Thursday, February 20, 2014

Working at Buddhist Monastery

Adam Greiner awoke to the sounds of puja his first morning at Jovo Kadhampa monastery. Adam started as a volunteer at VIN (Volunteers Initiative Nepal), having applied to teach English at Buddhist monastery for two months. After working in health care for ten years in London, volunteering abroad was the perfect opportunity for Adam to take a career break and to live abroad.

Qualified teachers are in real demand in Nepal, and VIN runs a variety of programs where volunteers can share their skills with local communities. Adam teaches three classes a day, although there is the opportunity to teach more or less depending on your motivation. The 300 lamas have been extremely welcoming to Adam, and one can quickly immerse one’s self in the monastic way of living. It’s very often the case that the lamas are more interested to learn English when sitting together on the temple steps or at meal times than in the class room, so your time with them can go a long way!

Teaching English at Buddhist monastery comes with a range of benefits. Adam has gained experience working internationally for an NGO. The teaching program strikes a good balance between working with others and having time for reading and reflection. The genuine curiosity of the lamas has enabled a real exchange between cultures and the program naturally lends itself to those wanting to learn more about the Nepalese way of life and Buddhism. VIN also offers travel planning support and a number of group and social excursions for those looking to widen their Nepalese experience outside of Kathmandu.

Adam will be finishing his placement at the monastery this week. He has been extremely appreciative of his time at Jovo Kadhampa and is looking forward to working as a journalist for a local magazine. You can also enhance your educational level like Adam by joining our various teaching projects such as English at community school, Teacher Development , Computer Science, Creative Expression: Arts and Crafts, Teaching the Deaf, Yoga Volunteer, Sports Volunteer, and Cultural Immersion and Teaching. We are pleased to offer these projects to you and to our community site.

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