40 hrs of fieldwork per week
1:6 staff to participant ratio
Includes GVI Experiences
Gain valuable practical experience and kick-start your career in international sustainable development when you complete a women’s empowerment internship in Nepal with GVI. Contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality, this internship is specifically suited for those with a background or interest in gender studies.
Start building a career that is in alignment with your passion for achieving global gender equality objectives. Join staff and other participants from around the world in Nepal’s community of Pokhara to learn about, and contribute to, women’s empowerment initiatives. These are aligned to Gender Equality, the 5th Sustainable Development Goal set by the United Nations.
Some of the projects we run in the area include literacy, numeracy and life skills workshops for girls at a local school as well as professional skills development classes with local women. We also run conversational English classes for local women. Not only do these classes provide for a local need, the women are very keen to become proficient in English, but the classes also create a space where women can develop their own social support structure. We also run women’s health workshops featuring topics like prenatal health and child health. Additionally, we work in partnership with SASANE, an anti-human trafficking organisation, where our efforts go beyond English classes and confidence-building. Our focus is on enriching lives, supporting aspirations, and developing vital soft skills for personal growth.
Interns are also encouraged to set up their own project in alignment with ongoing initiatives with a focus specifically on women’s empowerment. Your assigned on-site GVI mentor will help you to identify a need among girls and women in the community as well as developing and implementing a practical solution.
This internship is specifically useful for someone who has or is actively studying the below subject areas at school, university or college, or has an interest in these subject areas.
Some of the example typical activities you could participate in on this program.
Some of the partners we work with on base.
Home to the tallest mountain range in the world, and known internationally as the gateway to the Himalayas, the city of Pokhara is well-loved by hikers, paragliders, kayakers and other adventure enthusiasts. On a clear day, you have a spectacular view of the Annapurna Mountain range. When you hear people say that the fishtail is out, it means the sky is clear and the sacred Machhapuchhre Mountain (also known as Fishtail) is visible. Surrounded by snowy mountain peaks and built around the picturesque Phewa Tal (Phewa Lake), the city is a unique mix of natural beauty and urban convenience.
Our community hub in Pokhara is situated in Lakeside, which is lined with great eateries serving local Nepali cuisine and international fare. You’ll also find shops selling local crafts unique to the region, such as intricately patterned pashmina shawls and vibrantly coloured Buddhist thangka paintings.
There are a range of shops offering rugs, bags and other items woven by local women, artwork (such as mandalas hand painted by local artists), trekking equipment, and many other locally produced goods. There are also many cafes where you can relax, catch up with new friends, or use the Wi-Fi to keep in touch with friends and family back home.
There are many activities to enjoy which are close to base. From watching the sunset at Phewa Lake, which is less than 10 minutes’ walk from the base, to the Movie Garden where you can watch outdoor movies – with the backdrop of the lake and mountains. On a clear day, you realise the enormity of the Annapurna range as you see the snow covered mountains as you walk down the street.
The base has a relaxed, friendly and fun vibe. We have a shared undercover area outside where participants meet and mingle. There are tables and chairs on the two balconies where participants meet and play cards, plan lessons or chat about their day. Our dogs (Seti and Kali) are always happy to greet the participants at base. Our base is climate-friendly – solar panels are used for hot water, we recycle what we can, food scraps are collected by local farmers, and all foods are produced locally.
In the mornings before work, there is time to walk or jog near the lake and enjoy the morning views. Participants often use this time to exercise or pick up a Himalayan coffee at one of the local cafes. In the afternoons, when participants have returned from a project and prepared for the next day, they tend to go out for a walk, enjoy a coffee or stay in touch with friends and family. This is also the time when participants plan their weekend adventures. After dinner, participants often stay around the base and play cards or other games such as Bhaga Chal, a traditional Nepalese game. After dinner many participants go out for a drink or a dessert at a local cafe and soak up the atmosphere. Or they might watch a movie at the Movie Garden. Once a week, there is a social night, which is either a quiz or another social activity at the base.
We want you to make the most of the chance to live in – and contribute towards – the most diverse and unique wildernesses and communities on earth. Introducing GVI Experiences – immersive adventure, cultural and wellness activities exclusive to GVI that have been specially designed in collaboration with our local partners to support and stimulate sustainable economic development.
Enhance your impact. Expand your adventure. Explore your world.
By joining a GVI program, you not only have the opportunity to work in collaboration with local communities, you also get the chance to explore the surrounding area or venture further to see what else the region has to offer on weekends.
