Volunteer in India

Volunteer in India: Orientation

Your stay in Rajasthan will begin with your arrival at the airport in New Delhi. Our local partner organisation will pick you up and take you to a hotel in the Indian capital, where you will spend your first night. The next morning your journey will continue to Jaipur, known as the "Pink City". 

During the following days, an orientation will introduce you and your fellow volunteers to India's history, culture, and social life, and you will be prepared to volunteer in India.

Aside from this, you will learn your first few words in Hindi, explore the city of Jaipur, and get advice which you will use as you volunteer in India. For the duration of the orientation event you will stay with an English-speaking host family, and for four days you will have the chance to get a taste of family life in India.

Volunteer in India: Rajasthan

Following the orientation, you will travel onward to Shiv, which lies about 500 miles west of Jaipur in a rural section of Rajasthan. Here, you will begin to volunteer in India.

Volunteer in India in Rajasthan

The agricultural possibilities in Shiv are very limited. Large parts of the population live in poverty and are far away or excluded from educational opportunities. Aside from the various education projects, there are also volunteer opportunities in the field of child care. If you would like to engage in more volunteer work on top of this, you could help in renovation projects and social projects for women. When you volunteer in India, your work will depend on what the projects currently need; you may volunteer for various projects during your time in Rajasthan.

Your Accommodation in Rajasthan

Your new home as you volunteer in India will be a rural camp. The camp is built of traditional material and offers bedrooms, a common room with a small library and television, and a dining room. Use the first few days to get accustomed to your new life, explore your surroundings, and meet your fellow volunteers and flatmates. During these days, you will also get some practical training for your upcoming responsibilities.

West Rajasthan: Workshops & Excursions

When you volunteer in India, you will have the opportunity to visit various workshops. On free days, you can head for the city of Jaisalmer, about 90 kilometres away. This golden-coloured town consists of many intricately-etched sandstone buildings on a ridge donned with a fort. Or take advantage of the excursions offered in Rajasthan, going for a tiger safari or camel tour in the desert when you aren’t busy volunteering!

Volunteer in India: Overview

• 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 in Rajasthan. We will take your preferences into account as much as possible, but please note that we cannot guarantee that you will be placed in a specific volunteer project.
• Duration: 4, 8 or 12 weeks
• Application: It is best to apply as early as possible to volunteer in India, at least 2-3 months before departure. Upon request, you may be able to apply at shorter notice.
• Starting Dates: Once a month (not including April through July) at the following dates: 9 Aug., 6 Sept., 4 Oct., 1 Nov., 29 Nov., 27 Dec. (2010)
• Practical Experience: Not necessary, but an advantage.
• Other: Since you will be surrounded by a completely foreign culture when you volunteer in India, patience, adaptability, independence, and travel experience are very important. Women need to dress in traditional Indian clothing - during the orientation you will equip yourself appropriately.