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This trip is for those with an adventurous spirit and a heart for service! This transformative experience has two parts – half tourist & learning / half service. 

The tourist & learning part: 

There are seven World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley alone - we visit at least three! Nepal is also home to the biggest mountains in the world, the Himalayas. We'll take a stunning hike to get a view of them. 

Sprinkled throughout our adventures are workshops educating you on the history and culture of Nepal, the challenges rural folks face, and what it looks like to follow the grassroots approach of participatory development. 

The service part:

Most of the people we serve never have the opportunity to see a doctor. Throughout the year, ParticipAid and its partners provide preventive health services to our population with our "Prevention is Better than Cure" Program. Still, people need to see a doctor. 

The objective of our camp is to provide direct healthcare and education to as many patients as possible.    

In 2024 we treated 1069 patients across five villages in our five-day rural health camp! We will replicate the same format this year, a new village each day, and expect an even larger turnout. 

Our service area is a small rural municipality called Indrasarowar. It is a few hours SE of the Kathmandu Valley in the hills of the Himalayas. The area is famous for its beautiful river and manmade lake. It's 18,000 residents are divided into 5 villages - Khadpu, Fakhel, Marku, Kulekani, and Sisneri.   

Most of its people are of the Tamang ethnic group - a group of Tibetan origin. They speak Tamang primarily, Nepali secondarily, and some speak English as a third language. 

Most are subsistence farmers - they grow their own food on their land and earn a living selling vegetables and grains to local markets. 

Each village has a "health post" - a building that employs government-trained workers (3-year program after 10th grade) to manage the health of their entire community. These posts have limited supplies of medicine and equipment.  

We work closely with the local government at all levels to host our health camp at the health post of each village. 

Bring your heart and skills to our lucky group of 6-12 volunteers!
 

In which category do you belong? 

Teacher / Healer Volunteer

Holds a station at the health camp, sharing your knowledge and gifts with patients. 

General Volunteer

Floats at the health camp, assisting the team in various projects.

Teacher/Healer Volunteers:

With few exceptions*, you are in an educational role. 

You are sharing your practical knowledge that can improve the health of the sick in Nepal!  

Here are some examples: 

Basics of Diabetes & Hypertension   

Diet and lifestyle guidelines for chronic disease 

Reproductive and menstrual hygiene 

Nervous system regulation & stress management

Home Remedies – herbal preparations, hydrotherapy 

Movement therapies/exercises for chronic pain 

Therapies for mental/emotional/spiritual well-being

*practitioners able to improve chronic pain in one visit with manual or injection therapies may be certified to treat patients if they apply by April.

General Volunteers: 

You are assisting one of our many practitioners or working independently on a project.

Here are some examples: 

Photo/video documenting our trip

Assisting in on-site steam or hydrotherapy treatments

Plant medicine tending and archive updating 

Record keeping and data management 

Coordinating lunch breaks 

Our whole team stays together at a hotel in the village of Markhu. 

Each morning we will travel to one of the neighboring villages, set up our health camp, and offer services to as many patients as we can. We expect 200-300 patients per day.

We do this each day for five days so that we can offer all villagers in the municipality the same opportunity to see a doctor.

We are led by a team of Nepalese Ayurvedic doctors. Each patient is primarily assessed and treated by one of them. After the visit, the doctors refer patients to the stations where our teacher/healer volunteers are serving.  

The patients then have the opportunity to learn from or be treated by our volunteers. 

The camp also offers screenings and preventive health education to each patient, as this is the most effective and sustainable way to improve their health over time. 

This kind of comprehensive experience is one of a kind in Nepal. Each patient will leave with a physician assessment and treatment, and will be exposed to education and experiences that will help them take control of their own health. 

Advanced cases are referred to hospitals and are monitored by our in-country team after your departure. 

You are led by the leadership of ParticipAid and their in-country partner organization, Sagun. 

This team may vary slightly but all will be dedicated to creating the experience of a lifetime for you and the people you will serve. 

Co-Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Erin Willis

In-Country Director, Punya Suwal 

Vice-Chair of the Board, Dr. Cassady Morris 

Co-Founder and Advisor, Kamal Phuyal

Cultural and Historical Guide, Jhabraj Neupane 

FOOD: 

In Kathmandu, a simple continental breakfast is available at the hotel. 

Lunch and dinner will be out in restaurants or hosted by local team members and supporters.

A variety of cuisines will be available and we will do our best to meet your dietary needs. 

Once in Markhu and the villages, you will primarily consume a more traditional Nepali diet. 

"Dal bhat" is served twice per day - a delicious meal of rice, lentils, greens, vegetables, and sauces. A choice of meat is available. 

Other dishes, like fried rice or dumplings, can be available if ordered in advance. 

All meals are included in the trip price.

ACCOMMODATION:
You will reside in private hotel rooms with private bathrooms for the duration of this trip. 

