Community Volunteering project in India encompassing social work, youth development, teaching, street kids and women empowerment.

  India

Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks and 9-12 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: All year to suit volunteer

Description: We give you a taste of everything- volunteering, learning, cultural immersion and travel. You'll gain new perspectives and insight into the culture and yourself. It's an exciting and personally inspiring experience, and you'll develop memories that will be with you forever.

These communities reside in unorganized areas and receive rare attention and the privilege of education, primary health and social development. The focal points of social development like-government schools, child care centers and community development centers are ill equipped, understaffed and poorly managed. So volunteers can help bridge the gap.

Child Care Centers serve as focal points to carry out activities for child development and women's empowerment. The local staff is responsible for delivering services at the community level including nutritional supplements, vaccines etc to children below six years of age, pregnant and nursing mothers and adolescent girls.
These centers also serve as the meeting place for women's groups and mother's clubs for promoting health and social awareness.

Volunteers assist the workers in their daily activities that include-
Personal attention and care of the children
Assistance for record maintenance of each child
Preparing and feeding the children, a nutritious meal everyday
Continuous survey of all pregnant women and new born babies in the area for regular health check ups and vaccination.
Creating a colorful and joyful environment for the children with games, stories and other creative activities

Street Kids
A large number of Indian children from impoverished localities, who had never been to schools and never came across health or skill development education, are struggling for their livelihood. They collect garbage; pick the rags from streets to mange two times bread. Some of them fall in the net of drug traffickers for want of money.
Majority of them are in the age group of 5 to 15 years. Generally, there life begins from the streets and ends up in the streets. They live a life that is void of love and warmth, safety, protection and parental care.

Volunteer participants provide them with basic education, health awareness tips, recreation by means of play and fun and above all the love and affection to bring a smile on their faces. Interacting with children at any level can provide hope and care.
Community Development
Due to poor economic condition, a large number of Indian populations don't get opportunity to have access to basic education, primary health facilities and job opportunities. As a result, they remain illiterate, unskilled, jobless and malnourished. The situation is more complex in rural villages comparing to the urban areas. Lack of awareness and ignorance of the administration adds up to their sufferings.

Volunteers can play an important role by participating in various social activities that create a better platform to develop cross cultural exchange, understanding between the communities and lead to an overall development of the communities.

Highlights: An interesting mixture of activities for those seeking something a little different. The area is safe, hot and full of wonderful people whose hospitality is hard to describe. India is a assault on all the senses and is wonderfully addictive. The food, culture and people really enjoy taking care of visitors, and being able to watch them help the locals. With wonderful places to visit at the weekend and the chance to do such a variety of activities, this truly is an experience of getting closer to India and its people than you could imagine. With the project being very customisable, you simply wont want to go home at the end!
Volunteers are offered weekend excursions to enjoy the exciting adventures like-camel safari at Pushkar, a night in desert with traditional Indian food, a jungle safari in Ranthambore, visit to Amber fort and City Palace in Jaipur and a visit to Taj Mahal in Agra to carry ever lasting memories from this wonderland. The local staff can arrange and discuss on your induction things of interest and places you might like to visit during your stay. As we use local operators the tours prices are very competitive indeed

Qualifications: Couples, gap years, mature volunteers, professionals, lone female volunteers and anyone looking to reach out and be flexible and willing to help out in a different culture. Indians are very welcoming, gentle and friendly people who will look after you very well indeed. We can also handle donations to this project for those wishing to contribute but cant give the time to go. We send pictures back of what your donation has actually bought. English is widely spoken in India and just expose to English can help educate almost everyone you meet. The projects can also handle groups with funds wishing to carry out a specific task such as painting, construction, creating play areas. The possibilities are limitless for adaptable volunteers.

Cost in US$: See dedicated website for latest offers

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Inspire volunteers want to reach out to places where others dont go. They are keen, flexible and love adventure and learning about new cultures as well as wanting to travel ethically and help out where ever needed.

Age Range: 18+

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

Application Process Involves:

• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Resume

Inspire Kenya's Mission Statement: To send groups of people to Kenya to contribute to the people and culture in a productive and meaningful way.

Year Founded: 2006