Community Work in Bangalore, India

  India

Bangalore

Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: various dates available

Description: Be part of it with i-to-i!
Our goal is to achieve 400yrs of combined volunteering all over the world by the end of 2008.

So far we have achieved 325yrs which when broken down means we achieved the following:

- Over 5500 children cared for on our community projects around the world
- A minimum of 13,000 children and adults taught English in schools and community centres
- Hundreds of animals protected including Turtles, Pandas, Elephants, Monkeys and more
- At least 80 homes and structures built for families and communities in need
- More than 8000 trees planted which are enough trees to offset the CO2 emissions of over 2,000 cars

Have you got people skills?

You could put your talents to great use by assisting on a number of community projects around the colorful city of Bangalore; working in schools that help underprivileged, severely handicapped and deaf children. You'll soak up the sun as well as world-famous sights including the magnificent Vidhana Soudha and budding Cubbon Park, while using your talents to support the project through befriending, counselling, education and healthcare assistance. To help you on your way, our TEFL course is included with this adventure, arming you with all the skills you need to teach abroad.

Find out more about i-to-i, watch their short video here: http://video.i-to-i.com/site-videos/video.html

Highlights: What were the highlights of your trip that you couldn't wait to tell your friends about?

"Great to experience the projects and to therefore be a real part of the local community. I would like to particularly commend your Bangalore in country team. Both Asha and Meena were fantastic and I would say changed what could have been a good experience to a fantastic experience through their orientation and continued support for all the volunteers." (Lucy Haines)

You could get involved with a variety of community development projects available in Bangalore, which include:

- Working with girls and women with disabilities in a residential home.
- Working in a school for deaf and hearing-impaired children.
- Providing schooling to children from local orphanages/the slums.
- Teaching English and computing knowledge to young children from the slums.
- Providing a wide range of programs and activities for blind people.

The majority of these projects are based in either schools, orphanages or drop in/day care centres, which local children attend on a daily basis.

Qualifications: Most of the projects seek committed individuals to help strengthen their projects and programs, so a willingness to learn is essential. Caring projects such as this are tough, but rewarding, so if you're resilient and independent you'll be more suitable for this type of work. You should also be emotionally mature and able to cope with distressing situations that could occur. A background in care work is not necessary, but some knowledge of working with mental or physical disabled people would be useful. A genuine love for children, flexibility, self-motivation and openness to a new culture are also highly valued at these projects.

Cost in US$: US$ 990.00 for 2 weeks, US$ 200.00 for every week thereafter

- Accommodation: Shared room in guesthouse. Single room upgrade also available, see the Extra tab above
- Food: All meals
- Airport Pickup: Included on arrival date. Ask us for details if you're arriving early!
- Training: In-country orientation and Online TEFL course
- Support: Pre-departure helpdesk, local in-country team and 24 hour emergency support

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Your main role is to provide basic daily care for the orphans/disabled children. You are also encouraged to actively participate in programs such as health education, games, drawing, and arts and crafts. If you have plenty of energy, you may also choose to get involved in sports and create teaching materials to aid the children's learning. You may be working in small groups or on a one-to-one basis and will be expected to contribute in any way possible, so it is advised to come prepared with bags of ideas, activities and fun games for the children!

Age Range: 18 and up

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to India Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network

i-to-i Meaningful Travel's Mission Statement: Founded in 1994, i-to-i is an award-winning organization providing unique opportunities for you to travel, work and live abroad. Thousands of travelers aged 18 to 80 have joined our volunteer vacations and over 50,000 have learned to Teach English as a Foreign Language through our tailor-made TEFL courses. With over 400 projects on 4 continents, you can join the worldwide i-to-i volunteer community on an extended adventure in areas such as teaching, community development, sports coaching, conservation, building or internships in tourism, marketing, journalism, or health.

Year Founded: 1994