Green Volunteer Nepal Program
Team for Nature and Wildlife (TNW)
E-mail: info@tnwnepal.org
greenvolunteernepal@gmail.com
greenvolunteernepal.blogspot.com
www.tnwnepal.org
DESCRIPTION:
Green Volunteer Nepal (GVN) Program is launched by Team for Nature and Wildlife (TNW), a youth's environmental organization to bring young people from across the globe in Nepal to contribute for the creation of green society and green Nepal. Green volunteering program is the first of its kind in Nepal launched with a mission of a Green or carbon neutral Nepal by 2030.
The program has been launched on the eve of UN International Year of Biodiversity (2010). The program mainly concentrates on encouraging, empowering and involving the community people for the conservation of natural resources and biodiversity ultimately to create a Green Nepal.
The activities of the program will be held in coordination with the highly renowned conservation organizations like Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Youth and Sports, WWF Nepal, ICIMOD, IUCN Nepal, Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation(DNPWC) and Central Forest Department under the Ministry of Forest, Climate Watch Alliance-Nepal, Central Vegetable Directorate(Ministry of Agriculture),Nepal Tourism Board(Nepal Tourism Year 2011), UN-HABITAT, Society for Conservation Biology(Social Science Working Group),USA, World Society for the Protection of Animals(WSPA),UK.
This program provides volunteer opportunities for travelers and students who have an interest in environmental issues, education, or green community development. The volunteer will have to a) educate the children and youth to carry out environmental activities, b) encourage and assist the community people to maintain clean environment, conserve and manage the environmental resources for the sustainable economic development of the needy communities of the Himalayan kingdom, Nepal.
Volunteer areas
1. Mission Rhino 2020 (Wildlife Conservation)
2. Mission Organic
3. School Environment Education Campaign
4. Community Climate Education Campaign
5. Youth Centre
6. Kathmandu Cycle City 2020
7. Green Institute
8. Green Theatre
9. Community Water Program
10. Pre-environment disaster Program
Mission Rhino 2020
The Greater One-horned Rhinoceros is perhaps the most enduring emblem of Nepal's rich biological heritage. The Greater One-horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is classified by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as "endangered,”.
Out of five species of rhinoceros in the world, one-horned rhinoceros is found only in Nepal and India. In Nepal, Chitwan National Park (CNP) and its surroundings, Bardiya National Park (BNP) and Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve (SWR) are the main habitats of the rhinoceros. Kajiranga National Park in India houses the largest number of one-horned rhinoceros. Chitwan National Park was established in 1973 with the objective of protecting one-horned rhinoceros and its habitat. Chitwan National Park was recognized as a World Heritage Site in 1984 for its high biodiversity and for maintaining ecological process ecosystems of international significance (DNPWC 2001).
In Nepal, the rhinoceros population was estimated at 1000 individuals until 1950 in the Chitwan National Park. In 2008, rhino population size is estimated at 403 individuals in three Terai protected areas of Nepal. So, the number of one horned Rhino is decreasing dramatically putting this species at high risk of extinction. In recent years, rhino poaching has been one of the major threats for the survival of this species (Rhinoceros unicornis) despite great efforts to curb wildlife poaching and trade in Nepal. During the period of two months (May-June 2010), seven rhinos have been killed by poaching.
The main factor behind this is-the existing national policy is not strict enough or wildlife friendly, creating an easy environment for wildlife criminals to escape prosecution since they are getting protection from corrupt political bodies.
In order to control rhino poaching on a sustainable way, Team for Nature and Wildlife (TNW), a youth's environmental organization has launched a campaign titled "Mission Rhino 2020". The campaign includes educational programs on conservation and lobbying activities, led and run by youths at local and central level to influence the government to revise existing policies and practices.
Duties:
1. The green volunteer will have to work in Chitwan district (Home to 2nd largest number of One horned Rhino after India in the world) where Chitwan National Park, Country's first National Park enlisted under World Heritage Site by UNECO is located. The campaign includes educating and empowering the people (school children, youth and local people) on Rhino conservation in coordination with local and national conservation stakeholders.
2. The volunteer will have to give a talk on Rhino conservation at college/school along with the members of National Youth Alliance for Rhino Conservation (NYARC). All the green volunteers will be given a one week course before their involvement in this project.
