VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
In Nepal, Tibetan areas of China, South Africa, Zimbabwe & the UK
Taking out supplies
If you are planning to travel to Tibetan areas of China or Nepal and would like to offer your help we would ask you to please let us know in plenty of time. You might be able to help us by taking out clothes, medicines or books that we or our supporters have collected.
Helping in Nepal
The ROKPA Soup Kitchen serves about 800 meals a day during the winter, giving people fresh Tibetan bread and hot milk tea for breakfast and a nutritious meal of rice, lentils and curried vegetables for lunch.
Basic and emergency health care is also offered in the Soup Kitchen. Patients whose illnesses are more serious (those, for example, with tuberculosis, leprosy and AIDS) are referred to hospitals, the cost of treatment being met by ROKPA.
All this work is done by volunteers, both western and local. If you are interested in helping serve the needs of the destitute in Boudha, near Kathmandu, please ask for further details by emailing charity@ROKPAUK.org OR call us by telephone: 01387 373 232 Ext: 230
Helping in Tibetan areas of China
Teaching English in the Tibetan Homelands
ROKPA can provide placements for volunteer English teachers in the town of Jyeku, also known as Yushu, in Qinghai Province, at Yushu Tibetan Orphans’ School, and occasionally elsewhere. Yushu is capital of Yushu Prefecture and lies close to the borders of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Sichuan Province. It is a small and rapidly developing town, 12 - 24 hours by bus from Xining, which has an airport with daily flights to and from Beijing (around 2 hours).
Volunteer teachers will be expected to teach on average 18 hours per week, teaching classes ranging in size from 25 to over 50 pupils aged from 5 to 20.
All applicants must:
- Have a teaching qualification (minimum is a 4-week course to Teach English as a Foreign Language)
- Have had teaching experience
- Be prepared to teach for at least six months, usually from March
- Pay their own travel expenses to and from the project (this can cost up to £800 from the UK)
- Be aware of ROKPA’s aims and principles
ROKPA will:
- Provide food, accommodation, contacts and detailed information to successful candidates
Preference is given to those who are over 25 or who have had previous experience of working in a developing country.
To inquire: Please send a brief message saying why you are interested, along with your CV to the Volunteer Coordinator at edinburgh@rokpa.org with a copy to charity@rokpauk.org (We aim to reply within 14 days)
Helping in South Africa
- Short term volunteers who wish to stay for short working retreats staying from anything from a few days to 1 - 3 months (if from overseas, visa depending)
- Long Term Volunteers involved in general management or developing projects/activities in their skill areas.
The TARA ROKPA Centre is situated on 240 hectares of farmland in the ‘bosveld’ in the NW province of South Africa. We welcome people of any or no faith wanting to give generously of their time to help with the growth and development of the Centre. The vision of our President, Akong Rinpoche is for this to be a Centre of great healing in the broadest sense. To assist in any way with the development of this vision is beneficial.
Helping in Zimbabwe
The situation in Zimbabwe is continuously changing and can be quite volatile at times. If you are interested in helping with the projects run by the ROKPA Support Network Zimbabwe, contact us for further information about the current situation and the need for volunteers.
For more information contact ROKPA UK with the details below