Naxal Orphanage - Kathmandu, Nepal

The Organisation for Community, Child and Environment Development (OCCED) was established in 1999 to care and campaign for Nepal’s most vulnerable children.

Naxal Orphanage is one of three run by OCCED and is located just over a kilometre from the centre of Kathmandu.

The organisation provides shelter, education and training for orphaned children while trying to find them new homes; at Naxal there are currently 34 children, six are babies and toddlers whilst the remaining 28 children go to school.

Many have been left on the doorstep by parents or family, while others have been found wandering the streets and taken to the orphanage by the police.

The children live in clean but basic and crowded dormitories. There is a crèche to care for up to 15 babies and a pre-school class for two to four year olds, usually attended by around 20. The older children attend a nearby school and return to Naxal late in the afternoon.

The orphanage's full-time professional staff include two teachers, a matron nurse and administrator who acts as the volunteers' liaison.

The role of volunteers is to support these staff through the sharing of knowledge and experience and to help them build the capacity of Naxal's non-professional workforce.

Dates and prices

The details

Fly from london Heathrow to Kathmandu via Delhi with the scheduled services of Jet Airways and stay 28 nights' full board at the Malla Hotel in Kathmandu.

How you can help

Childcare, healthcare, counselling, education and administration professionals will be of obvious assistance at Naxal. There is also real need for people to simply spend time with the children and support the hard-pressed staff and volunteers in the following areas…

• Educational play
• Nursery supervision
• Play therapy
• Child counselling
• Residential childcare management
• Administration
• Paediatric healthcare and nutrition
• IT and accounting
• Fundraising strategies
• Reporting and assessment systems

The Malla Hotel

Located between the Royal Palace and the tourist area of Thamel, the Malla Hotel is a secluded haven in the heart of the capital.

It has three restaurants offering Italian, Chinese, Indian and continental cuisine as well as a coffee shop, cocktail bar, outdoor pool and health club. All 125 bedrooms overlook the hotel's rose garden.

Exploring Kathmandu

Durbar Square with its elaborate temples and monuments, the sacred Hindu temple of Pashupatinath and the Buddhist Boudhanath Stupa are just a few of Kathmandu's highlights.

You may also want to take an unforgettable flight over the Himalayas – your Saga representative will be able to help organise sightseeing excursions for you.