3. The volunteer will have to work in monitoring and keeping record of wildlife crime, criminals and judicial decisions
4. The volunteer will have to work for the welfare of wildlife victims to provide environmental justice
Mission Organic
According to a research report of the District Agriculture Development Office of Dolakha district, the district has experienced an acute food shortage as a result of much lower agricultural production the recent year (2009) compared to the previous year. The district has a yearly demand of 41,448 metric tons of food stuff only partially met by local production of 23,884 metric tons. The food deficit stands at 17,900 metric tons in 2009. Potato yield dropped 5,500 metric tons in winter, amounting to only 4,000 metric tons.
The fall in production has been attributed to a long dry spell, lack of agro seeds and modern farming techniques and excessive use of chemical fertilizers. On the one hand, farmers are performing a unique marriage of frogs, according to Hindu rituals, to appease “rain gods” to end the drought. They are unaware of scientific factors behind the dry spell such as climate change. On the other hand, farmers use pesticides, considering them medicines rather than poisons. They are considered as a panacea despite higher costs. They are totally unaware that excessive use of pesticides could damage the crops and not only kill the targeted pests but also beneficial organisms. The indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides is creating health and environmental problems.
Therefore, it is important to encourage and empower the farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practice through organic farming. There are increasing evidences from around the world that organic farming can be very productive and is central to improving soil fertility, ensuring food security, better health and ecological well-being. A study carried out across several African countries jointly by United Nations Environment Program and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in 2008 found that sustainable agriculture practitioners are not only saving soil and nature but are also producing more, conserving diversity and increasing their income.
Therefore, TNW has come up with this project titled "Mission Organic" for the promotion of sustainable Agriculture. This program will be conducted in coordination with Central Vegetable Directorate (Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives).
The green volunteers interested to work in this campaign need to educate and empower the farmers on organic farming. The volunteers will also have to work in agricultural field with the farmers to grow the crops.
School Environment Education Campaign
The whole world is moving towards sustainable development. Environment conservation is the essential element in achieving sustainability. We must protect our environment to save our children, and empower our children to save the environment. It is for our children and future generations that we must build a carbon-neutral community. Like all progressive and prosperous countries, we need to invest heavily in the survival, protection and development of our children, and inculcate in them an abiding love of nature and the environment. Therefore, TNW has come up with a campaign titled "School Environment Education Campaign".
The main objectives of this campaign are to make the school children
• Well aware of environmental issues and consequences so that they will be encouraged to develop their own community on a sustainable way with the conservation of local natural resources
• Capable to communicate well in English language so that they can communicate with the entire world to share their vision and actions globally.
Duties:
• The volunteers will have to educate the school children and carry out environmental activities (in the capacity of a volunteer) to maintain clean environment, conserve and manage the environmental resources of the communities
• During the environmental education, the volunteers should also teach English subject and extra curricular activities. The volunteers from abroad will be coordinated by local young English speaker/green volunteer during the period of service.
Volunteers will develop a working plan and work Monday to Friday from 10-3. The work involves formation of school green club, teaching environment education in schools, taking English classes and extra curricular activities. The activities can be reforestation, gardening, organic farming, minor construction, environmental education, intra school competition (essay writing, quiz contest etc.) on environmental issues, school clean up campaign, community clean up campaign, community environmental education with the use of school children etc. The volunteers should submit a report of their program at the end of the program. The green volunteers will be assisted by the local Nepalese green volunteers.
Community Climate Education Campaign
Climate change has been a global problem no matter who is responsible behind the overwhelming emission of green houses and warming of earth. The mountainous countries like Nepal have been hard hit by the climate change despite the fact that it has really negligible share on global green houses emissions. Although, the worldwide attention and initiative to raise the awareness on climate issues should be highly appreciated but the real climate victims have yet to get the climate education and prepare for the worst in the future. In Nepal too, urban people have been little bit aware on this issue due to the massive awareness campaign at urban areas but the rural areas have yet to have general information on it. Therefore, they always blame the god if any natural factors affect their life and livelihood.
Keeping these facts in to serious consideration, TNW Nepal has come up with this campaign to generate awareness on climate change amongst rural folks.
