30+ Programme: Grown up gap year in India

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Grown up gap year in India: 30+ Programme

Over 30 and want to spend a gap year in India? You’d value some extra comfort and privacy? Keen to use your skills and professional knowledge in your volunteer work?

With our grown up gap year programme Rajasthan 30+, you can tie everything together: Instead of staying in a room with several other participants, you’ll be in a double room, our partners in India will take your skills and experience into account as much as possible when choosing your gap year project placement, and you will be offered a bit more comfort than participants in our other Rajasthan programmes (for example: massages, free internet access, and laundry services).

You will begin your grown up gap year in India in the fascinating city of New Delhi. Here, a member of our partner organisation will await you at the airport and take you to the hotel where you will spend your first night in India. You will only spend one night in Delhi, before your travels in India begin with a great cultural highlight: a visit to the world-famous Taj Mahal in Agra.

Orientation and Accommodation in Jaipur

After spending the night in a hotel in Agra, you will be on your way to Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, where a three-day orientation will take place. During these three days, you will be introduced to the history, culture, and social life of India as you explore the city and possibly learn a bit of Hindi. During your stay in Jaipur, you will live with a carefully-selected Indian host family, gaining a deeper understanding of the everyday life, traditions, and culture of India.
 
After the orientation, you will head to your project placement in rural Rajasthan, where you will begin your gap year volunteer work in India.

Grown up gap year in India

Grown Up Gap Year India: Projects

Grown up “gappers” in India can use their skills in the fields of education and child care:

Education

In rural schools, usually grade schools, you will teach the children English and math, encourage their creativity through playful learning, guide them to better cleanliness and personal hygiene, prepare teaching materials, and motivate the children to attend school regularly. Aside from this, you will work closely with local doctors and medical personnel to ensure that children are receiving regular check-ups.

Childcare

In day-care centres, also called “Anganwari”, you will tend to the overall care and supervision of small children. Your responsibilities will include playing with the children, feeding them, and preparing meals and motor skills exercises. In addition, you will work to bring more attention to child care in the community, sharpening the local population’s awareness of education and hygiene.  Aside from this, you will collect information about health conditions, vaccinations, and children’s nutrition and help to admit all pregnant women and their newborn babies.

Volunteers can also help in the following areas:

• Tutoring
• Renovation work
• Projects for women and girls

Grown Up Gap Year India: 30+ Programme

• Activities: Depends on the project.
• Free Time: Usually 2 days a week, usually at the weekend.
• Specifics: Your exact project placement will be decided on location. Your project preferences will be taken into account as much as possible, however we cannot guarantee that you will be placed in a specific project for your grown up gap year in India.
• Duration: 4 or 8 weeks.
• Application: At least 2-3 months before departure. We are happy to accept applications much earlier than this.
• Starting Dates: Once a month (not including the months of April-July), on the following dates: 9 Aug., 6 Sept., 4 Oct., 1 & 29 Nov., 27 Dec. (2010), 24 Jan., 21 Feb.*, 21 Mar* (2011)
  * 4-week programme only
• Practical Experience: Not necessary, but an advantage.
• Other: Since you will be surrounded by a completely foreign culture during your grown up gap year in India, patience, adaptability, independence, and travel experience are very important. Indian clothing is required for woman at the project sites. You will equip yourself appropriately during the orientation.