Volunteer in India in a Shelter for HIV/AIDS Patients

  India

Goa

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

Description: Community Care and Support Centre (CCSC), for People living with HIV/AIDS, a transitional Shelter for AIDS patients, acts as a bridge between health care institutions and patients' families, to create awareness in the community.

Volunteer intervention (limited placements to 8 week volunteers) is required and very welcomed at the institution to help care for the patients who have often been left out of the social circle due to their condition.

The volunteer activities include:

* Everyday care for the patients and assisting nurses in the center
* Helping the resident children with homework and providing them general care
* Maintenance of the facilities for the patients
* Improving the look and feel of the center through decorations, etc.
* Building small-scale HIV/AIDS community awareness

Highlights: Volunteers in India benefit from special workshops on Indian culture such as yoga and cooking, and planned excursions to local sites of interest. Plenty of free time will also exist for reading, relaxing and exploring the local surroundings. Volunteers are aided by local assistants who serve as guides, translators, and overall support staff.

Qualifications: Applicants must:

*Be at least 18 years of age with at least a high school diploma
*Be in good health with an independent, flexible, open-minded attitude
*Be able to live and work in rural communities where conditions are basic
*Meet the Visa requirements for India

Minimum Education: High School

Full Support Included

Full support includes dedicated on-site assistance from an English-speaking translator/helper for the first 4 weeks of the program, amenities such as refrigerator, DVD player, television, a video and books library, board games, and Internet facilities (with nominal charges), and assistance with excursions during the weekends.

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 18+

This Program is open to American, Australian, Canadian and European Participants.

Participants Travel to India Independently

Scholarships are Available. Financial assistance is now available through the InterExchange Foundation Grant Program. Established in 2006, the Foundation aims to encourage young Americans to pursue work and life experiential programs abroad. If you have applied for, and been accepted to, an InterExchange Working Abroad program (Language Schools excluded), you may be eligible to receive a Working Abroad Grant. Details will be sent to participants upon acceptance to their programs.

Application Process Involves:

• Written Application

InterExchange's Mission Statement: InterExchange is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting cultural awareness through a wide range of work & travel, language, teaching English, volunteer, professional training, internship and au pair programs within the United States & around the world. Our goal is to create affordable and exciting cultural exchange programs, each with an unparalleled level of support. We take great pride in the professionalism and service of our staff and work hard to ensure our programs provide a rewarding experience for all participants.