Volunteer with us

Mondo offers placements truly IN the mountains in the Helambu region of Nepal, where we are the only volunteer agency, and around Kalimpong, and Darjeeling in India. The Helambu region was the worst hit area in the whole of Nepal during the earthquake of 2015, and the roots of Mondo Foundation itself were laid here when the Founder’s son volunteered in the area and taught our (now) Country Manager Jimmy Lama, back in 1990.   Across the border in Kalimpong, the views across the valleys are just as compelling, but the schools are more established, Kalimpong being known since colonial days for its educational institutions.

What’s different about teaching with Mondo is the innovative teacher training programme that it has co-created with the local government education department in Nepal, called ‘Saathi’ (Friend of Teacher in Nepalese), which trains ambitious young graduates to pioneer progressive teaching skills to deliver transformative results in the schools in which we work. Adding UK-trained educationalists into this mix, means that your time as a volunteer could benefit not only those children you teach directly, but the local teachers you work alongside who will carry on educating children long after you have left.

Whether you are a retired head teacher or newly-qualified and wanting to practice your techniques, or if you have TEFL experience, work as a lecturer, teaching assistant or any kind of educationalist, your experience will be appreciated and used for good by Mondo. This is because Mondo wants a sustained quality of teacher on genuine projects that will mean the projects exceed expectations and deliver higher quality outcomes for the recipients in country.

With fewer than 100 volunteers per year, Mondo can really get to know its volunteers personally and place them where they will be most successful and most valued. We keep numbers purposefully low as we don’t want communities to be overwhelmed by large numbers of international volunteers at any one time, but you can volunteer as a couple or with friends.

We are not running a commercial organisation or a holiday company. We don’t make profit on any volunteering placements, but only ​ask our volunteers to help us raise funds to support the work of the Foundation and its projects.

For arranging volunteer placements, there’s no registration fee. We offer a personalised service and only ask you to fundraise at least £300, which goes directly to projects within the country in which you work. You sort out your own flights, pay your homestay family directly, and thereby contribute directly to the local economy and not to us.