Recruiting for Nepal Trip Jan '09

          On our last eCorps trip (to Nigeria), 7 of the 11 team members rated their trip as “life changing” and the other 4 rated it as “excellent”!  The 11 team members came from 5 countries.

The team has been invited to help on a project developed by COPPADES, our lead Partner organisation in Nepal.   COPPADES is led by Dikendra Kandel who has had substantial experience with university students visiting Nepal.  Over the past 5 years, WCE has shipped 1,600 used computers to COPPADES.  WCE is also planning the shipment of a 5th 40-foot container of 400 computer sets in a few months.

Volunteers will be selected by World Compute Exchange with skills in technology, communication, international development, and environment (to help our eWaste Initiative while they are in Nepal). About 1% of the people in Nepal use the Internet and the average annual income is about $1,200 per person.  We hope that this team will help improve some of the computers and model how to use them to improve learning using the Internet.

The orientation in Kathmandu will include tourism and some lectures on issues about Nepal as well as some instruction on basic Nepali words.  The volunteers will stay together for the first few days of orientation in Kathmandu and then split into 4 teams to each travel with a COPPADES staff person to different villages to work for 12 days.  While there, the small teams will stay together with their guide in guest houses.  

We hope that all participants will find ways in their own countries to learn some Nepali words before January.  We will also send team members some educational web links to visit to prior to the trip. Team members are also encouraged to bring replacment parts with them for Pentium 1s and 2s including mother boards and RAM, and power supplies.  It is always good on a trip of this length to bring some of your favorite food as well as small gifts for those who help you or work with you.

Team members will make a tax deductible donation to WCE for $1,750 plus the cost of your flights.  Students are flying so that they can arrive on the 2nd of January with return on the 23rd. 

INCLUDED:  

• Orientation classes in Kathmandu
• Tourism in Kathmandu
• Three meals a day
• Housing in guest houses in Kathmandu and in the field
• All  transportation in Nepal including to and from the airport and to field sites
• Educational or technology project materials as needed
• Guide / translator from COPPADES to travel with your small team
• Financial support of our Partner organization COPPADES 

NOT INCLUDED:

• Any required visa
• Cell phone rental while in Nepal
• Innoculations requried by your doctor to visit Nepal
• Personal purchases (including additional food)
• Small gifts
• Required health and medical evacuation insurance

If you are interested in going, please contact Nepal@WorldComputerExchange.org

A copy of our eCorps Application is attached in Word.

David Kleiman, our WCE Programme Officer for Nepal is helping COPPADES to plan the trip.  One of the WCE volunteers, Christina Weng who will be the trip leader is also working on our plans with Mariya Petkova the WCE eCorps Manager.

Volunteers Needed:	10
Volunteers Recruited:	7
Total Needed:	$10,000
Received So Far:	$0