Volunteer with us
Volunteering with the Alpine Fund can be an incredibly rewarding experience. We’re a small organization so our volunteers play a major role in delivering Alpine Fund programs. We’re always looking for practically minded, hands on people who are keen to jump in with both feet and help us out for two months or more.
Potential volunteers should email kyg @ alpinefund.org with a resume outlining past experience and a cover letter explaining why you want to volunteer.
Frequently asked questions:
What do Alpine Fund volunteers do?
Our volunteers typically get involved in three areas: taking groups of youth to the mountains, teaching English or computing classes, and office based work such as fundraising.
Taking groups of youth to the mountains involves preparing for the trip i.e. arranging food, transport, outdoor equipment, clothing and any other resources required for a lesson or activity the volunteer will run as part of the trip. Typically, the volunteer leading the trip will set off on a Saturday morning and together with an Alpine Fund Intern, pick up a group of 6-7 children from one of the orphanages and take them on a trip lasting one or two days. (Our Wednesday rock climbing trips follow a similar routine but volunteers only really supervise these outings as there is less to organize before hand).
The English and computing classes run by our volunteers have become a very important and successful aspect of the Alpine Fund’s work. We currently have several groups of children attending beginner and intermediate level English classes and one group attending basic computing classes. Volunteers usually give a specific group of children a one-hour lesson twice a week.
As you might imagine there is also lots of other work that can be done in the Alpine Fund office to support the director and the interns. Volunteers can get stuck into grant writing, fundraising, website updates and of course, the never-ending task of cleaning and repairing our equipment.
Why do you want volunteers to stay for at least 2 months?
Our programs vary depending on the funding we have and the support we have in the way of volunteers. When a new volunteer arrives it often means we can set up a new English class or perhaps run additional outdoor activities. This is great as we can involve more youth in more programs but it only really works if the new classes or trips that we commit resources and time to can be run regularly for an extended period. It’s difficult for students if their current teacher is only going to be around for a few weeks and their next teacher won’t arrive until a few months later.
In short, we have found that volunteers have got the most out of their time with us when they have committed to two months or more. They have been able to figure out how best to run the programs, get to know the youth they are helping, experience a culture from the inside and explore a stunningly beautiful region.
The two-month period is by no means set in stone however. We simply looked back at previous years and picked two months as a reasonable suggestion. If you are keen to get involved but can’t commit to two months do get in touch anyway, there’s usually lots to do.
If you’re only around for a short period and would like to take a group into the mountains we can arrange a one off trip with a group from one of the orphanages. Something like this will not be be written into our monthly budget so we ask that you fundraise for this trip in advance. You wouldn’t need to raise a lot of money in order to make a long trip to the mountain cabin with a group of kids. In this case everybody wins, kids get to the mountains, you have an amazing experience and know that you are a central part of the trip.
How much does it cost to live in Bishkek?
Volunteers must be able to pay for their own housing, transportation and living expenses. Luckily, Bishkek is a very cheap place to live. Obviously this figure depends on your lifestyle, but some basic expenses are about $150 – $200 a month for an apartment, and perhaps $250 per person per month for living expenses, (it could be less if you do not go out to eat and only shop in markets - but $250 is an average amount you might expect) then add to that any travel you would like to do while here and any other personal expenses you might incur.
When is a good time to volunteer?
The summer is not always the best time to volunteer. A lot of the orphanages we work with close in summer and the kids go off to various places, and the kids in the market are working hard as summer is a good time to make money for them. So not to say that there is nothing to do in June and July and August, but it is not a time when we typically have a lot of youth programs.
Do I need to be able to speak Russian?
You’ll be able to get by in English but knowing or learning some Russian or Kyrgyz will definitely help. Most volunteers enjoy learning and improving their language skills while they are here. Arianna, the Bishkek director, speaks English as do the interns (the interns will probably want you to speak English to them so they can practice). The youth we work with from the orphanages mainly speak Russian. Children from the Child Protection Centers usually speak Kyrgyz.
How much time will I need to commit to the Alpine Fund?
A few hours a week or seven days a week, its entirely up to you. A typical volunteer helping with outdoor trips as well as English classes may spend a couple of hours a week teaching (plus a bit of prep time before each lesson) and perhaps one or two days a week on a trip to the mountains. It all depends of the amount of support we have while you are here and how much time you have to spare.
Essentially, volunteering is many things to many people. The most successful volunteers came because they have a love of helping youth, a love of mountains, and a desire to experience a new culture.
If you are interested in volunteering or have more questions please contact us at kyg @ alpinefund.org"
See you in the mountains!
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