Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CONTENTS
CORE EXPECTATIONS
FOR PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS
In working toward fulfilling the Peace Corps Mission of
promoting world peace and friendship, as a trainee and
Volunteer, you are expected to:
1. Prepare your personal and professional life to
make a commitment to serve abroad for a full term
of 27 months
2. Commit to improving the quality of life of the
people with whom you live and work; and, in
doing so, share your skills, adapt them, and learn
new skills as needed
3. Serve where the Peace Corps asks you to go,
under conditions of hardship, if necessary, and
with the flexibility needed for effective service
4. Recognize that your successful and sustainable
development work is based on the local trust and
confidence you build by living in, and respectfully
integrating yourself into, your host community
and culture
5. Recognize that you are responsible 24 hours a day,
7 days a week for your personal conduct and
professional performance
6. Engage with host country partners in a spirit of
cooperation, mutual learning, and respect
7. Work within the rules and regulations of the Peace
Corps and the local and national laws of the
country where you serve
8. Exercise judgment and personal responsibility to
protect your health, safety, and well-being and that
of others
PEACE CORPS/NEPAL
HISTORY AND PROGRAMS
History of the Peace Corps in Nepal
COUNTRY OVERVIEW:
NEPAL AT A GLANCE
History
Government
Nepals government has been in transition for several decades and
this remains the case to this day.
For quite some time the government was a constitutional
monarchy; however, a pro-democracy movement in 1990 led the
king to allow for democratic elections. A regicide in 2001 caused
destabilization in the monarchy and a Maoist-led peoples war,
which began on February 14, 1996, created drastic change in the
country and its government. In 2006, the 10-year rebellion which
had claimed more than 12,000 lives ended, and through a series of
elections the Maoist party joined the political system.
Since 2011, the Constituent Assembly, a special legislative body,
has been trying to draft and ratify a constitution. At the time of
this printing, this had not yet occurred, but there is great hope that
it will happen soon.
Economy
Nepals poor economic base and lack of resources have made the
economy very dependent on other countries, especially India and
China, not only for capital and technology, but also for raw
materials and consumer goods. The result is that these external
forces exert a great deal of influence over the direction of the
economy.
Now that the country has stabilized, tourism is again one of the
major sources of foreign currency.
People and Culture
Within a space of 150 miles from north to south lie most of the
worlds bio-climatic zones, ranging from arctic tundra in the
northern portions of the eastern and western mountains to the hot
tropical forests in the lowlands along the Indian border.
As a result, the diversity of plants and animals in Nepal is
astounding. There are more than 6,500 species of trees, shrubs,
and wildflowers in Nepal, ranging from the tall pines of the
montane forests to delicate orchids of the jungle valleys. The
rhododendrons and azaleas commonly found in American gardens
originated in the Nepali hills.
There are over 800 species of birds and mammals in Nepal,
including royal Bengal tigers, snow leopards, golden eagles,
rhinoceroses, elephants, bears, deer, parakeets, monkeys, and
jackals.
On this site, you can learn anything from what time it is in the
capital of Nepal to how to convert from the dollar to the Nepali
currency. Just click on Nepal and go from there.
www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations
Visit this site for general travel advice about almost any country in
the world.
www.state.gov
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www.psr.keele.ac.uk/official.htm
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2.
3.
4.
Meisler, Stanley. When the World Calls: The Inside Story of the
Peace Corps and its First 50 Years. Boston, Mass.: Beacon Press,
2011.
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2.
3.
4.
5.
Kennedy, Geraldine ed. From the Center of the Earth: Stories out
of the Peace Corps. Santa Monica, Calif.: Clover Park Press,
1991.
6.
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Snail Mail
Mail takes a minimum of two to three weeks to arrive in Nepal.
Though it is rare, some mail may simply not arrive or may arrive
with clipped edges because someone has tried to see if any money
was inside. Advise family and friends that mail service is sporadic
and unreliable.
Your mailing address during training is as of yet undetermined.
You will receive more information in this regard just before your
departure from the United States. After you are assigned to your
permanent site, your mailing address will likely change again.
Landline Telephones
Long-distance telephone service is available but expensive and is
not very reliable. If your assigned site is in a very remote area,
there may not be a telephone facility close by. More details on this
situation will be provided during pre-service training.
Cellphones
There is essentially one domestic cellphone company that
provides coverage to the areas outside the Kathmandu Valley
where Volunteers serve. Reception may vary from site to site. For
an extra fee, Volunteers may also use cellphones for international
calls. Cellphone calls from Kathmandu to the U.S. are very
inexpensive, costing pennies per minute.
