Volunteering holiday in Goa
| country: | India |
| location: | Goa |
| departures: | 2008: 21 Sep, 21 Dec |
| price: | From £1399 (14 days) including flights from the UK and from £999 excluding flights. |
read 1 travellers review
the amazing things you'll be doing
Help refurbish "Mother Teresa's Roses" charity house and provide street kids and orphans a warm and safe home in Goa
For those who want to spend time experiencing Goa's fabulous beaches, great nightlife, multi-hued and distinctive lifestyle, its deep soul and warm and tolerant people, as well as help on a volunteer project to help a charity support the extreme poor and needy of Bombay, then this is the volunteer abroad holiday for you. Not long ago Sister Christobel, a catholic nun who works with the extreme poor and needy on the streets of Bombay as part of the "Mother Theresa’s Roses" trust she founded, was bequeathed a large house in Goa.
It was left to the trust by an Indian lady who died without issue and wanted her property to go to charity. A fantastic gift. On the downside, the property has not been lived in for 13 years and is pretty decrepit. It has no kitchen, no bathrooms, no (safe) wiring, no furniture … but it did initially come complete with rats, snakes and white ants!! That said, for Sister Christobel, it is a dream come true – for her, a gift from God. And she is determined that it will be a safe and loving place for the street children/orphans of Bombay.
The rats and snakes are gone and already Sister Christobel has taken 15 children and 5 women there. When the children arrived Sr Christobel had managed to get her hand on some small red plastic chairs (the kind you can buy for a £1!) and she gave each of the children one of them. They take them everywhere, inside, outside – even sleeping next to them at night. For most of the children they are the only thing they have ever owned… She has persuaded a contractor to start work on the place – promising that one day she will have the money to pay him.
But there is much more work to be done to at least make the place habitable and there is certainly no money for ‘luxuries’ - furniture, toys, clothes, paint, proper kitchen … the list is endless. We'll do a week's work at the house – working in the morning until lunchtime, sometimes doing activities with the children, with the afternoons and evenings for exploring and socialising.
For those who want to spend time experiencing Goa's fabulous beaches, great nightlife, multi-hued and distinctive lifestyle, its deep soul and warm and tolerant people, as well as help on a volunteer project to help a charity support the extreme poor and needy of Bombay, then this is the volunteer abroad holiday for you. Not long ago Sister Christobel, a catholic nun who works with the extreme poor and needy on the streets of Bombay as part of the "Mother Theresa’s Roses" trust she founded, was bequeathed a large house in Goa.
It was left to the trust by an Indian lady who died without issue and wanted her property to go to charity. A fantastic gift. On the downside, the property has not been lived in for 13 years and is pretty decrepit. It has no kitchen, no bathrooms, no (safe) wiring, no furniture … but it did initially come complete with rats, snakes and white ants!! That said, for Sister Christobel, it is a dream come true – for her, a gift from God. And she is determined that it will be a safe and loving place for the street children/orphans of Bombay.
the volunteer Goa project
The rats and snakes are gone and already Sister Christobel has taken 15 children and 5 women there. When the children arrived Sr Christobel had managed to get her hand on some small red plastic chairs (the kind you can buy for a £1!) and she gave each of the children one of them. They take them everywhere, inside, outside – even sleeping next to them at night. For most of the children they are the only thing they have ever owned… She has persuaded a contractor to start work on the place – promising that one day she will have the money to pay him. But there is much more work to be done to at least make the place habitable and there is certainly no money for ‘luxuries’ - furniture, toys, clothes, paint, proper kitchen … the list is endless. We'll do a week's work at the house – working in the morning until lunchtime, sometimes doing activities with the children, with the afternoons and evenings for exploring and socialising.
travellers' tales
Taking the children to the beach was the most memorable part - they absolutely loved it. (more)
a taste of volunteering trip - what's it all about?
This type of trip is ideal for people who are unable to take very long periods off work but who are interested in volunteering to work with communities in need, or in wildlife conservation. These shorter trips combine volunteering with an opportunity to see the main sights in destinations. Find out more about 'taste of volunteering'how this holiday makes a difference
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The Mother Teresa's Roses charitable organisation was founded by Sister Christobel of Mumbai (Bombay) to look after the destitute in India. The 'Roses' are people who help those in the most need. They literally pick people up from the gutter – those who have been left to die and street kids – and bathe them, dress them, get them medical help and education for the children, and feed them with any what they can get their hands on – often unwanted, near-rotten, fruit and veg left over from the market.
The project centres on a run-down house in Goa that was bequeathed to Sister Christobel, to help her turn it into a welcoming, warm and loving care centre for those she helps, from Mumbai and Goa. Volunteers will make a huge difference in helping reverse the years of neglect of the building, from being inhabitable to really helping them get off the ground with renovating the house and creating a home. (No previous experience is required, although renovation and DIY experience would be useful). The volunteers’ contribution will not only enable the work to be done but the financial contribution (inclusive within the tour package) will enable the renovation and decoration supplies to be purchased, food and clothing for those it supports and, further down the line, small luxuries such as extra furniture and toys for the children. The work on the house will be focused on renovation – re-wiring, plumbing, painting, decorating - but equally importantly it will make a difference to the lives of those it will help support, after their lifetimes of neglect. There will be opportunities for skills-sharing with the women or doing activities with the children to build them up as well. This is as much about making a difference to the people as it is about the bricks and mortar. |
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