The Altruistic Traveller
  • Home
  • Travel Resources
    • What is Responsible Tourism?
    • How to be a Sustainable Traveller
    • What is Community-based Tourism
    • Responsible Volunteering
    • The Rise of Impact Travel
    • Ethical Animal Encounters
    • The Importance of Fair Trade
    • Responsible Travel Websites
    • Sustainable Tourism Organisations & Experiences
    • Sustainable Tourism Podcasts
    • Travel Insurance (that covers COVID-19)
  • About
  • Blog
  • Media
    • Featured In
    • Work with us
  • Contribute
    • List a Sustainable Tourism Organisation or Experience
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • Travel Resources
    • What is Responsible Tourism?
    • How to be a Sustainable Traveller
    • What is Community-based Tourism
    • Responsible Volunteering
    • The Rise of Impact Travel
    • Ethical Animal Encounters
    • The Importance of Fair Trade
    • Responsible Travel Websites
    • Sustainable Tourism Organisations & Experiences
    • Sustainable Tourism Podcasts
    • Travel Insurance (that covers COVID-19)
  • About
  • Blog
  • Media
    • Featured In
    • Work with us
  • Contribute
    • List a Sustainable Tourism Organisation or Experience
  • Contact Us

The Altruistic Traveller

Transforming Our Inner & Outer Worlds Through Travel

AltruismCommunity DevelopmentEnvironmental AwarenessNepalSustainable TravelVolunteering

Helping to Rebuild Nepal | Volunteering with Conscious Impact Part 1

by Bianca Caruana April 7, 2019April 7, 2019
written by Bianca Caruana April 7, 2019April 7, 2019
rebuild-nepal

On the 25th of April 2015, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake devastated Nepal, killing nearly 9,000 people and injuring nearly 22,000. This earthquake was one of the darkest days in Nepal’s history, 800,000 homes were destroyed and a further 298,000 were damaged. 4 years on, there are still remnants of this earthquake wherever you turn. It is estimated less than 20% of homes have been rebuilt since the earthquake struck.

The region of Takure, in Nepal’s east, lost 99% of their homes. Through a long-term partnership, Conscious Impact is helping to rebuild this region, and I am going to help them.

Conscious Impact is an organisation that invites international volunteers of all backgrounds to join their camps and offer skilled or unskilled labour, financial donations, and compassionate service to local communities. Takure is their pilot project.

Their mission is simply “to connect people to themselves, each other and the earth through community service work around the world”

 

 

I chose to volunteer with Conscious Impact because of their deep commitment to sustainable living and sustainable development.

“The most accessible building material in Nepal is clay-fired bricks which account for 60% of the city’s pollution, cause extreme deforestation, and create unstable working conditions for locals.” – Conscious Impact

Conscious Impact has introduced a more sustainable solution, where volunteers work alongside local community members to produce Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks (CSEB). The earth blocks are composed of local soil, sand, and a small percentage of cement. With the support of hundreds of donors, volunteers, and community members these earth blocks have rebuilt 15 homes, a primary school, a community centre, and an orphanage.

The earthquake has provided an opportunity for Nepal to build back better, with collaborative efforts from the local and international communities. With climate change causing erratic weather conditions in the region, sustainable development is imperative to the reconstruction of these great Himalayan lands.

Photo below: Visiting rural villages in 2017, interviewing families who had yet to rebuild their homes which were destroyed. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Bianca Caruana (@thealtruistictraveller) on May 29, 2017 at 5:31pm PDT

 

Throughout the 10-day program volunteers also work with the local community on regenerative agriculture initiatives, such as coffee, permaculture design, and agroforestry. In their first year of collaboration, Conscious Impact was able to invest in building a large greenhouse for the farmers, which led to the formation of an agroforestry program and a local coffee cooperative. Since its formation, 20,000 coffee trees have been distributed, with another 9000 planned for this year.

