who trekked before you!
For a tax deductible donation of $550.00 you will receive a personally designed 4 week program including:
- Airport pick up and return
- Women can stay in the Unatti house. We have a private room for volunteers.
- Men and volunteers who choose can stay at our local guesthouse, a five minute from the Unatti house. There is an additional donation fee of $10.00 per night to stay at the local guesthouse.
- Two meals a day
- 24 hour support from our Unatti staff
- 7-10 days of Nepali language lessons
- 4 days of guided sight seeing to local tourist sights, transportation included
10-day Trip
Experience ten days in the life of a typical Nepali, working in the Unatti Home and discover the medieval city of Bhaktapur. Prepare a traditional Newari meal with the housemothers, explore the city with the Unatti Girls, and discover the distinctive magic of Nepal.
30-day Trip
Commit to a longer trip and leave a piece of yourself in Bhaktapur. Share your passion, be it sports, art, music, or science, and teach a seminar at Unatti’s Community Outreach Center, or volunteer to teach, read, create, or perform in our community children’s library.
45-day Trip
Dive deeper into Nepal’s unique and beautiful culture! In addition to a 30-day stay in Bhaktapur, explore the bustling capital city of Kathmandu and arrange a trekking, biking, climbing, or river-running expedition with our sister organization, Initiative Outdoor.
90-day Trip
Grab your chalk! Take the future of the developing world in your hands and step into the classroom for an entire semester. Teach English to Primary or Secondary school students at one of Bhaktapur’s poorest schools and give the priceless gift of knowledge.
Sky’s the Limit!
Want more? These programs are but suggestions. Tailor the perfect expedition by working with former Unatti volunteers, Unatti’s sister organizations, and our Facilities Director in Nepal. Trek to Everest Base Camp, start a composting program, or take the vow of noble silence for a Vipassana meditation retreat! Nepal is yours to explore.
“When I first announced I was headed to Nepal, most people from my small town thought I meant Naples! Despite the exotic nature of my first international adventure, Unatti made sure to give me the perfect balance of independence and support. I chose to arrange my own living situation and fended for myself on a daily basis, but Ramesh was always there when I needed him, whether for a quick drink or a five-day jaunt into the mountains.
The beauty and magic of this tiny country was an omnipresent feature of my daily life, but coming home to the US has only made me more aware of how one-of-a-kind Nepal truly is. In Ramesh, in the Unatti Girls, and indeed in all the people of Nepal, you will find love, inspiration, and family for life. This trip changed my life, and it can change yours too!” – Tim Transon
“I decided to volunteer with Unatti in the middle of my undergraduate career because I realized my long term goals lacked inspiration. I knew I was interested in contributing to a world beyond my own self interests, but had very little international perspective to understand what direction I wanted to take next. Working with Unatti represented just that – a turning point that brought all aspects of my life, both personal and academic, to another level.
When I arrived at the Unatti House, I was met with excitement and awe from the thirteen girls that instantly became the sisters I never grew up with. Their faces beamed at me, as they confessed to have waited all morning for my arrival. We ate my first traditional Nepali meal of rice a dal bhat together on the floor, as we did every morning and night for the next six weeks. And abandoning all embarrassment and Western reservation, we spent our first night on the roof dancing together. They begged me to share songs and dances with them all summer, but all I could think of was the Cotton Eyed Joe that I’d learned square dancing at camp. They taught me how to say different colors in Nepali and games that we played in the backyard with the other kids in the community.
Teaching was like nothing I had ever expected. The kids in my class were of various age levels, and because it was their summer vacation, it was so inspiring to see them come on their own free time to my English conversation class. It was definitely a challenge though because not only did they speak English at different levels of ability, but they also couldn’t come in every day. Some would come one week and then be absent the next when their families asked them to look after their siblings or help harvest during the rice season. Another hurdle involved correcting the habits they made over time by practicing language incorrectly: words like “fine” became “pine” and counting could sometimes be a challenge. My heart swelled though when after four weeks of teaching, the entire class could answer a list of questions and not only answer in English, but speak of their families, their feelings, and their culture with personal pride.” – Chelsea Rinnig
