Community projects in India
| country: | India |
| departures: | Two departures a month on Sundays throughout the year |
| price: | From £945 (3 weeks) excluding flights, additional weeks from £60 - £65 up to 12 weeks. We can help arrange flights from the UK. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
India's cultural diversity is amazing to take in – her colours, sounds and smells bristle with intensity. An immense land, tumbling from the awesome Himalayas in the north to the tropical lushness of Kerala at its tip, India is all things in between. It is crowded with people, scattered with temples and relics from the British Raj, tea terraces, choked cities, and cut through by sacred rivers like the Ganges. You cannot see it all on one volunteer travel project, but you can relish a taster and make a small difference in the process. India is economically very poor, consequently, volunteer work is quickly absorbed and we need many more overseas volunteers. We would like to invite you to take in a small part of this great land, on a volunteer project in Bangalore.
These volunteer projects are aimed at improving the lives of the disadvantaged people of India. You'll need energy and patience, but you'll receive the warmest welcome into Indian society and take home a lifetime's experience - doing meaningful work alongside local people. Since you may have the opportunity to teach English at your project, we include a TEFL training course and certificate as part of your placement.Some placements are tough, but all offer an unrivalled insight into an intricate way of life. Wait around long enough and you'll be hooked - India doesn't let go of you easily.
There is a huge variety of projects here so your skills will be matched to the project that needs you most. Options include shelters and schools for street children and children from slums, homes for severely handicapped people and schools for deaf and hearing impaired children. Here are just some examples of the projects you can help at. The street children project is a great stepping-stone into care work. A YMCA shelter supports homeless boys, and you will be giving advice on health, nutrition and family planning. If you are good with your hands, you could also help with carpentry lessons – a valuable trade for street-dwellers. Female volunteers also have the choice of working in a home for disabled women. The project aims to provide occupational skills and you assist with light exercise, English tuition and craftwork.
These volunteer projects are aimed at improving the lives of the disadvantaged people of India. You'll need energy and patience, but you'll receive the warmest welcome into Indian society and take home a lifetime's experience - doing meaningful work alongside local people. Since you may have the opportunity to teach English at your project, we include a TEFL training course and certificate as part of your placement.Some placements are tough, but all offer an unrivalled insight into an intricate way of life. Wait around long enough and you'll be hooked - India doesn't let go of you easily.
There is a huge variety of projects here so your skills will be matched to the project that needs you most. Options include shelters and schools for street children and children from slums, homes for severely handicapped people and schools for deaf and hearing impaired children. Here are just some examples of the projects you can help at. The street children project is a great stepping-stone into care work. A YMCA shelter supports homeless boys, and you will be giving advice on health, nutrition and family planning. If you are good with your hands, you could also help with carpentry lessons – a valuable trade for street-dwellers. Female volunteers also have the choice of working in a home for disabled women. The project aims to provide occupational skills and you assist with light exercise, English tuition and craftwork.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive in India. A member of our in-country support team will be at the airport to pick up the volunteers, escort them to a welcome meal and on to their accommodation (accommodation for orientation and accommodation for projects may differ). |
| Day 2-3: | Orientation |
| Day 4: | Volunteers meet experienced project staff and begin their work at various projects in the area. |
| Day 5: | Volunteers continue with their 4 to 12 weeks placement. |
volunteer travel - what's it all about?
Are you looking for an adventurous trip with a purpose, or on a gap year or career break? If you want to make a difference in some of the world’s most important conservation areas - and in community projects - then volunteer trips are for you! Volunteers tend to have a sense of adventure, and come from a range of different backgrounds and from all over the world. Edward Abbey said 'sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul'.
how this holiday makes a difference
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For a volunteer a project in India can be the experience of a lifetime. India has a rich diverse culture and its people know the value of learning new skills and outlooks.
Volunteers are needed to teach these new skills and be mentors to children and young adults. Our dedication to this project and others like it sees a steady stream of volunteers coming in, so these people get the attention and instruction the deserve, while alleviating the problems the projects face, such as limited resources and understaffing. In addition to making an impact on the lives of the children teach, volunteers have the rare opportunity to live in and become a part of India's communities; an experience that you just won't get as traditional tourist or even a backpacker. As well as volunteers, a charity has been set up to donate materials and other needs to all projects we support and these gifts are made on a bi-annual basis. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |