Volunteer Society Nepal : The best experience for volunteers, the best value for Nepal.
Volunteer Society Nepal is in the neighborhood of Kathmandu called Purano Sinamangal. However, everyone calls this neighborhood PepsiCola, because the PepsiCola factory is there! In the beginning its quite funny to use these words to grab a taxi or get in a bus! In this area Volunteer Society Nepal is running several of its projects, our office and several home stays. As a volunteer, you will start your time with us here.
The area of PepsiCola is on the edge of Kathmandu and is rather new. It is the first planned area of Kathmandu! So the streets are not narrow but more wide and the municipality has left space for a football field in the middle and there are some small parks. In this area many new families from all over Nepal have moved in. One has bought a plot of land and started building a house. Soon new families have moved in. In one house it is not uncommon to have four or even eight families living there!
First of all, many families come from outside of Kathmandu and are the first generation living in a city. Often the husbands have had an education but the women have not. So the average rate of literacy is low in this area. Therefor, Volunteer Society Nepal has set up a women center here, to provide education for the women who never had the chance to go to school. Secondly, many women are not educated, birth control is low and there are many big families. Because of this, there are many schools in this area, schools that are growing fast and often lack a good quality education. And last but not least: PepsiCola is suffering from environmental problems such as littering and lack of waste disposal.
PepsiCola is a safe area, with new earthquake resistant houses and lots of open space compared to the rest of Kathmandu. It is easy to explore by walking. The people are friendly and very welcoming to foreigners. The best thing about PepsiCola is the football field in the middle of the neighborhood: an important landmark where locals meet and hang out. Along the edge of the field, many local shops and eateries are located. In the afternoon people gather here to hang out and walk along the fields, shopping, eating and chatting. During festivals, this is where the music is and the tents are set up to dance in. And of course there are weekly football competitions. Volunteer Society Nepal is sometimes also playing a local game here with volunteers playing against our local school!
From PepsiCola it is easy to go to important landmarks in Kathmandu and Kathmandu Valley. Within 15 minutes by bus you are outside the city in the rice fields and hills where you can go hiking. Within 20 minutes you are in the beautiful medieval city of Bhaktapur. Also, within 15 minutes you are in the area of Boudhanath Stupa or Pashupatinath. During your first week in Nepal, as a volunteer or traveler you will explore the local area with us and all the heritage sites of Kathmandu as well. More information about your time with us or would you like to volunteer in this area? Check out our volunteering options!