 

 

My role as a volunteer will be to work hand-in-hand with community members, learning from each other, to reignite the local environment with permaculture principles. I will live with a community of volunteers in a sustainable tented-camp located on beautiful rice terraces right in the middle of the village. Out of respect for the local community’s beliefs, we will join them in abstaining from meat and alcohol. We will sleep in tents, use dry composting latrines and have minimal impact on the surrounding environment.

Related reading: Using Earth Bags to Rebuild Nepal

This program resonates with me because I feel that it can make a truly lasting impact on the communities here for years to come. It is my third time in Nepal. This country has been nothing but generous to me and so I wanted to spend some time giving back to its people. After spending time in Kathmandu I know that Nepal is suffering. The construction efforts have caused waves of pollution across the once blue skies, making the city one of the unhealthiest cities to live in the world. If we have a chance to introduce more sustainable building methods then we’re not only saving the environment but saving the people as well.

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Bianca Caruana (@thealtruistictraveller) on Jun 14, 2017 at 8:52am PDT

In order to make this fully possible and for Conscious Impact to continue to support sustainable, long-term rebuilding, I need your support. I am looking for donations to help support the work of Conscious Impact in Nepal. If you would like to be involved in this beautiful work, please visit my campaign page – https://www.classy.org/fundraiser/2016133

The placement commences May 5th. It’s time to get my hands dirty, see if this city girl can reconnect with nature and help to rebuild Nepal. I’ll be sharing my whole journey through Instagram and Facebook so be sure to follow along.

If you’re interested in volunteering with Conscious Impact, they run their program every month. You can find more details here.

0 comment
FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinRedditStumbleuponEmail
previous post
How to Say “No Straw Please” in 40 Languages
next post
An ethical guide to travel in Kampot Cambodia

You may also like

The Latest Meditation Travel Trend on the Scene...

August 16, 2017

Why Do We Need to Plant More Trees,...

August 27, 2020

How to budget travel with Trusted Housesitters

January 15, 2021

The best places to go forest hiking in...

March 14, 2023

The one visiting the Pa’O tribe of the...

June 5, 2016

From Trash to Shelter: Volunteer in Cambodia &...

March 24, 2025

Community Based Tourism Gives New Hope to Irrawaddy...

May 31, 2016

Tara Rafting in the Balkans – A Stunning...

August 2, 2017

5 Travel Hacks to Make Your Travels Plastic...

July 3, 2018

How to Say “No Straw Please” in 40...

April 3, 2019

Receive Our Articles In Your Inbox

Sign up for the latest news & content from The Altruistic Traveller [no spam ever ;)]

Please wait...

Thank you for advocating for a better tourism industry.

Listen to The Altruistic Traveller Podcast

2022 Award Winner

The Altruistic Traveller has been included by Twinkl as one of their picks for Top Sustainability Blogs 2022.

House Sit & Travel The World

Use code “ALTRUISTIC15” FOR 15% OFF
trusted-housesitters

Save $$$ on your currency conversion while you travel

Transfer-wise

Get Travel Insurance

incurance-that-covers-covid-19

GET YOUR E-SIM WITH AIRALO

Offset Your Travel with Offsetra

Offset Your Travel with Offsetra

Learn a language online with Live Lingua

Get green hosting for your website

Browse Sustainable Accommodation options

social-bnb

Donate a meal to someone in need

sharethemeal web graphic_0

Book Travel with Kiwi


Learn how to become location independent

Use code thealtruistictraveller10 for 10% off courses

NomadsSkillshare

Dine with Locals on EatWith

eat-with-coupon-7B728BBE

Find Ethical Food Venues Nearest to you with Fair Food Forager

fair-food-forager

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Linkedin
  • Youtube
  • Email
  • Spotify
  • RSS

@2024 - The Altruistic Traveller. Developed by Cybernite Technologies and sustainably hosted by Green Geeks.
The Altruistic Traveller uses affiliate links. If you make a purchase using a link, we may receive a commission. Such revenue helps keep this website running, and allows us to keep the content free for readers like you.
This website uses cookies. To learn more or opt-out please visit my Privacy Policy.


Back To Top