The green volunteers will have to educate the rural people on climate change.
Youth Centre
Most of the youth either in rural or urban areas are found to be disengaged or unemployed. They lack the proper place to be engaged for social and creative purpose. They lack the place to learn something good and to be empowered for their personal development. They also lack the place for proper guidance so that they could drive their life towards constructive thing. This has led the youth to waste the time and energy on unproductive issues which has ultimately led to the social conflict, crime, instability etc. The youth want to be educated and empowered for constructive purpose, intellectual, economic and social development. But there is a lack of such place. Taking this fact into serious consideration, TNW has come up with a plan of forming Youth Centre at community level. The centre will conduct some activities to educate, empower and provide proper guidance to the youth so that they will not be directed towards anti-social activities.
The centre will carry out the programs in coordination with a local school so that the school venue and infrastructures can be utilized for the execution of the programs.
Current programs:
• English language and communication development course
• Eco-tourism course
• Extra curricular activities sports, music etc
• Career/Psychological/Guidance Counseling
Future programs:
• Infrastructure Development
• Information and Communication Technology course
• Youth empowerment for green job
Why these programs?
Most of the Nepalese youth especially from rural areas are very weak in English language. They even can not communicate in English language. It is very important for the youth especially living in mountainous region to have communication skills in English language because their profession is in tourism sector as a trekking guide, porter or helpers. Youth are reportedly found to have faced problems due to their poor communication skills. In Nepal, Tourism is the major area which provides direct employment to millions of youth.The contribution of the Travel & Tourism economy to employment is expected to rise from 497,000 jobs in 2009, 4.7% of total employment or 1 in every 21.2 jobs to 677,000 jobs, 5.0% of total employment or 1 in every 20.0 jobs by 2019. Likewise, the youth involved in tourism sector are not well aware on the environmental consequences as a result of irresponsible form of tourism. Likewise, most of the youth want to spend their leisure time in creative things like sports, music, arts. The lack of such infrastructures has made the youth to waste the time and energy. The lack of proper counseling has led the youth towards confusion in life. They are found to have confused about the goal and way of better life.
Duties:
The green volunteers will have to work in current programs as an educator and counselor to the youth. The interested people can send email for inquiry regarding the involvement as a green volunteer in this program area.
Kathmandu Cycle City 2020
Kathmandu Cycle City 2020 campaign is an ambitious program for the promotion of cycling culture and system in Kathmandu Valley which over the coming years includes developments to cycling infrastructure, training and participation. The overall aim is to make the number of cycles (could be manual or electric) plying in the street more than the number of automobiles being used, with the main target being people who currently use their motorbikes and private vehicles rather than cycling or by foot for short journeys in and around Kathmandu Valley and other possible places of Nepal. The main goal of the campaign is to minimize the environmental problems like air pollution, control traffic congestion and take the urban areas towards well managed city.
The 10 years of Cycling promotion doesn’t only include increase in number of cycle users but also the necessary infrastructures for safe and sound cycling. Our plan is to include and engage the residents of valley; particularly young people encourage them to cycle more often by supporting them through training and participation, with the aim of making cycling one of the most obvious transport choices for journeys around most of Kathmandu.
We believe improvements to key cycling infrastructure and the establishment of city centre cycle access will add to the attraction of cycling as a transport mode, with this idea, TNW has launched Kathmandu Cycle City 2020 campaign.
The green volunteers interested to work in this campaign need to get involved in activities like cycle awareness, awareness on urban air pollution, cycle rally, talk show, cycle workshop, lobbying for cycle friendly infrastructure etc.
Green Institute
Introduction
We are confronting a wide range of environmental problems like global warming, deforestation, species extinction and like. It is important for all of us to be well aware of it but still self awareness is not adequate to address the environmental issues. We need action. Taking the need of environmental action into serious consideration, TNW has launched Green Institute. It is a platform to educate, inspire and empower the people for green action. It would be a place where we not only discuss, interact and learn but also make a commitment for green action no matter how small it is. The institute will help the action oriented green citizen to make a difference. In concise, the Green Institute is the only place which is totally dedicated for green issues and green development.
Objective
To educate, inspire and empower the people for green action.