Our field staff are a great source of advice on local travel options. Many participants choose to travel before or after their experience, solidifying friendships made on the program.
Engaging with a new context teaches global awareness, adaptability and critical thinking – skills highly valued in today’s world. Cultural immersion is encouraged, and there are many activities to enjoy during your free time or before and after your program. Please note, these suggestions aren’t included in the program fee and are at your own expense.
If you’d like to find out what the experience of joining a GVI project is really like, simply contact us and we’ll put you in touch with one of our many Alumni.
We’ll try to match you to an Alum based on your location, nationality, age, stage of academic career, gender, and program interests. This allows you to gain insights into the experience that is most relevant to you.
Depending on your location you might be able to speak to an Alum over the phone or online, or meet up with them face-to-face at a coffee shop nearby. We also run a series of small events around the world where you can speak to GVI Alumni, Ambassadors and staff members.
Program Manager
Meet Tara, the Program Manager at GVI Nepal. Tara manages the hub and is responsible for programming, operations and participant experience.He is ...
Teaching Program Coordinator
Meet Roshani, who is one of our Program Coordinators in Pokhara, Nepal. She really enjoys working with and meeting new people through GVI. She is ...
Program Officer
Introducing Bribek, who is our Program Officer in Pokhara, Nepal. He assists in the delivery of programs, organising and leading project activiti ...
Women's Empowerment Program Coordinator
Meet Sita, one of the Program Coordinators in Pokhara, Nepal. Sita facilitates day-to-day project work and engagement between commu ...
When it comes to support, we ensure that each participant is provided with unparalleled, 360 degree support, from your initial contact with the GVI Family, all the way through your program, and even after, as you become part of the GVI Alumni Team.
As part of this promise, we will ensure, whenever possible, that one of our dedicated staff will be available to meet you at the airport. In most locations, we also set up a Whatsapp group to help with managing airport arrivals.
We will arrange with you prior to your departure that, should you arrive in the agreed upon pick up window, a member of our staff will be there to welcome you, easily identifiable in a GVI t-shirt or holding a GVI sign and wearing a friendly smile.
This means there will be someone there to greet you as you land, and from there you will be transported to your GVI base to start your adventure and meet the rest of your team.
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All of our programs have short-, mid- and long-term objectives that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). This enables us to report on our collaborative impact across the world in a streamlined manner, measuring which UN SDGs we are making a substantial contribution to. Furthermore, this will help our local partners and communities measure and visualise their contribution to the UN SDGs.
Prior to your arrival on base, you will be educated about the UN SDGs. Then once you arrive on base, you’ll learn about the specific goals we have in this particular location, our various objectives, and also clarification of how your personal, shorter-term involvement contributes to these.
Our aim is to educate you on local and global issues, so that you continue to be an active global citizen after your program, helping to fulfil our mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference.
Early Childhood Development and Education
We support several educational facilities for young students in Nepal. GVI participants contribute by assisting with improving the infrastructure of learning environments, developing educational resources and assisting students to achieve their learning objectives. Subjects we support include English language learning, maths, science and computer skills. For younger students we facilitate arts and crafts lessons to promote fine motor skills development. Sports lessons help gross motor skills development, teamwork and a healthy lifestyle.
Preventative Healthcare
Our public health participants work with local partners in setting up and implementing health and hygiene practices across sites within the community. Based on the needs identified by the community, we assist children and adults through fun, informal educational workshops. GVI participants support health in Nepal by leading workshops on a wide range of topics, including WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene), road safety, puberty and menstruation, waste management and self-care.
Women’s Empowerment
Staff and participants who contribute to our women’s empowerment program in Nepal participate in a number of educational and professional development workshops. Lessons cover topics such as English language, maths, resume writing and alternative income generation. We support women’s health workshops and address issues like self-care and family health. We also work with local partners to raise awareness of issues such as human rights and human trafficking.
Women’s empowerment workshops provide a social outlet for many women and assist them in building a network within the community. The workshops also assist in developing English skills, which can open the door to potential work opportunities, particularly in tourism. These learning opportunities also build confidence in the women of the community.
With our partner SASANE, our participation in the Sisterhood of Survivors (SOS) programme gives women in the community an opportunity to practise their English and presentation skills. The funds we pay to participate go towards training women to become paralegals. We also facilitate workshops with the SASANE team that focus on English and personal development skills.
