Involvement Volunteers International WHY we need you in India
- India is one of the poorest countires in the world, with 2 thirds living in poverty.
- According to UNICEF, about 25% of children in India have no access to education, with higher rates of girls not attending school.
- 43% of childen under five years are underweight and around 61 million children are stunted due to malnutrition.
- Even though there is a law about no child labour under age 14, it's estimated by aid agencies, that there could be up to 65 million children aged 6-14 working.
HOW can you help?
- Help on-going community and school based projects designed to help underprivileged families
- Help give an education to poor areas in Goa, Udaipur or Sikkim
- Teach English, help at the special needs school, or teach on basic nutrition
- There are multiple areas you can get involed in!
WHAT you can do?
- Assist in slum outreach and teach English, inspiring the children to gain an education
- Educate children and adults on diet, basic first aid and personal hygeine
- Teach at kindergartens, schools and special needs centres
- Work on women empowerment programs and inspire the local women!
Why Involvement Volunteers International?
- Non Profit Organisation & Charity
- Over 30 Years Expertise Globally
- Low Program Fees - From US$295
- Excellent Safety Record, In-Country 24/7 Support & Emergency Assistance
- 1 Application Fee - Multiple Countries
PROJECT NAME: EDUCATION & COMMUNITY SUPPORT
LOCATION: GOA
START DATES: WEEKLY (SAT/SUN ARRIVALS)
ACCOMMODATION: VOLUNTEER HOUSE (SHARED ROOMS)
MIN DURATION: 2 WEEKS
MIN AGE: 16+
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: N/A
Overview
Volunteers are needed to support various on-going community and school based projects designed to help underprivileged families and communities in various parts of India. Depending on your preference you may choose between with Goa, Udaipur or Sikkim. Here you will be encouraged to be creative and apply your specific passions such as art, music, dance etc to help intercultural learning and interaction with people from all walks of life.
The projects are designed to provide basic informal education and life skills through teaching subjects such as English, maths, science, geography, hygienic standards and behavior skills etc. There is a wide range of projects to be involved with. You can choose from the below options.
All projects are centered around education mainly english language skills for underprivileged children of the local community who cannot afford to get good quality education. Volunteers will work as an assistant to a teacher with whatever skills you may have. You’ll be surprised what skills you never new you had! You will make an important contribution by improving students’ spoken English, Mathematics, Geography, Science and other subjects in the school curriculum. It is an experience and memories neither you nor they will ever forget.
Location
Goa, Kerala
The beach goers destination with the right mix of infrastructure and order coupled with that crazy un-ordered Indian charm. Goa is a really fun destination, with plenty of party goers and a relaxed funky vibe great for the free spirited types who want a more ‘westernized’ taste of India!
Project Tasks
- Slum Outreach
The project focuses on teaching underprivileged children from slums, whose parents cannot afford to send to school. The main aim is to interact with children using games and activities to try and instill the importance of academics. - Woman’s shelter
Help women and young girls from broken families. Aged between 10 and 30 years old, you’ll help teach the girls English in fun and interesting ways. The cultural exchange and interaction provides the girls & women with much needed confidence and exposure to new ways of thinking to break old habits and form new opportunities to better their lives. - Old age Home
Give back to the over 50 year old’s. They love to laugh and spend time talking about life and experience alternative viewpoints. - Kindergarten Teaching
Coordinate with qualified teachers and assist them in various tasks in education combined with syllabus and curriculum in English. It can be nice to bring presents with you for students. In our experience, the students are less interested in toys (some typical toys of your country might be interesting), but pictures of your family/house/pets are always well received. - Primary School Teaching
These schools accept a non-formal approach to teaching and also followed partly with a curriculum. This means that we will not have to conform to the local Indian teaching methods or style, but everyone will be free to choose their own way of teaching and may bring their own ideas into class. The subjects to be taught can alter, depending on current activities in the schools which might include, for example, environmental issues or geography.
Food & Accommodation
The Goa Volunteer centre is a large western style house with a lovely garden and large outdoor area. The house features and hot water (solar powered), WiFi, dining room, mini library and travel desk, lounge areas, television with satellite connection, safety lockers and lockable rooms, fridge and western style toilets and purified water. Bed linen is provided, however you should bring your own towel. You’ll be sharing a room with max of 2-4 volunteers at any one time in single gender rooms. You can wash your clothes by hand otherwise there is laundry services available for an additional fee. The centre is located located about 1 hour from the airport and about a 15 min walk to the nearest supermarket with ATM and personal SIM card for additional Wifi if desired as the quality of internet is not the greatest! The closest city is Mapusa.
You will be provided with three meals a day on weekdays and two meals per day on weekends. The meals are a mix of Western and Indian food, consisting mainly of vegetarian dishes including rice and vegetables. You can expect to have a chicken dish about twice per week. You can also use the kitchen facilities to cook for yourself or eat out at any of the local restaurants.