In Kathmandu, you'll stay at a beautiful historic hotel with an ancient architectural style. It's in the middle of the city, yet surrounded by peaceful gardens. 

In Markhu, you'll stay at a nice, clean lakeside hotel. Your room will be plenty big with a private bathroom. There is even a pool!

These hotels are included in the trip price.

In the past we have been approved to offer CE to NDs and DCs in OR and CA. If you are a healthcare professional and would like to receive CE, please send us a message. 

The total cost of the trip is $7600.

In 2024, $5500 was designated as tax-deductible. This year, we expect the tax-deductible amount to be similar.

A non-refundable $3500 deposit is required to reserve your spot. 

There is a brief application that can be completed by copying and pasting this address: 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZcSW1yWcF-FVtFU3Bd8pgv3Tap3g7Y_revf9n2U4CUq8YzQ/viewform?usp=sharing

To apply - please complete the form and submit the $3500. 

If for any reason you are not accepted, the $1000 will be returned to you. 

If accepted, your non-refundable deposit will be held and you can pay the remainder as you like up to September 9th, 2025. A payment plan is automatically set up for you, but we can adjust it according to you need. 

This is a day for rest and acclimation. 

It's a free day for you and your cohort to arrive and get settled. We will be here to help you get situated and stay awake if you're working through jet lag!

Because of the time difference, we recommend arriving in the daytime hours, morning or early afternoon best. 

Today you'll learn about the rich culture of this amazing country. 

Nepal is uniquely one of the few remaining that has never been colonized. 142 ethnic groups and 10 religions mix and mingle here. 

You'll also visit a World Heritage Site or two on this day. (Boudhanath pictured)

Today we'll gather to learn about the challenges facing the people of rural Nepal and you'll get to experience participatory development - an empowering approach that ensures that local people cultivate a sense of ownership and pride in our work. 

You'll meet our in-country team and become confident in your role during the health camp. 

Namo Buddha is an incredible pilgrimage site for Buddhists around the world. This short trek will take us to to a remote hill top monastery to learn of its story.

If the weather cooperates, we will have epic Himalayan views. 

Today we leave the city for the beautiful village of Markhu, our home base for our village service work. 

Along the way, we'll visit some of the home herbal gardens planted by our Preventive Health Educators, meet them, and learn about how local people use different herbs for disease prevention and health promotion.

Today we begin our health camp service in the village of Markhu. 

Health camps are the only way that the vast majority of Nepalese people see doctors, so this component of the trip is of deep service to our communities. We will be hosted by local health workers in clean and adequate facilities. You will work alongside Nepalese healthcare practitioners to treat local people. The Health Camp will be open for all local people to come for treatment from approximately 10am-5pm. 

Today we'll travel a short distance to Fakhel to host their health camp.

Health camps are the only way that the vast majority of Nepalese people see doctors, so this component of the trip is of deep service to our communities. We will be hosted by local health workers in clean and adequate facilities. You will work alongside Nepalese healthcare practitioners to treat local people. The Health Camp will be open for all local people to come for treatment from approximately 10am-5pm. 

Today we'll travel a short distance to Khadpu where we'll provide them a Health Camp.

Health camps are the only way that the vast majority of Nepalese people see doctors, so this component of the trip is of deep service to our communities. We will be hosted by local health workers in clean and adequate facilities. You will work alongside Nepalese healthcare practitioners to treat local people. The Health Camp will be open for all local people to come for treatment from approximately 10am-5pm. 

Our destination today is the village of Sisneri, a short drive from Markhu.

Health camps are the only way that the vast majority of Nepalese people see doctors, so this component of the trip is of deep service to our communities. We will be hosted by local health workers in clean and adequate facilities. You will work alongside Nepalese healthcare practitioners to treat local people. The Health Camp will be open for all local people to come for treatment from approximately 10am-5pm. 

Our final Health Camp will be hosted by and for the people of Kulekhani, a short drive from Markhu. 

Health camps are the only way that the vast majority of Nepalese people see doctors, so this component of the trip is of deep service to our communities. We will be hosted by local health workers in clean and adequate facilities. You will work alongside Nepalese healthcare practitioners to treat local people. The Health Camp will be open for all local people to come for treatment from approximately 10am-5pm. 

This is a day of well-deserved rest!

We'll pack up and travel back to Kathmandu, where you'll have a free day and dinner together as a group. At this dinner we'll discuss some of our more potent experiences and provide support to integrate lessons learned.

Today is mostly free, aside from a big farewell dinner celebration for us all. 

You can sleep in, visit some different sites, or buy some gifts and souvenirs - choices abound in Kathmandu!

It's also a festival called "Kukur Tihar" - a day of worship and appreciation for dogs. So you can spend all day loving on stray dogs if you like. 

Today is the last day of our trip! 

We will make sure that you have everything you need to travel home with ease. If you decide to stay. Today is the beginning of a beautiful festival of light in Nepal. Google Laxmi Puja to learn more.