Supporting the Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID) Program in Nepal

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs focuses on the following sectors: education, economic development through support for micro-enterprise and job creation, and disaster risk reduction. Health, good governance and humanitarian needs (water, sanitation and hygiene - WASH) are also priority areas. Volunteers may be called upon to work on improving water treatment and distribution systems, updating school curricula, providing training for micro-entrepreneurs, etc.

In 2016, the contribution of volunteers was evaluated by Nepalese partner organizations. The majority of them felt that volunteer support was crucial, both for achieving development goals in Nepal and for increasing their own organizational capacities (development of their network, better visibility, easier access to loans, etc.). They underlined the fact that volunteers possessed qualifications and experience highly relevant to the mandates entrusted to them, and that beyond their mandate, they provided important support to the development needs identified by partner organizations and the communities concerned.