Conservation in India with Projects Abroad

  India

Rural Areas,  Sivakasi

Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months and 7-12 months
Typical Duration of Program: 5-8 weeks
Dates: All Year Round (you set the start and end date)

Description: Plant the seeds for a sustainable environment in India!

India is a great place to volunteer and learn about sustainable farming techniques and environmental issues while working on our Model Far. From the jungle-covered Western Ghat Mountains to the sun-baked planes of Tamil Nadu and the coastal mangroves beyond, South India is a region of enormous environmental diversity. However, as in so many parts of the world, that rich diversity is threatened by the activities of man.

Until recently, people in rural Tamil Nadu lived much the same way as their ancestors - farming the land with simple tools, collecting firewood from the forests and discarding their waste on any available land.

In the past this hadnt caused any great problems, but damage to the natural surroundings is now occurring because of the rapidly increasing population, the introduction of environmentally-damaging products (like plastics and chemical pesticides), and greater levels of trade demanding higher productivity. These changes coupled with a lack of education and awareness of the problems mean that farming in India is suffering considerably.

Volunteering on a Conservation Placement in India: Eco-Development Project

The Eco-Development Project is a program, funded by Projects Abroad, aimed at promoting sustainable farming and environmental conservation in and around South Indian villages.

Since it began in 2001 as a tree-planting exercise in a remote village at the foot of the Western Ghat Mountains, this project has expanded to include the promotion of many environmentally-friendly farming practices.

The Model Farm: Sustainable Development and Organic Agriculture

At the heart of the Eco-Development Project is the Model Farm, a demonstration site for many of the sustainable practices that we promote.

Volunteers are totally responsible for the running and maintenance of the Model Farm site. Villagers from the surrounding area visit the farm to learn about the different techniques and technologies that can benefit them. After working with villagers at the farm, our volunteers then assist them in implementing the ideas in their communities.

You'll learn all about sustainable development and organic practices, including how to produce 'vermi-compost' a natural fertilizer produced from domestic and farm waste, made using earthworms. Once a week volunteers visit the nearby town of Rajapalayam to sell the vermi-compost at the local market.

There is also a large medicinal plants nursery where you might help to cultivate indigenous species that are used to treat a variety of common ailments. We are increasing the number of botanical species and introducing other endangered plants to the collection.

The acquisition and recording of relevant information is also an integral part of work at the Model Farm. You'll learn about the medicinal properties of plants and youll use our manufacturing equipment, producing medicines that are distributed throughout the local community.

In Tamil Nadu, you might also spend time planting and looking after trees. We are replanting areas that have suffered deforestation in the past, using species carefully chosen to provide benefit to local communities.

Volunteers usually work from about 10am to 1pm, and in the afternoons from about 2.30pm to 5pm. Youll live with a local family and other volunteers in a nearby village, where youll also return to eat lunch each day.

Our Projects Abroad placement supervisor, Ponraj, is based at the Model Farm full time and will train you in the different work and techniques when you first arrive. Hes always available to offer help and advice.

In the evenings you can play cricket with local children, or take time to relax after a hard days work. On weekends you can meet up with the other volunteers based in India on our twice-monthly social events, or travel and explore the area with new Indian friends or some of the other volunteers on the project.

Highlights: India is a truly amazing place - spectacular scenery, quaint villages, fascinating and magnificent temples, sandy beaches and lots of sun. It has all this and an ancient culture. For the vast majority of visitors, it is a place they long to return to again and again.

All accommodation is organized, paid for, and monitored by Projects Abroad. All project placements are regularly visited and checked. We require high standards of supervision and accommodation, which are verified before you arrive in India.

In addition, become fully immersed in the culture in a manner which even the most hardened of backpackers could never hope to do.

Qualifications: No experience or qualifications are necessary.

Cost in US$: From US$2,195 up

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Open-minded with a desire to travel.

Age Range: 16-70

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to India Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Written Application

Post Services Include:

• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

Projects Abroad's Mission Statement: As part of the global economy, Projects Abroad helps create local employment wherever we send volunteers. Employing local staff overseas and using their talents and knowledge is important to us. This local knowledge and support enables the organization to channel the skills of the volunteers from more affluent countries to regions around the world where they are needed. Volunteers also learn from their placements and the people they meet, and they gain experience in a chosen field. In the 21st century, we believe this mutual respect is what cultural exchange is all about.

Year Founded: 1992