Computer, Internet, and Email Access
Internet facilities and locations with Wi-Fi can be found in major
towns in Nepal.The Peace Corps provides a limited number of
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The terai region, with a total area of 8,969 square miles, consists
mainly of a narrow belt of flat, alluvial land on the border with
India. It accounts for 17 percent of Nepals land area. The terai is
crossed by numerous streams that flood during the annual
monsoon season, carrying tons of silt, sand, gravel, and huge
boulders from the northern mountains.
Nepal can be divided into three broad climatic zones: subtropical,
temperate, and alpine. The terai, the inner terai, and the lower
foothills have a subtropical climate with three seasonsa hot and
dry summer from March to May; a rainy season (monsoon) from
June to October, with annual rainfall of between 80 and 100
inches (200 to 250 centimeters); and a cool winter from November
to February, with temperatures ranging from 40 to 115 degrees
Fahrenheit (5 to 47 degrees Celsius).
The area between the Mahabharat range and the Himalayas has a
temperate climate, although the cycle of seasons is similar to that
of the terai. Summers are warm and winters are cool to extremely
cold. Kathmandus maximum temperature, for example, rarely
exceeds 85 degrees Fahrenheit (30 C), but in winter, its
temperature can drop to 28 F (4 C). Average rainfall is about 60
inches (150 cm).
The Himalayas and the inner Himalayas have a dry and arid alpine
climate. Winters are long, cold, and severe, while summers are
short and cool. The average temperature in winter is 25 F (-3 C)
and in summer it is almost never above 60 F (16 C). The average
rainfall is 20 inches (50 cm) and at higher elevations may be in the
form of snow.
Social Activities
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As a Peace Corps Volunteer, you will find that language skills are
key to personal and professional satisfaction during your service.
These skills are critical to your job performance, they help you
integrate into your community, and they can ease your personal
adaptation to the new surroundings. Therefore, language training
is at the heart of the training program. You must successfully meet
minimum language requirements to complete training and become
a Volunteer. Nepali language instructors teach formal language
classes to small groups of four to five people.
Your language training will incorporate a community-based
approach. In addition to classroom time, you will be given
assignments to work on outside of the classroom and with your
host family. The goal is to get you to a point of basic social
communication skills so you can practice and develop language
skills further once you are at your site. Prior to being sworn in as a
Volunteer, you will work on strategies to continue language
studies during your service.
Nepali language training is also integrated in the health, culture,
and technical components of PST.
Cross-Cultural Training
As part of PST, you will live with a Nepali host family. This
experience is designed to ease your transition to life at your site.
Families go through an orientation conducted by Peace Corps staff
to explain the purpose of PST and to assist them in helping you
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During the safety training sessions, you will learn how to adopt a
lifestyle that reduces your risks at home, at work, and during your
travels. You will also learn appropriate, effective strategies for
coping with unwanted attention and about your individual
responsibility for promoting safety throughout your service.
During training, you will be expected to demonstrate your skills in
dealing with a variety of safety-related issues.
Technical Training
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Swearing-In
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The Peace Corps will provide you with all the necessary
inoculations, medications, and information to stay healthy. Upon
your arrival in Nepal, you will receive a medical handbook. At the
end of training, you will receive a medical kit with supplies to take
care of mild illnesses and first aid needs. The contents of the kit
are listed later in this chapter.
During pre-service training, you will have access to basic medical
supplies through the medical officer. However, during training
you will be responsible for your own supply of prescription drugs
and any other specific medical supplies you require, as the Peace
Corps will not order these items during this period. Please bring a
three-month supply of any prescription drugs you use, since they
may not be available here and it may take several months for
shipments to arrive.
You will have physicals at midservice and at the end of your
service. If you develop a serious medical problem during your
service, the medical officer in Nepal will consult with the Office
of Medical Services in Washington, D.C. If it is determined that
your condition cannot be treated in Nepal, you may be sent out of
the country for further evaluation and care.
Maintaining Your Health
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The Peace Corps medical officer will provide you with a kit that
contains basic items necessary to prevent and treat illnesses that
may occur during service. Kit items can be periodically restocked
at the medical office.
Medical Kit Contents
Ace bandages
Adhesive tape
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If your dental exam was done more than a year ago, or if your
physical exam is more than two years old, contact the Office of
Medical Services to find out whether you need to update your
records. If your dentist or Peace Corps dental consultant has
recommended that you undergo dental treatment or repair, you
must complete that work and make sure your dentist sends
requested confirmation reports or X-rays to the Office of Medical
Services.
