planning for a journey?
The following information may answer some of your basic questions about logistics, time commitment, program cost, and safety in-country. We ask all potential applicants to review the Code of Conduct as they consider joining one of our SAHAYATRI teams.
Program Details
SUMMER PROGRAMS
Volunteers on filed
During our summer programs, volunteers may choose to serve for four, six, eight, or twelve weeks. Program date options for SAHAYATRl NEPAL summer programs are as follows:
May 16 – Aug 8 ;12 weeks
May 16 – July 11 ;8 weeks
June 13 – Aug 8 ;8 weeks
May 16 – June 27 ;6 weeks
June 27 – Aug 8 ;6 weeks
June 13 – July 11 ;4 weeks
Summer Program Costs
12 weeks: $1,830
8 weeks: $1,570
6 weeks: $1,280
4 weeks: $1,090
WINTER/SPRING PROGRAMS
Applicants may choose from either a 6 or 12 week program from February to April. Date options for our Winter/Spring programs are as follows:
February 1 – April 25 ;12 weeks
February 1 – March 14 ;6 weeks
March 14 – April 25 ;6 weeks
Winter/Spring Program Costs
6 weeks – $1,140
12 weeks – $ 1,640
FALL PROGRAMS
Applicant may choose from either a 6 or 12 week program in Fall season in Nepal. Program dates and costs are as follows:
September 1 – November 21 ;12 weeks
September 1 – October 11 ;6 weeks
October 11 – November 21 ;6 weeks
On work with volunteers
Fall Program Costs
6 weeks – $1,070
12 weeks – $ 1,630
TIME COMMITMENT
We hope you can stay in country as long as we offer – a 12 week experience. Although it may sound like a long time, those that go for shorter amounts always end up wishing they had stayed longer in their country and often end up changing their flights to do so. It takes time to build relationships, see the process of projects, and adjust to a new culture. That being said, we know that not everyone is in a position to come for the whole time. We offer shorter 2 week, 4 week, 6 week, and 8 week options as well so that everyone has opportunities to be a part of life changing development work and poverty relief. Depending on when you go may depend on the type of experience you have. If you go in the beginning of a program you will be involved in more of the set up, the partner meetings, the building of the projects but may miss the final completion. If you go at the end you may be throwing thank you parties and closing ceremonies with the communities we work with your last week. Every week is important in the process of development, but if you are not able to go for the whole time, make sure you understand what will be going on for the time you are there.
PAYMENT DETAILS
The entire program cost must be paid in full by your checkout meeting, which will be scheduled 2-3 weeks prior to your departure date.
Your Program Fee Includes:
This list is not all-inclusive. The program cost covers a variety of costs necessary to maintain and build the entire program.
Your program fee does NOT include:
If for any reason a volunteer decides to no longer attend their summer program, then some of the total program cost may be refundable according to the refund policy explained SAHAYATRI’s paperwork. However, money fundraised by the volunteer from others is non-refundable.
Why is there a program cost?
SAHAYATRI NEPAL is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, self-sustainable nonprofit organization. To accomplish the mission of SAHAYATRI NEPAL, to fight global poverty with sustainable development programs, we train and recruit impassioned volunteers to travel to underdeveloped countries to serve as human capital for poverty-alleviation efforts. SAHAYATRI is as big or as small as the volunteer base that signs up for the teams each year. Although some outside funding and grants are used throughout the year to run the organization, the volunteer program fees are how the organization sustains itself.
SAHAYATRI charges a program fee in order to fund our projects in our areas of operation and to run the organization at large. This cost may be paid out of pocket or through fundraising. Program fees go towards project costs, housing and food, volunteer support, insurance, volunteer trainings and handbooks, promotional items, domestic overhead, etc. When you pay a program fee, you are facilitating impact around the world, as every location costs the same for volunteers but not the same to run on the ground. Your donations are bigger than just the one location you will work at during your program. All that SAHAYATRI is able to accomplish is because of the support of the wonderful particiants each year.
SAFETY AND SECURITY
SAHAYATRI NEPAL has established guidelines, policies, and procedures to protect the safety and well-being of our volunteers. Although impossible to avoid every crisis possible, we have taken several precautionary steps to prevent and prepare for an emergency. Please read the Code of Conduct. It is essential that our volunteers strictly adhere to these policies in order to ensure their individual safety and the safety of their team. SAHAYATRI NEPAL also recommends reading through culture books on your country.
The following list comprises a few ways that SAHAYATRI strives to keep our programs as safe as possible:
SAHAYATRI regularly and responsibly monitors safety issues in each of our program locations. A review of all programs at a local, regional, and country level is conducted in which safety, security, and overall quality are addressed.
Each SAHAYATRI Country Coordinator is required to carry a cell phone to facilitate emergency communications. There are also extra phones for volunteers to carry with them to projects. If there is a problem,SAHAYATRI Participants can use the cell phone to call their in-country coordinators or even call internationally and talk directly to the Directors of SAHAYATRI and parents or guardians.
SAHAYATRI strives to remain aware of the current conditions and issues of concern in our program locations. It is important the each of our volunteers remains equally aware. As much as we do to keep our volunteers safe, we can only do so much. International travel, particularly in underdeveloped nations, comes with inherent risks. Each volunteer must always keep their own safety in mind and take proper precautions to minimize security risks.