DAY 1 | Saturday: Arrive in Kathmandu

Your adventure begins today with your arrival in Nepal’s capital city, Kathmandu. We will arrange your transfer from Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) to your hotel, where you will have time to unpack and unwind. You will finally get to meet your fellow volunteers, your Team Leader and the Habitat for Humanity coordinator, who will accompany you at a special welcome dinner for the week.

DAY 2 | Sunday: Travel to the project site, welcome & orientation

After breakfast, the team will take a short (35 min) flight to Biratnagar airport (arranged by Habitat), where you will be transferred to your build-week hotel. Habitat Nepal will hold a formal introduction and lead you through a thorough in-country orientation, where you will learn about Nepal’s culture and housing situation, the project site, building techniques, essential announcements about logistics, etc. After another lovely dinner, you will enjoy a good night’s sleep to prepare for your first day on site!

DAY 3 | Monday: Begin construction of the house

Arriving on the build site for your first day of construction, you’ll meet the family whose home you will be helping to construct and will have the opportunity to learn about their stories. The construction supervisor and local labourers will show you the ropes, and you can start the house construction. There will be rest breaks for morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea, which will all be provided on-site. You can stop for a drink of water and a break as often as you need. At the end of the day, you’ll enjoy the flavours of Nepal at the team dinner and a well-earned rest!

DAY 4, 5, & 6 | Tuesday to Thursday: Full days building with your teammates

You will see the new house take shape over the next few days and you will be amazed at how much can be achieved in just one week. From preparing bamboo columns and beams, weaving bamboo, applying mud mortar to walls, or painting, there are plenty of ways to contribute. Each night we will take you to some local restaurants, where you can experience mouthwatering cuisine as you unwind with the team and get to know one another better. The evenings are a chance to relax, swim in the hotel pool and recharge your batteries for the following day’s work.

DAY 7 | Friday: House dedication ceremony & farewell

The closing day is emotional for everyone involved. You will spend the morning adding the finishing touches to the house and maybe even some celebratory decorations. You will welcome the family to their new home and reflect together on the contribution that you have all made. This is the time to celebrate with the community all your hard work and imagine the new life that the family will have in the home that you have built.

DAY 8 | Saturday: Return to Kathmandu

Today you will check out of the build-week hotel and take the short flight back to Kathmandu. You may catch a return flight home today, or wait until tomorrow. If you stay in Kathmandu, there is so much to see in this ancient city with rabbit-warren-like streets, set in a valley surrounded by the Himalayan mountains and home to several World Heritage Sites: the Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, Boudhanath and Pashupatinath. You could dodge monkeys and admire the views of Kathmandu at Swayambhu Nath stupa or chill out in Kathmandu’s Garden of Dreams. After more exploring or well-deserved R&R, the team meets for a final dinner to celebrate the team effort and the end of an incredible week with your group.

DAY 9 | Sunday: Global Village concludes

Today you will head back home (unless you left the previous evening) or continue your travels. There is so much to offer in Nepal. Have you ever considered Everest Base Camp? Although your build has ended, you will have unforgettable memories and long-lasting friendships that will keep the experience alive for a long time.

Typical Housing Solutions

In the Eastern Region, Habitat Nepal is helping families build new homes made of bamboo with mud/cement plaster and brick/block foundations. The house will have a CGI sheet roof along with a bamboo structure. Bamboo is a locally accessible, affordable, and sustainable building material that Habitat Nepal advocates for in the East.

Typical Volunteer Tasks

Volunteers will support local labour and families by:

1. Mixing mortars
2. Carrying bricks/blocks
3. Building foundation
4. Bamboo walls (cleaning, splitting, measuring, weaving bamboo)
5. Applying mud/cement plaster
6. Painting the walls

Education / Advocacy Goals

• Promote low-cost construction using locally available materials, especially bamboo
• Increase community awareness regarding disaster resilient housing
• Joint land title for man and women
• Sanitation and hygiene

Through peer-to-peer fundraising, Global Village volunteers contribute a program and build donation that will advance Habitat’s work in communities with the greatest housing needs. Build donations cover volunteer accommodations, meals and ground transportation. Crucially, the program donations also directly support Habitat’s housing programs in the countries.

Once you register for a this Global Village build, you commit to fundraising:

$3620 minimum fundraising target

What's Included

• Double Occupancy Accommodation
• Internal flights to and from the project location
• All meals for the week
• Daily transportation to and from site
• Airport pick-up and drop-off
• Snacks and water
• All necessary building materials and safety equipment
• 24-hour support
• Insurance whilst on the build site

*What's Not Included

• Flights to and from Kathmandu
• Travel Insurance
• Visa
• Vaccinations

Meet Jennifer Hearn!

Jennifer has been with Habitat for Humanity Canada since 2017 and is the Vice President of Resource Development. In her role, she oversees all national fundraising activities and works closely with the 45 local Habitats, as well as providing oversight for Canada's support of Habitat's global projects. In addition to her role with Habitat, she was a Team Leader for a Global Village build in Romania in 2019. Her intent was to lead another trip to Vietman with her kids in 2020, however was unable to do so for obvious reasons.

Before joining Habitat, Jenn worked on the corporate development team at the CAMH Foundation, where she successfully managed corporate partnerships, cause marketing initiatives, and played a pivotal role in organizing their annual peer-to-peer fundraising event. Approximately nine years ago, she transitioned to the non-profit sector, following a successful career in business development and marketing. During that time, she held various roles on both the client and agency sides, working for esteemed organizations such as Geometry Global, Grip Limited, Mosaic, Panasonic, and Motorola.

Jenn is driven by a deep passion for giving back, as evidenced by her extensive experience. She is enthusiastic about being a Team Leader with the Global Village program and is eagerly looking forward to her first build in Nepal.

Global Village Frequently Asked Questions