TravelWorks.co.uk » Volunteer Abroad » India » Himachal Pradesh » Palampur » FAQ
Volunteer Programmes in India: Himachal Pradesh
About 550 km from New Delhi, the small town of Palampur lies in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Surrounded by the majestic peaks of the Dhauladhar, covered in snow even in the summer, and by lush green pine forests, Palampur will enchant nature and culture enthusiasts alike.
Does TravelWorks accept participants from outside the UK?
Do I need to take a test to prove my English skill level?
Do I need special references or experience in order to participate?
Can I participate with a friend?
Can I combine my volunteer work in India with a volunteer programme in another country?
Can I choose the city/region where I would like to volunteer?
Can I choose which project I would like to work on?
How much time will I actually spend volunteering? Will I have free time?
Am I expected to provide my own teaching materials?
Will I be expected to teach classes by myself?
What will my accommodation be like?
Will I live with other volunteers?
Will other volunteers be working on the same project as me?
Is there a way for me to contact the other volunteers before I Ieave for India?
What is the health/safety situation in India? Do I need vaccinations?
Do I need to apply for a visa?
Should I buy travel insurance?
Are food and accommodation included in the programme price?
What extra costs should I expect to pay?
Why are women required to wear traditional Indian clothing?
Does TravelWorks accept participants from outside the UK?
Yes. Participants from the United Kingdom and the United States are welcome to participate in our volunteer programmes in India, as are citizens from other countries. If you are from another country, we will have to check your country’s visa requirements to see if you can participate.
Do I need to take a test to prove my English skill level?
No. No test is required, and even if you are not a native English speaker, you may still participate in our volunteer programmes in India. If you are teaching English classes in India, it is obviously necessary that you have good English skills.
Do I need special references or experience in order to participate?
No. You do not need to have any specific educational or work experience in order to participate in volunteer programmes in India. However, teaching experience, experience working with children, and travel experience are definitely helpful.
Is there an age limit?
No, there is no upper age limit for volunteer programmes in India with TravelWorks, although you must be at least 18 in order to participate.
If you are over 30, you are not limited to the 30+ programme; you have the option to participate in the 18+ programme, if you so choose. Just keep in mind that if you choose this option, you will be surrounded by participants from a different age group.
Can I participate with a friend?
Yes. When you apply for a volunteer programme in India, you can list a travel partner, and we are generally able to place travel partners together at the same project. However, we cannot guarantee 100% that you will be placed in the same project as your friend.
Can I combine my volunteer work in India with a volunteer programme in another country?
Yes. It is often possible to combine volunteer programmes in India with programmes in other countries. Feel free to contact TravelWorks for more information.
Can I choose the city/region where I would like to volunteer?
Yes, you will decide before you go to India in which region(s) you would like to live and volunteer.
Can I choose which project I would like to work on?
You will find out once you arrive in India which project or projects you will be taking part in. This will depend on which volunteer programmes in India need the most help when you arrive.
How much time will I actually spend volunteering? Will I have free time?
Volunteers usually work 3 to 5 hours per day, five days a week. Work usually takes place in the mornings, and afternoons are free, although some volunteer programmes in India include afternoon work. This leaves plenty of free time for volunteers.
Am I expected to provide my own teaching materials?
If you will be teaching English as part of your volunteer programme in India, it is a good idea for you to plan out a few teaching ideas before you go. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated - English songs and games are often a good way to teach basic English to young students.
Will I be expected to teach classes by myself?
It is likely that you will teach English classes on your own or with another volunteer as part of your volunteer programme in India. Therefore, it helps to have some lesson plans in mind before you arrive in India.
What will my accommodation be like?
During the orientation in Jaipur, you will stay with a host family. This will be a middle-class family, and at least one member of the family will speak English.
Then, you will live in a house provided by our partner organisation in Himachal Pradesh, where you will share a room with about four to six volunteers during your volunteer programme in India. There is also a leisure room where volunteers can spend their free time.
Food is included in the total price of the programme. Only breakfast will be provided during the excursions; otherwise all meals are provided to volunteers, seven days a week. The food served to the volunteers is Indian food, but care is taken not to make the food too spicy.