Construction
Our construction volunteers assist with refurbishment and improvement projects within the community. We aim to improve the facilities for students and teachers. We particularly support semi-rural government schools just outside the city. They’re small, usually less than 100 students, and are frequently under-staffed and under-resourced. All work depends on the needs of the community at the time and can include: building desks for students and teachers, making storage units and shelves for the classroom, and developing waste disposal areas. Other examples include creating handwashing stations to support health programs and general classroom refurbishment.
We also aim to provide economic support. All construction resources are purchased locally and local people are employed to work with us. If we are working in a village, we purchase supplies from that village, where possible. To support the community businesses, we have our lunchtime meals in one of the village cafes.
All of these initiatives offer support to the community and local partners, and address many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, such as Goal 4: Quality Education, Goal 3: Health and Well-being, Goal 5: Gender Equality, and Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation.
GVI Pokhara long-term objectives:
1. Support students to reach learning goals appropriate to their age, grade level, or individual needs.
2. Support the community with improved facilities, with an emphasis on educational facilities.
3. Increase the knowledge and understanding of health in the community, with an emphasis on prevention, and developing health-related skills such as emergency first aid.
4. Increase professional and vocational skills held by women in the community, through education and empowerment.
The best decisions in international development and conservation cannot be made without accurate and up-to-date data or informed research. Our many field teams around the world collaborate with local and international partners to analyse data and draw conclusions. In addition, many of our participants have used research they have collected on their various GVI projects to complete their Masters, Doctorate, or postdoctoral studies. We also run a fellowship program which connects postdoctoral researchers at globally-respected universities with our many sustainable development programs around the world to support their research and ensure continuous improvement of our best practices on base.
A GVI program is an investment in your career. No matter which you choose, you will be working toward improving your employability by mastering new social skills, gaining further technical expertise and earning qualifications in many cases. Most of our staff are, in fact, GVI Alumni, and we have helped many of our Alumni discover, move toward, and earn their own personal dream jobs. Each program includes introductory workshops, ongoing presentations, as well as on-the-ground professional support provided by our very own trained staff members. In addition, our training programs are critical for helping us to ensure the long-term impact of our sustainable development projects around the world.
Learn about the importance of child and vulnerable adult protection best practices and how to apply them while on project.
Introduction to the history and evolution of sustainable development, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and how these related to your project work.
Learn about our country locations and further opportunities available to you during or after your program.
Learn about gender equality, skills development and examples of income-generating activities.
Learn about our empowerment principles.
Take a short boat trip to Barahi temple at the centre of Phewa Lake, introducing you to Hindu culture. Then visit the Buddhist temple in Hemja, a Tibetian settlement.
SASANE is a local anti-human trafficking organisation. Here participants attend a session educating them about human rights and the state of human trafficking. Participants also complete a cultural cooking lesson, learning how to make momos (Nepali dumplings) using traditional methods.
Complete two lessons with a local Nepali teacher.
Career paths in social and environmental impact are not as well-established as in other fields. That’s why we’ll provide our interns who have successfully completed their program with our Careers in Sustainable Development course. In this course, you’ll learn about current and emerging opportunities in a range of sectors, allowing you to make the best decision about your future.
This online course, valued at £295, is included in all internships. Full course details can be found here.
Leadership is a critical skill set for anyone looking to make an impact or drive sustainable development. Develop your own leadership style and learn how to set achievable objectives, give effective feedback and manage conflict successfully. After successfully completing the course, which you have the option of doing prior to your in-country program, you’ll receive a certificate from the University of Richmond.
This online course, valued at £295, is included in all volunteering programs. Full course details can be found here.
In this course, you’ll explore the most common pitfalls of community development initiatives so that you can avoid them. You’ll also learn how to carry out community development work effectively and ethically and how local context impacts program development. After successfully completing the course, which you have the option of doing prior to your in-country program, you’ll receive a certificate from the University of Richmond.
This online course, valued at £295, is included in all volunteering programs. Full course details can be found here.
We won’t sugarcoat it — traveling abroad is usually a complex process that carries an element of risk. But this is exactly why we’re passionate about providing extensive support throughout the process as well as the highest safety standards during the in-country phase. We believe that volunteering abroad should not only be impactful, but an enjoyable experience that carries as little risk as possible. This is exactly how we’ve been able to maintain our reputation as the most highly respected volunteering organisations in the sector over the past two decades.
Make the most of our unique programs with these exclusively curated local adventure and wellness experiences.