If you wish to avoid having duplicate vaccinations, contact your
physicians office to obtain a copy of your immunization record
and bring it to your pre-departure orientation. If you have any
immunizations prior to Peace Corps service, the Peace Corps
cannot reimburse you for the cost. The Peace Corps will provide
all the immunizations necessary for your overseas assignment,
either at your pre-departure orientation or shortly after you arrive
in Nepal. You do not need to begin taking malaria medication
prior to departure.
Bring a three-month supply of any prescription or over-thecounter medication you use on a regular basis, including birth
control pills. Although the Peace Corps cannot reimburse you for
this three-month supply, it will order refills during your service.
While awaiting shipmentwhich can take several monthsyou
will be dependent on your own medication supply. The Peace
Corps will not pay for herbal or nonprescribed medications, such
as St. Johns wort, glucosamine, selenium, or antioxidant
supplements.
You are encouraged to bring copies of medical prescriptions
signed by your physician. This is not a requirement, but they
might come in handy if you are questioned in transit about
carrying a three-month supply of prescription drugs.
If you wear eyeglasses, bring two pairs with youa pair and a
spare. If a pair breaks, the Peace Corps will replace them, using
the information your doctor in the United States provided on the
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Choose safe routes and times for travel, and travel with
someone trusted by the community whenever possible
As you can see from this list, you must be willing to work hard
and adapt your lifestyle to minimize the potential for being a
target for crime. As with anywhere in the world, crime does exist
in Nepal. You can reduce your risk by avoiding situations that
place you at risk and by taking precautions. Crime at the village or
town level is less frequent than in the large cities; people know
each other and generally are less likely to steal from their
neighbors. Tourist attractions in large towns are favorite worksites
for pickpockets.
The following are other security concerns in Nepal of which you
should be aware:
As indicated earlier, traveling in Nepalwhether by foot, bicycle,
taxi, bus, or airplanemay be the most potentially hazardous part
of the Volunteer experience. This is especially true of buses.
Hiking trails between villages are not marked and can be
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there to assist you. One of our tasks is to ensure you are fully
informed of your options and understand how the local legal
process works. The Peace Corps will help you ensure your rights
are protected to the fullest extent possible under the laws of the
country.
If you are the victim of a serious crime, you will learn how to get
to a safe location as quickly as possible and contact your Peace
Corps office. Its important that you notify Peace Corps as soon as
you can so Peace Corps can provide you with the help you need.
Volunteer Safety Support in Nepal
The Peace Corps approach to safety is a five-pronged plan to help
you stay safe during your service and includes the following:
information sharing, Volunteer training, site selection criteria, a
detailed emergency action plan, and protocols for addressing
safety and security incidents. Nepals in-country safety program is
outlined below.
The Peace Corps/Nepal office will keep you informed of any
issues that may impact Volunteer safety through information
sharing. Regular updates will be provided from the country
director and other Peace Corps staff. In the event of a critical
situation or emergency, you will be contacted through the
emergency communication network. An important component of
the capacity of Peace Corps to keep you informed is your buy-in
to the partnership concept with the Peace Corps staff. It is
expected that you will do your part in ensuring that Peace Corps
staff members are kept apprised of your movements in-country so
they are able to inform you.
Volunteer training will include sessions on specific safety and
security issues in Nepal. This training will prepare you to adopt a
culturally appropriate lifestyle and exercise judgment that
promotes safety and reduces risk in your home, at work, and while
traveling. Safety training is offered throughout service and is
integrated into the language, cross-cultural aspects, health, and
PEACE CORPS | NEPAL WELCOME BOOK | DRAFT | 03/08/12
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DIVERSITY AND
CROSS-CULTURAL ISSUES
PEACE CORPS | NEPAL WELCOME BOOK | DRAFT | 03/08/12
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these and other limitations. The Peace Corps staff will lead
diversity and sensitivity discussions during pre-service training
and will be on call to provide support, but the challenge ultimately
will be your own.
Overview of Diversity in Nepal
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Gay and lesbian Volunteers who are used to being open about
their sexual orientation indicate that homosexuality is not talked
about or openly recognized in rural Nepali culture. Nepal has
strong traditional values and religious customs, but that does not
mean there are no gay, lesbian, or bisexual Nepalis. There has
been considerable development in the LGBT community in Nepal,
but it is still at an infancy. An openly gay parliament member was
recently elected and he spearheaded the idea of a third gender
being included in the census. Neither of these would have been
conceivable in Nepal just 10 years ago.
