Help in Local Childcare Centers in India with United Planet

  India

Rural Areas

Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks and 5-8 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks

Description: Volunteers can take the responsibility of maintenance and care of local childcare centers. Also called "Anganwari", these centers carry out holistic childcare in the area. In line with the expected activities of such institutions, the volunteer activities include awareness building in the community, personal attention and care to the children coming to the center everyday, assistance with record keeping for each child, feeding the children with the help of a local worker, continuous survey of all pregnant women and new born babies and creating a colorful and enjoyable environment for the children.

Additionally, depending the needs of the community, volunteers might work on other community development activities, including health checkup camps for the children and their families, planting trees in the school and village, skill enhancement and practical training for teenage girls and other such need-based activities.

United Planet works with a local non-profit organization in India that works with various non-governmental organizations to support social development projects in rural and urban areas. United Planet Volunteers will work with other volunteers from various countries, having the opportunity to learn not only about India's rich culture and history, but about others cultures as well. Volunteers must participate for 4 or 8 weeks and begin on a designated start date.

After being greeted upon their arrival, volunteers are given an orientation that informs them about the area and their work sites. Depending on the time of year, the NGO may offer programs in two different areas in India: Rajasthan (September - April) and Himachal (March - December).

Highlights: About Rajasthan
Situated in the northwest of India, Rajasthan is known for the most colorful folk culture in India and is India's most favored travel destination. Rajasthan boasts of a variety of landscapes from the Thar desert to the green Aravali mountain range. With its rich history strewn around in the form of impressive forts and palaces, it has been a fertile ground of the most popular forms of crafts, folk music, dances and cuisine. Home to the finest bird sanctuary in Asia and the rare Indian tiger, Rajasthan offers a lot of cultural, historical and nature experiences within a relatively small area.

About Himachal Pradesh
The Himalayan location is available for participants from March to December, around the regionally important town of Palampur in the state of Himachal Pradesh. The NGO "Himalaya Base " is located 30 kms from Dharamsala, the capital of the exiled Tibetan government and centre of Tibetan Buddhist culture, adding another cultural dimension to the numerous opportunities that the program offers.

Volunteer activities :
The activities in these projects primarily relate to education and childcare in various institutions that NGO has identified as appropriate for volunteer and the NGO's intervention. We constantly seek expansion of the positive influence of the programs by including new activities that can engage volunteers in gainful activities for the local population.

Facilities and other Activities
The NGO provides volunteers' accommodations. The premises are comprised of ethnically made huts with private toilets and baths. There are also recreation facilities such as sports, videos, a dining area and a well-equipped kitchen. the NGO offers a number of optional afternoon activities that would help the volunteers have a wider impact during their stay including additional tutoring for children struggling with their studies, maintenance of institutional facilities, and childcare in hospitals.

Cost in US$: 4 weeks $1995, 8 weeks $3895

    -   Rajasthan
-Camel safaris include all meals along with overnight camping in the desert.
-Tiger safari at Ranthambore National Tiger Reserve.

    - Himachal
-A one-night, two day excursion to Amritsar, the holy city of the Sikh religion, where the volunteers can visit a host of historical and religious sights. The famous Golden temple in Amritsar is the holiest shrine of Sikhism.
-Trekking in the Himalayas for 3 days and two nights with overnight camping inclusive of all meals and necessary gear.

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: United Planet requests five things of you: Flexibility, Courage, Open-mindedness, Tolerance and Compassion. Volunteer and educational travel around the world is often filled with unpredictable surprises, such as transportation delays, local holidays, etc. Cultures vary greatly. Some things may appear shocking and you might feel outside of your comfort zone in some situations. You might also experience disturbing poverty or suffering in certain areas. People, including the local population and fellow Quest participants, might have vastly different religious, ideological, racial, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds. In short, you will be challenged and stimulated in ways that you may not be able to currently imagine. If you remember the UP code and maintain flexibility, courage, open-mindedness, tolerance, and compassion, you will build greater bonds with the people around you, attain a rich cultural understanding, and truly experience the ultimate educational adventure of a United Planet Quest, while having lots of fun along the way.

Age Range: All Ages

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

Participants Travel to India Independently Or in Groups

Typically Participants Work Independently Or in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Phone Interview
• Written Application

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Job and Internship Network

United Planet's Mission Statement: United Planet (UP) is a leading international, educational, humanitarian, and peace-building non-profit organization with members and volunteers in over 150 countries devoted to fostering cross-cultural understanding and friendship and supporting communities in need in order to unite the world in a community beyond borders. United Planet utilizes a wide range of local, online, and international programs to achieve this essential mission. The underlying principle of our programs is the concept of Relational Diplomacy, in which we recognize that the relationship between two people of diverse backgrounds is the basic building block for uniting the world in a community beyond borders. United Planets innovative programs are designed to expose our common human bonds and foster respect and appreciation for our cultural, racial, and religious diversity, while improving and enriching lives worldwide. All the people of the world are invited to join United Planet's membership in "a community beyond borders."

Year Founded: 2001