It’s that time of the year again! We asked for your nominations, and you delivered…
As a way for us to say thank you to some of the most incredible hosts in the Workaway community, we’ve once again brought back our Workaway Giving Back project where our community members nominated their favourite hosts who are making a positive difference in the world. After reviewing all your inspiring recommendations, we are proud to introduce four outstanding projects who have truly made an impact in supporting various causes and members of their local communities. We’re so excited to see how the combined efforts of our Workawayers and this grant can continue to help our hosts realise their vision and help their projects grow!
The Research Room Revolution at Nepal's First Non-Violent School
Our first host in Gaunshahar, Nepal runs a school that provides free and non-violent education to children in the local community. Aiming to provide education to children in my community regardless of financial barriers and to protect them from the traditional system of physical punishment, they currently offer free education, uniforms, meals, and transportation to over 450 children.
With the grant, they've set up a research room at the school to encourage investigative learning among students. This new space will allow students to explore various themes and activities to enjoy, and discover. Since the school primarily uses traditional teaching methods, this new research room brings an exciting and innovative approach to education!
We spent the most wonderful month here. The school is beautiful and the kids are amazing. We were involved in construction tasks on the new classrooms including moving building materials and painting, as well as substitute teaching. Shamser is an amazing host, a great communicator and a pleasure to work with. We’ve done quite a few Workaways by now and this was one of the very best!
Empowering Women Through Sewing and Education in Nepal
This organisation in Kataiya, Nepal is dedicated to promoting social development and has initiated a sewing program to empower women. By providing sewing training, the program enables women to create and sell their own products. The Musahar community faces significant challenges which limit opportunities for its children and women, and many children are driven into labour due to financial hardship, while women face discrimination and abuse. This project, headed by host Sandeep, plays a vital role in breaking this cycle, offering not only academic education but also practical skills in repair, handicrafts, and entrepreneurship.
The grant has helped the organisation complete a 15-day women's empowerment and livelihood enhancement sewing project in Kataiya, where a total of 10 women participants has learned basic sewing techniques and crafting skills for local clothing. They hope to supply more materials and equipment needed for the women to participate in the program, as well as to cover the cost of trainers who will teach them essential sewing skills.
When I left, I left a little paradise behind me. I was staying for two weeks in Kataiya with Sandeep's parents. During these days I was interacting with the local community in all kinds of ways like teaching English at different places, playing cricket, showing some magic, sitting around the fire or just eating together. Especially in terms of the food, be prepared to leave with a few pounds more on your hips ;) The generosity and kindness in this village is indescribable. The kids in the village had been so welcoming and enthusiastic and I made some really good friends. If you, like me, value an authentic experience over any sightseeing tour, then this is the most beautiful Workaway stay you can get.
Creating Better Learning Environments for Children in Uganda
This community-owned and community-funded school in Tirinyi, Uganda was founded back in 2006 to address the lack of educational facilities for the growing number of children in the community. With a strong focus on supporting vulnerable children, the school emphasises individual talent development and autonomy, preparing students for a brighter future.
The grant will be used to enhance their students’ learning environment by purchasing furniture for the classrooms and installing solar panels to provide reliable energy. Additionally, they plan to refurbish the library to promote reading and literacy among the students. They have already begun the progress with the purchase of 20 desks and 2 tables, and are embarking on finishing up the floor area for its current state!
It's hard to put into words how wonderful our experience at the school has been. From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with warmth, hosted with kindness, and treated as part of the school family. It's a very special place: Stephen (the director) has a heart of gold, Luke (the headteacher) and all the staff work incredibly hard to provide the best possible education for the pupils (despite very limited resources), and the kids themselves are just amazing - full of energy, enthusiasm, respect, motivation, and gratitude. We suggested doing some sport sessions with the kids and ended up doing two PE lessons every morning for different classes each time. In the afternoons, we helped in the classrooms, and taught some Science and English lessons. We have learnt so much from the staff and students here, and are so grateful to have become part of the family!
Funding English Classes and Supporting Local Educators in Cambodia
Having hosted Workawayers since 2016, the school has been able to support more students with the help of volunteers, and the funding has helped them improve and build new facilities for their students, ensuring they have a nice environment for learning and growth. It has also given them the resources to continue hiring former students as local teachers. This not only enhances their educational program but also supports these individuals' futures by offering meaningful employment and the chance to give back to their community.
Volunteering in Cristina’s School was one of the most beautiful and fulfilling experiences of my life. This place is so full of love and kindness that it's impossible to have a bad experience. All the kids and volunteers were extremely welcoming and sweet. The house was always very clean and tidy, and living with the locals it's the best way to learn about the place and their people.
We are beyond thrilled to be able to support more Workaway hosts to further their impact and help their local communities… As you continue to play a massive role in volunteering for these incredible hosts, we’ve got more projects to come so stay tuned for our next announcement!
Here at the Workaway team we are lucky enough to witness all the amazing experiences enabled via the site and we'd love to share them with you too! From new and improved website features for our commu... show more...nity , to handpicked unique Workaway opportunities we come across, we hope our blog posts help you get to know our site and our community better!