Possible Religious Issues for Volunteers
Nepal is officially a Hindu state, since close to 81 percent of the
population practices Hinduism. The remaining 19 percent are
Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, or another faith. Religion forms the
core of traditional Nepali life and art. Nepalis are very willing to
share their religion with Volunteers, from the morning tika to
visiting a sacred temple. Nepalis will generally assume you are
Christian and that you eat beef (which Hindus do not eat because
cows are considered sacred). If you are of another religion or are
an atheist, it may be difficult for them to get past this stereotype.
Another possible issue may be the inability to celebrate your own
holidays with friends and family around you. There are churches,
mosques, and monasteries in Nepal that Volunteers may attend,
but they may not be easily accessible. Volunteers must be creative
in how they practice their religion.
Possible Issues for Volunteers With Disabilities
As part of the medical clearance process, the Peace Corps Office
of Medical Services determined that you were physically and
emotionally capable, with or without reasonable accommodations,
to perform a full tour of Volunteer service in Nepal without
unreasonable risk of harm to yourself or interruption of service.
The Peace Corps/Nepal staff work with Volunteers with
disabilities to make reasonable accommodations for them in
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PACKING LIST
This list was compiled by Volunteers who served in Nepal in the
past, and is based on their experience. This list is over eight years
old, but is surprisingly applicable. Use it as an informal guide in
making your own list, bearing in mind that each experience is
individual. There is no perfect list! You obviously cannot bring
everything on the list, so consider those items that make the most
sense to you personally and professionally. You can always have
things sent to you later. As you decide what to bring, keep in mind
that you have a 100-pound weight limit on baggage. And
remember, you can get almost everything you need in Nepal.
Almost every Peace Corps/Nepal trainee brings too much to
Nepal. Light packing is best. If you need something, you can
probably get it here. You will be amazed at how little you can get
along with and be comfortable. It may be better to save a few
hundred dollars to bring with you than to run up your credit card
buying things you think you might need. Part of the joy of being a
Volunteer is taking advantage of local resources.
General Clothing
You will need a variety of clothing for warm and cold weather.
Because of the nature of life and travel in Nepal, most of your
clothes will wear out during your time here. If you want
something to last a lifetime, do not bring it. Bring things that
you would not mind saying goodbye to eventually. The laundry
soaps are harsh, and hand washing and sun drying are tough on
most clothes. With this reality comes the expectation that you will
dress as a professional in your relative field. In general, darkcolored clothes are better than white ones.
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Note: The above list contains only a few things that cannot be
made or bought in Nepal. Almost any item of clothing made from
cotton or wool can be made in Kathmandu or a large district
center. The quality is good, and it usually takes no more than a
week to have something made (during your three months of
training, however, it may be difficult to find much time to shop).
Of special note is the issue of wearing shorts. Nepalis often say
that seeing others in shorts makes them uncomfortable. Although
some male Volunteers wear shorts for laborious work and at
home, female Volunteers do not. But it is OK to bring shorts for
visiting Kathmandu and for sports.
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For Women
Cotton bras and jogging bras for bumpy bus rides (good
quality bras are hard to find in Nepal)
Shoes
One pair of casual shoes, which can also be used for dressy
occasions
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Note: Since you will be spending so much time on your feet, you
should bring sturdy shoes that fit well and are broken in. Although
shoes can be bought here, they generally are of poor quality and
the selection of larger sizes may be limited (up to size 10 for men
and size 8 for women).
Personal Hygiene and Toiletry Items
Deodorant
Nail clippers
Skin lotion
Pumice stone
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MP3 player
Miscellaneous
Water bottle
Polarized sunglasses
Combination locks
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Sewing kit
One or two bath and hand towels (darker colors are better)
Knife sharpener
Battery-powered speakers
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brought a sleeping bag was glad that he or she did. But bags that
are rated for temperatures below 0 degrees Fahrenheit are too
warm on most occasions. It is best to bring a bag rated to around
20 F. Mummy-style and lightweight bags are best.
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PRE-DEPARTURE CHECKLIST
The following list consists of suggestions for you to consider as
you prepare to live outside the United States for two years. Not all
items will be relevant to everyone, and the list does not include
everything you should make arrangements for.
Family
Notify family that they can call the Peace Corps Office of
Special Services at any time if there is a critical illness or
death of a family member (24-hour telephone number:
800.424.8580, extension 1470).
Passport/Travel
Forward to the Peace Corps travel office all paperwork for the
Peace Corps passport and visas.
Verify that your luggage meets the size and weight limits for
international travel.
Medical/Health
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Insurance
Personal Papers
Voting
Personal Effects
Financial Management
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PEACE CORPS