Methodology
1. Interaction based talk show
2. Movie show
3. Publications
4. Training
5. Recognition and reward
Interaction based talk show
Green Institute conducts talk show on every Friday at 3:00 PM- 4:00 PM. A guest speaker who is expert on his/her field will give a talk. There will be seats for only 25 participants so they should book the seat three days prior to the program contacting the coordinator. The participants need to send an email for registration. Telephone call will not be entertained. After the registration, the participants will be send information about the expert and they can also send the questions regarding the topic in advance.
Since its inception, TNW Nepal has been regularly conducting interaction based talk shows for school children, college students and youths on a wide range of environmental issues like climate change, wildlife conservation, air pollution, solid waste management, biodiversity conservation, animal welfare issue etc.
Movie show
There will be movie show on environmental issues on every last Friday followed by the discussion on the movie.
Publications
There will be regular online publication regarding the green issues. This will come out through website. The participants can also shot their articles.
Training
Green Institute conducts training on eco-products development like organic compost making training, bio-briquette production training, floriculture and nursery development training etc. The participants can take such training by paying certain charge. This will also be a means of sustainability.
Recognition and reward
Green Institute on behalf of TNW will award a person as a Green Hero of the Year along with cash prize NRs. 5000.00 on annual basis.
Duties of green volunteer
The green volunteer having expertise on particular environmental issue should approach the school/college for the participation of the students and give a talk for the students at green institute/school/college.
(For further information please log into- greeninstitutenepal.blogspot.com)
Green Theatre
On 21st September 2007, TNW launched "Green Theatre Campaign" to regularly organize drama show on environmental issues for environmental education and awareness and raise fund for the TNW projects. In this regard, TNW set up "Green Theatre Group" with the involvement of professional and highly renowned young theatre artistes of Nepal. TNW is the first organization in Nepal to adopt theatre show for environmental awareness.
The green volunteers having interest on theatre can work in green theatre campaign.
Community Water Program
According to UNICEF, 17 million people defecate in open areas everyday causing a loss of about 4 percent of the Gross Domestic Product in Nepal. The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets on sanitation can be reached only if an additional 14,000 households are served every month. A UNICEF report maintains that proper use of toilets and practice of hand washing can reduce morbidity by 35 percent and 43 percent respectively. Just because of lack of proper sanitation and hygienic practices and shortage of potable drinking water in many pockets of the Far Western districts, a diarrhea outbreak claimed more than 276 lives last year alone(2009).
To reduce the morbidity rate due to water borne diseases, TNW has come up with the campaign to make the village free from water borne diseases with programs like awareness, infrastructure development related to water and sanitation.
The green volunteers can work to generate awareness on water and sanitation issues in rural areas of Nepal.
Pre-environmental disaster Program
Nepal is located in a geographic region prone to natural disasters. Loss of lives and property are a regular phenomenon, and the number of such events is on the rise due to natural as well as man-made causes. Among the main reasons of natural disasters in Nepal are active tectonic and geomorphic processes, young and fragile geology, variable climatic conditions, unplanned settlement, increasing population, weak economic condition and low literacy rate. Nepal is therefore geologically found to be vulnerable to various types of natural disasters such as flood, landslide, fire, epidemic, earthquake, avalanche, windstorm, hailstorm, lightning, Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF), drought etc. A GLOF in Nepal can also be even more dangerous than the tsunamis faced by sea-faring countries due to its downwards-movement through gravity.
Apart from the above reasons, lack of good governance practices and public awareness contribute significantly to this problem. Among the most devastating natural disasters experienced by the country are the earthquakes of 1833, 1934, 1980, 1988 and the flood of July 1993, which not only caused heavy loss of human lives and property but also adversely affected the development process of the country as a whole. In the year 2003 alone, 232 people lost their lives to landslide and flood. Historically, it has been observed that there is significantly dangerous seismic activity every seventy to hundred years in Nepal.
The extreme weather events trigger floods, landslides that claims more than 100 lives injures thousands of people and displace thousands of families across the nation. In 2008,138 people had lost life due to landslides. In 2009, 23 people lost life due to landslides in 24 hours. 5 people of the same family lost life. Some survivors are also being deprived of medical treatment and relief package.