Rajasthan,
Goa & Sikkim
- Cultural Orientation Weeks
- Community Support & Education
- Animal Shelter Goa
- Community Construction Goa
- Cultural Orientation Week Goa
- English Teaching Sikkim
-
1 Week - $275
-
2 Weeks - $445
-
3 Weeks - $655
-
1 Month - $865
-
2 Months - $1795
-
3 Months - $2695
What's Included
-
Accommodation
-
Meals
-
Airport Pickup
-
Local Transportation
-
1 Day Orientation
-
24/7 In-Country Support
-
Project Materials & Equipment
-
Pre-departure Expert Advice
-
Preperation Tools & Checklists
-
Certificate of Completion
- Application fee is one off per person (unlimited placements)
- Click Here to convert the below prices to your local currency
- Discounts may apply if travelling in a pair or group!
- All credit card /international fees included in below pricing! 🙂
Testimonials...
FAQ
Anyone seeking to experience first hand the richness of Indian community spirit while offering services to those in need. This project would suit anyone willing to put themselves out their comfort zone, to interact with the community with a caring and understanding nature. The projects here are truly rewarding.
- Accommodation
- 3 meals p/day weekdays / 2 meals p/day weekends
- Arrival airport transfer (Sat/Sun arrivals)
- Filtered drinking water, coffee & tea
- 1 day orientation
- Daily transportation to project
- In country 24/7 support & emergency assistance
- Fundraising support
- University course credits (where applicable)
- Certificate of Completion
- Airfares
- Travel Insurance
- Tours, Souvenirs & spending money
- Introduction meeting, General rules, Setting Expectations, Advice on Health and Safety and insuring you have all your documents.
- Indian Do’s and Don’ts, Cultural introduction, learning about the countries history
- Tour around the accommodation and local area.
Programs begin every Monday, and volunteers are required to arrive the day prior, for orientation before the project. Your accommodation on the Sunday is included in the program fees.
A free airport pickup is included when arriving to Dabolim International Airport (GOI). You must arrive between Sunday 00:00 to 24:00 on Sunday.
If arriving outside the pickup times we charge an additional fee for any extra night’s accommodation before your program, and another fee for a private transfer.
Alternatively, if arriving early you could wait at the arrival’s terminal for the pickup time, book accommodation at the airport and meet us during the pickup times or make your own way to the project (we will advise on how to do this).
From the airport to accommodation, it takes 45 minutes by road.
Each day can be different and depends on your skills/ where you would like to be working. You can volunteer at schools or out in the community. It’s really up to you to decide where you would feel most comfortable and could make the biggest impact.
Weekends are always free for relaxing or sightseeing of your choice. Our ground operators will help you organise additional trips with special (non tourist) rates which can be paid directly in local currency. As a volunteer you will gain access to local knowledge, opportunities and value you simply would not find if staying as a standard tourist.
No extra requirements for this program.
India is an eclectic and intoxicating cultural experience like no other! Home of the famous Taj Mahal, the Himalayas, the sacred Ganges river, and over 1 billion people of varying languages, cultures and beleifs, India is sure to push you to the boundaries of your comfort zone.
IVI is focused on establishing sustainable employment and education through volunteering efforts in India. Children in some of the regions we service have not had basic nutritional background. Over 950,000 newborns per year in India die from infections. Education about health for families provides a strong foundation for self-care in the communities we service in India.
India’s climte ranges from tropical down south to alpine up in the northern mountain regions.
From April until the start of October is summer, and in most places in India, is very hot. In June the monsoon rains start in Kerala down south, and move inland. Further north and in the rural areas of Rajasthan, it can get pretty cold from December to January- sometimes as low at minus 5 degrees!
Be prepared for some hot temperatures but if in the Sikkim region, bring along some warmer clothing as it can get cold in the mountains.
India is a country FULL of culture! From the beautiful colours, different religions, ancient traditions and the smells of spices- India is a country like no other. It’s the the second most populous nation after China, with over 1.2 billion people.
The most prominant religions are Hinduism and Buddhism and around 13% of the popualrtion are Muslim. Because there are so many religions, India celebrates a large number of festivals throughout the year. Some of these include Diwali, Holi, Eid and Good Friday.
In India, the cow is considered to be a Holy animal and you will see cars either driving around, or simply waiting if a cow is in the road holding up traffic! In some parts of India it is forbidden to eat meat or drink alcohol.
You will see many temples in India, as well as colourful clothing, particually the sari’s that the local women wear, and many cultural dance shows and activities.
30 Years Non Profit Experience
IVI is an Australian charity & non profit organisation founded in 1989 and is one of the pioneers of overseas volunteering successfully placing over 20,000 volunteers globally.
Affordable Volunteer Travel
Safe & Responsible Projects
Work Experience & University Credits
Weekends & Extra Tours
