Short Term Opportunities

An opportunity to familiarise yourself with the workings of a leprosy hospital.

 

NLT accept volunteers throughout the year. The average length of stay is between 6-8 weeks. All skills are useful and anyone can apply through our UK office. You will be asked to fill in an application form and the Programme Director will decide whether you will be able to be used at the hospital. If you are accepted there is a registration fee of £75.00 to cover admin costs both in the UK and Nepal.

Due to the unsettled political situation in Nepal you will need to be flexible. If the situation flares up during the time you are due to arrive, the Programme Director may recommend postponing or canceling your trip. At present, although the Maoists have signed a Peace Accord and at a national level things are more stable, there are still problems in the Terai (Southern Nepal). We therefore still have to rely on local information to guide us with regard to visitor safety at Lalgadh and this will be adhered to.

Costs

Short-term visitors are not paid an allowance by Nepal Leprosy Trust and will have to pay for their own costs. The major cost is likely to be the airfare to and from Nepal. The journey from Kathmandu to Lalgadh is about 9 hours by bus, 7 hours by land rover, or half an hour by plane to Janakpur plus 45 minutes by land rover. The airfare is approx. $69 for a single flight which should be paid in dollars. Please bring dollar currency to pay for this. It is possible that NLT will arrange for you to travel from Kathmandu to Lalgadh in an NLT vehicle but you should budget for two single domestic flights. Due to the political situation in Nepal there are frequent transport strikes, so any visit must be arranged with a degree of flexibility. Apart from accommodation costs (see below) there will be charges for special transport, communication such as phone use, possibly a small charge for email, and any specific purchases of food etc, outside the basics supplied within the accommodation cost, are charged for. However, on balance the living costs in Nepal are quite low.

Accommodation

There will be a charge per day at Lalgadh for accommodation and food of about $6. Payment for this in dollars is preferred. The amount charged for board and lodging covers basic Nepali style meals. This includes daal bhat (rice, curry and lentil soup) twice a day (lunch and dinner) Note that the food tends to be quite spicy and there is no western alternative. Nepali breakfast can also be provided but most western visitors do not usually want curry three times a day! White sliced bread is usually available for breakfast.

As we are a Christian organisation there is a ban on alcohol at LLSC and we also ask that you do not smoke.

Weather

For most of the year the weather at Lalgadh is hot or very hot. May to July is extremely hot. Nevertheless, it can be cool at night in winter (December - February) so be sure to bring at least one jumper. Kathmandu can be very cold in winter. Heating in the houses is poor or non-existent.

Other Info

Accommodation will be arranged for you for your first night(s) in Kathmandu in a small hotel in Thamel or Patan. The cost will be around �6 per night. Please inform Ruth if you wish to make other arrangements.

When you return to the UK we require a 2 page report of your time at LLSC. This may be used for our newsletter as we rely on regular up-to-date information. This could contain observations of the people, hospital, culture and anecdotes, etc. If you write any article or report on your visit to Lalgadh for outside publication (however small the circulation), you must submit the article to NLT before publication or circulation.

Recommended Reading

(all available used on www.amazon.co.uk):

  • Lonely Planet Guide to Nepal � Hugh Finlay
    • Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications
  • The Travellers� Good Health Guide � Ted Lankester
    • Publisher: Sheldon Press
  • Pain: The gift nobody wants: Memoirs of the World�s leading leprosy Surgeon � Paul
    • Publisher: Zondervan
  • Famine and Face Packs - Emma Stratton
    • ISBN: 1850784809

We aim to present an insight into the challenge of leprosy thereby facilitating an informed interest in the lives of people affected by the disease and the work of the Nepal Leprosy Trust. You are expected to plan to be at Lalgadh for no less than 6 weeks which also allow for strikes and disruptions.

Under Nepali Government rules, non-Nepalis require the equivalent of a work permit before they may undertake work within the country. You will not have a work permit and will, therefore, not be taking up a formal work role: you will be visiting NLT's projects in order to observe and learn. You will also have an opportunity to share in the life of NLT and the community.

There is also the option to carry out your own specific project/research at LLSC. For more details please contact us.