According to the recent report by Department of geology and archeology, there are 25 districts at higher risk of climate related disasters. Neither has the government been able to rescue the potential communities or victims to safer places before the environmental disaster nor has it been able to address the problems of the climate victims after the disasters. There seems to be so much effort on post disaster management. But there is a lack of pre-disaster management activities. Therefore, TNW has come up with this program to save the people from such disaster.
The green volunteer is intended to:
■Increase awareness of environmental disasters/emergencies and work to prevent, prepare for and respond to such disasters;
■Raise the profile of environmental emergencies and disasters;
■Underline the connection between environmental impacts of natural disasters, technological accidents and complex emergencies
■Increase international participation in preventing, preparing for and responding to environmental disasters
GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION:
• Dolakha district (Going to be the first eco-friendly district of Nepal)
(www.tnwdolakha.blogspot.com)
• Chitwan district
• Kathmandu Valley (The capital of Nepal)
DURATION:
Volunteers can stay for a little as one week up to 6 months.
PERIOD:
Year round
AGE:
Min.18.
VOLUNTEERS' ORIENTATION:
Initially, the volunteers will be given courses on Nepali language and culture, teaching trainings, rural lifestyle, geography, climate, festival, local and national environmental issues. The duration of the course will be two weeks. Then, the volunteers will be mobilized to the project sites. They will also be given a subject of study and research and should submit a report upon completion of the service. This is done to encourage them learn more and more things about the backward communities they serve for some period of time.
LANGUAGE:
English
ACCOMMODATION:
Volunteers lodge in the Volunteers' House which provides room, full bath, full kitchen, electricity, water, purified water and 24 hour caretaker during the first two week's orientation period.
Volunteers will lodge with local families during the volunteering program period.
COST:
Program Booking Fee: $100 - is a non refundable fee which covers processing your application and pre-departure support and is not deductible from program fees. $50 will be deposited into the Green School Development Fund. This Fund will be used for the construction of Child friendly/eco-friendly school in the needy areas of the country.
Current costs:
Two Weeks: $200
Per Month: $500
Every Additional Week: $150
Every Additional Month: $300
Fee includes:
• Pre-service or orientation program (e.g. Nepali language and culture, Talk on local and national environmental issues by prominent environmental figures of Nepal, program orientation, teacher training)/two weeks
• One day sight seeing around Kathmandu valley (7 World Heritage sites)
• Accommodation and food during the orientation program (Nepali standard 2 to 3 meals a day);
• Administrative charge;
• Stationeries during the orientation program;
• Transportation to the project site; accompanied by your coordinator
• Home stay during the program
• Green Volunteer ID-card
• Green Volunteer's T-shirt
• 24 hours emergency support;
• Regular follow up support / visit (1-2 week interval) by Program staffs;
• Support for local staff and volunteers;
• Green Volunteer Certificate
Fee excludes:
• Flight
• Vaccinations
• Visa
• Travel insurance
• All personal expenses
Note: We encourage the green volunteers to use bicycle as a means of transport in urban areas as TNW has launched a campaign titled "Kathmandu Cycle City 2020" to promote cycle in Kathmandu valley for clean and green Kathmandu till 2020.For further information please visit the blog -ktmcyclecity2020.blogspot.com
To know more about cycling promotion campaign at global level-www.cyclecities.co.uk
VOLUNTEER TERM:
Volunteers can stay for as long as they want.
EXTRA SERVICE:
TNW has some good Travel agents and Tour Operators as its partner organizations which offer travel package in a wide range of areas like mountain expedition, trekking, adventure tours, cultural tours, Nature walk or Jungle safaris, wildlife safaris, bird watching tours, leisure tours etc. at an affordable cost.
You can log www.welcomenepal.com (the official website of Nepal Tourism Board) to know about the Nepal and tourism destinations of the country.
FREELANCER VOLUNTEER:
Any interested people can work as a freelancer green volunteer by promoting this green volunteer program so that more and more people will know and get involved in green volunteering. The freelancer volunteers can assist the volunteering program by raising the fund for the social and environmental projects of TNW.
APPLICATION:
Please send us a letter of inquiry via e-mail at
info@tnwnepal.org
greenvolunteernepal@gmail.com
