Maya Universe Academy

(Sagarmatha Location)

Volunteer Information Package

Welcome Volunteers!

Namaste! Welcome to the Maya Universe Academy family! All of us here look forward to meeting you in person. Until
then, this package will hopefully give you some insight into life here at Maya and help you prepare for your experience.
It will cover things like transportation, what to bring, the school, and life here in general. Please read over it carefully
and see you soon!

How to get here

The eastern school is in the village of Rauta (locals also call it Chisapani) in Udaypur district of the
Sargarmartha Zone.

From Kathmandu
(Having a local sim and smart phone to use google maps will be very helpful.)
In Kathmandu, go to Gongabu bus terminal (sometimes called new bus park). It is a 40min walk north of
Thamel. You can also get there by hopping in any micro bus going around ring road and getting off at
Gongabu. Once at Gongabu, find the ticket place by walking past all the markets and local buses. You’ll see lots
of counters and no doubt a bunch of guys will ask you where you’re going. Tell them “Gaighat” (Guy-Gat)
they’ll direct you to the right counter. It will most likely be a “deluxe” night bus and cost around 800 rupees
(12hr ride). Book the day before or that morning so you can choose your seat. Sitting near the front is much
nicer and less bumpy.

The bus will drop you off at the bus park in Gaighat. Once you arrive in Gaighat, you’ll have to take a local bus going to
Salle and stop at Rauta. It will be easy to find the bus, ask anybody. Buses leave at various times like 6AM, 11AM and
2PM. Takes 4 hours and costs 300 rupees. There are busses that Salle every day and Rauta is a stop about half an hour
before Salle. Rauta is famous for its temple and a small pond. Once at Rauta, it will be impossible to miss the school.

During monsoon season, the bus going to Salle will not be able to complete its full journey. In that case, the busses will
take you to Ranibas and it’s a 4 hour uphill walk from there to the school. We do not recommend this to first time
travellers.

If by any chance, you do not find a bus going to Rauta, please find a hotel in Gaighat and let us know you will be staying
there overnight. It will cost about 500 rupees for a decent stay. Hotel A1 is a good choice.
What to bring

This is a list of things you should have:

 Toiletries
 Laundry soap bar
 Footwear – Sneakers are easy for walking up and down the hill,
but many walk in flip-flops as well.
 Jacket – It can get cold because of the high elevation
 Personal solar charger- the school runs on one large solar panel,
so it will be convenient to have your own
 Flashlight - one that plugs in and charges is an added luxury!
 Toilet paper
 A local sim card and cell phone
 Water bottle
 Sleeping bag
 Work gloves for construction

A computer is not necessary but nice to have. You can only charge it in Gaighat (3 hrs by bus). In Gaighat you
can also buy most things except sleeping bags and decent work gloves.

Life in the Village

Where you will sleep

The school is in the village, Chasipani, where you can see Everest through your window. We have a house there for
volunteers to stay and if this is full then Maya rents rooms from other houses in the village. The rooms come with a bed
and lock for the door. People from the school have been staying in the
village for a few years now so you’ll be fine. 

Commodities available in the village shop

 Clothes soap
 Skin soap
 Basic food – biscuits, instant noodles, eggs
 Soft drinks

On weekends you can go to Gaighat where you can buy pretty much
everything.
Life at the School

Food Maya Provides

We eat simply at Maya: variations of rice, dhal, and vegetables for breakfast,
lunch and dinner. We also eat meat a few times a week. Fruits can be
purchased in Gaighat if you’d like (totally worth it!).

Water
There is a tap in the village for non-drinking water and the house has running
showers. Drinking water is brought in from a local source.

Electricity and Internet

The school has a solar panel to power its electronics. The village doesn’t
have running electricity. Having your own small solar charger will make it
much easier to charge personal electronics.

Volunteering

What you will do

Volunteers are involved in education and construction. However, to teach we require at
least a 2 month commitment in order to offer a quality program. Don’t worry though, even
if you’re not working in the classrooms there is plenty of time to play and get to know the
students. Each morning before class we make a morning circle (assembly) and play the
most intense game of dodgeball you’ve ever seen.

We are currently dismantling our schoolhouse in the village and rebuilding it on our own
new plot of land. There we will also build permanent classrooms for the kids, so there’s
plenty to do in construction! At the farm, we have planted ginger, tea, various herbs and
we have just built a new goat house.

A week at Maya
Lots of things are always going on at MUA but roughly: Mondays to Fridays- School and
work. Saturdays and Sundays- You're free to do whatever you want, there are tons of
beautiful hiking trails in the area.

Here is a glimpse at a school day:

9:00 Breakfast time.

10:00 School Starts. We have morning circle where the whole school
gets together to share news and poems followed by dodgeball.
11:00-1:00 Class time.
1:00-2:00Lunch time.
2:00-4 Classtime.
4:00 Children hang around school for tutoring and to play.
7:00- Dinner time.
Other Useful Information
Contact
Before you leave home, be sure to get a contact number or two from us at the school. If we haven’t already e-mailed
you one, let us know and we’ll get it sent over ASAP.

Money
There are ATM’s in Gaighat to get money out. However, you can only withdrawal up to 10,000 rupees each time and
keep in mind that there will be a withdrawal fee from the ATM and your bank (usually ~$10 each time). In Kathmandu
and Pokara you can withdrawal up to 30,000 rupees at a time.

At the school, volunteers usually spend a dollar or two each day on luxuries you begin to miss! Maybe budget $50-
$70/month, especially if you go down to Gaighat on the weekends.

Visas
Most countries can get their tourist visa upon arrival in Kathmandu (check the requirements for your country just in
case). The longest is 90 days, but this can be extended by an extra 2 months if you’d like. All it involves is a short trip to
Kathmandu/Pokhara. If you’d like to stay longer than 5 months, it is possible but it depends on the time of year. Please
contact us for more details if this is the case.

Hospitals
The nearest hospital is in Gaighat (3hr bus ride away). For serious illnesses and injuries you will have to go to a hospital
in either Pokhara or Kathmandu.
We look forward to meeting you!