Keep in mind that your accommodation will be very simple during your volunteer programme in India. There are no regular showers, so you will have to use a bucket to bathe. Water and electrical failures are not rare occurrences.
Will I live with other volunteers?
Yes. As long as you are not the only person signed up for a specific region, you will be living with other volunteers during your volunteer programme in India.
Will other volunteers be working on the same project as me?
Possibly. Volunteers are often paired together for volunteer programmes in India, but we cannot guarantee that this will be the case.
Is there a volunteer “base”?
Your “base” in India will be the same place where you are living. A computer with internet access will be available for you to use, free of cost, during your volunteer programme in India. Staff members from our partner organisation are also on site and available to help you, whatever the case may be.
Is there a way for me to contact the other volunteers before I Ieave for India?
Yes. We can send you a list of the other volunteers and their e-mail addresses before you leave for your volunteer programme in India.
What is the health/safety situation in India? Do I need vaccinations?
India is a developing country, in which the health risks are considerably more extreme than they are in Europe and the United States. For example, the risk of malaria is very high in some parts of the country. Therefore, you should definitely go to a doctor for advice about necessary vaccinations and health precautions before embarking upon your volunteer programme in India. You should do this as early as you can, to make sure you get the proper vaccinations in time. You can find useful information regarding vaccinations at www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk.
You should hold off on getting vaccinated until you know that you have been admitted into the programme.
India is a relatively safe country to travel in, as long as you are careful. Since India is a much poorer country than the United Kingdom or the United States, crime levels are quite a bit higher. You can find extensive information about the safety situation in India and other countries on the website of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office: (www.fco.gov.uk) or on the website of the U.S. Department of State: (travel.state.gov).
Do I need to apply for a visa?
If you are from the United Kingdom or the United States you will need to apply for a tourist visa in order to enter and take part in our volunteer programmes in India. Please note that your passport should be valid for at least 190 days (a bit over 6 months) upon your application for a visa, because your tourist visa will be valid for 180 days (6 months).
If you are from another country, you will need to check the specific visa requirements for your country, to make sure you can participate in our volunteer programmes in India.
Should I buy travel insurance?
Yes, we strongly recommend that you get travel insurance to protect yourself abroad during your volunteer programme in India. WorldNomads offers flexible travel insurance for short-term and gap-year travellers like yourself. Note that this is only a recommendation. Feel free to search for the travel insurance which is right for you.
Are food and accommodation included in the programme price?
Yes. Meals will be provided for the duration of the volunteer programme in India, with the exception of a few days when you will have the chance to try new Indian foods on your own. We will let you know before you leave which days these will be. Accommodation is also included in the price.
What extra costs should I expect to pay?
Your extra expenses will depend to a large extent on your personal lifestyle, but you should take the following expenses into account before departing for your volunteer programme in India:
- Flight ticket
- Travel Insurance
- Vaccinations
- Personal expenses, excursions, souvenirs, etc. (about UK£ 225, US$ 450, or 300 € per month.)
- Traditional Indian clothing (about UK£ 12, US$ 20, or 15 €, for female participants only).
Why are women required to wear traditional Indian clothing?
There are a few reasons why women are required to wear traditional Indian clothing at the volunteer project sites in India. First of all, it is a sign of respect to the Indian culture. The local Indian people who work with our volunteers are usually quite impressed that participants dress in Indian attire. Secondly, if you are teaching a class of children, it helps the children relate to you more readily. It can be confusing for these children to see women dressed in western-style clothing. Thirdly, there are many misconceptions about western women in Indian culture, and the less like a western woman you look, the less likely it is that men will bother you.
Men in India wear western-style clothing far more commonly than women, so it is not required that male participants wear traditional Indian clothing at the volunteer project sites. However, we recommend that you wear long pants; Indian men do not often wear shorts.
What are my next steps?
If you decide to participate in a volunteer programme in India, just fill out the PDF or online Booking Form. Please note that if you are booking online you will need a credit card (we accept Visa or MasterCard). If you choose the PDF booking form, please print, fill out, and sign the form before faxing it to TravelWorks. As soon as we have received your application, we will process your booking. At this point your application will be legally binding. We will contact you if we need any additional information.
You will receive various application materials by e-mail after you have applied for the programme. These documents need to be completed and returned to TravelWorks.
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