Help Children through Volunteering in India

  India

Rural Areas

Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks and 9-12 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: Refer to program description for specific booking dates.

Description: iSPiiCE is a voluntary social organization that builds partnerships between International volunteers and Indian communities; Registered as a Charitable Trust we introduce volunteers to teach English, care give and develop educational activities as part of our sustainable community projects.

iSPiiCE Volunteer Programs have been set up to assist local schools, children's Day Care Centres and Women's Empowerment groups. We endeavor to directly contribute to genuine community development in the project areas we operate and offer after school English lessons and IT skills training to teenagers.

Increasingly, westerners with the available time and desire to travel to India, are looking beyond traditional circuits in search of meaningful and socially responsible opportunities for travel, service and cultural exchange. At the same time, institutions and organizations throughout India suffer from staffing and funding shortages, poor administration and a general lack of accountability.

iSPiiCE sits in between these groups of people and offers a real opportunity for personal connection and the possibility for volunteers to honor their desire to give service to the less fortunate and interact in meaningful ways with people from a different cultural setting; whilst helping local institutions supplement staffing, build self reliance and increased accountability and exposure to members of different cultures.

iSPiiCE Volunteer Programs provide you with the chance to combine your volunteering activities with travel in India. We offer excursions to world famous sites, including a Himalayan trek, the Taj Mahal Experience and a trip to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, all of which are included in the program fee.

Project Booking Dates:-
For 2009/2010: Placements start every second Sunday and finish on Saturdays throughout the year. Placements can be extended on a weekly basis at 150 USD per week. Please see our website for specific dates.

Highlights:
iSPiiCE Volunteer Projects - India provide the following excursions during your placement. All excursions are included in the Program fee.

1. Trekking in Himalayas - two days/one night camping, meals & transfer.
2. Taj Mahal experience one of the eight wonders of the world - two days/one night stay in Agra, meals & transfer.
3. Amritsar - visit the Golden Temple - two days/one night stay, meals & transfer.

Volunteer Activities:

The activities done by volunteers in our programs primarily relate to education, social work, care and empowerment carried out in various partner institutions identified as appropriate for iSPiiCE intervention. We constantly seek expansion of our programs by developing new initiatives and volunteer activities which meet the needs of the local population. While the requirements of each community group differ there are some common activities that we offer in the areas of education, childcare, women's empowerment and health care.

(1) Education Related

Education volunteers play an important role in raising awareness about the need for regular schooling and offer much needed support to local teachers. Working in local schools gives volunteers a chance to meet regularly with local children and their families and for those volunteers with a professional interest in education, teaching gives them a chance to hone their skills in a very different environment. The most commonly requested subject of teaching is English, however you are also invited to teach math, science, geography or other subjects covered by the curriculum. We encourage volunteers to create their own lesson plans and teaching materials are available for this purpose. You may also bring your own teaching materials such as reading and picture books and flash cards. For teaching English it is not necessary for volunteers to have past experience and in-depth knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. The children having experience working with fluent English speakers is invaluable on its own. This is a brilliant opportunity to teach school children in Himachal Pradesh and children in shelter homes and orphanages. Interacting with them is extremely valuable for childrens confidence and also for your learning of the local culture.

(2) Childcare Related

The concept of "preschool" childcare is new in India, where the joint family system has long provided ample childcare providers. Unlike western countries, where child care facilities exist primarily to free woman to work, the Indian Day Care Center's main purpose is to provide a safe, healthy and hygienic space for young children who would not be able to receive proper care at home. Day Care Centres also serve pregnant women. While often extremely effective at improving the health of the children and mothers they serve, these Centres suffer from under funding and miss management, thus making the contributions of the volunteers extremely important. Child care volunteers share the workload with regular staff and help bring a level of professionalism and dedication by meeting regularly with children and their families and ensuring maximum attendance by awareness building in the community. You will introduce the children to the English alphabet and create a colorful and enjoyable environment for the children by playing games, and developing arts activities to enhance their motor skills and encourage creativity. You will provide personal care to the children each day and assist the local worker in the maintenance of healthcare records including vaccinations, growth and nutritional status.

(3) Women's Empowerment

With the introduction of the National Policy for the Empowerment of Women in 2001 the Indian Government has said Our vision in the new century of a nation where women are equal partners with men but in reality Indian women struggle to gain empowerment through society. Education is the most influential tool to raise the status of women and at iSPiiCE we run a variety of educational and confidence building activities to benefit women and adolescent girls in the local community. English teaching and computer classes impart much needed skills to the ladies, increase their self worth and offer a platform for social interaction, ultimately increasing their social status and employability prospects. One good technique for building rapport and empowering the local women is to ask them to teach you basic Hindi at the same time as you are teaching them. You'll come back with fond memories of an unforgettable experience.

Qualifications: There are no educational requirements for this project; anyone with a heart to help is welcome on this project! Patience, commitment and a willingness to learn is essential. There is no maximum age restriction for our volunteer placements, but the minimum age requirement is 18 years unless accompanied by an adult.

Cost in US$: 2 weeks - 490, 3 weeks - 640, 4 weeks - 790, 5 weeks - 940, 6 weeks -1090, 7 weeks - 1240, 8 weeks - 1390. Extra weeks - 150 per week.

Your iSPiiCE program includes:
1. Meet & Greet at New Delhi Airport, transfer & Hotel in Delhi.
2. Pre Departure Info Kit, which would have all information regarding your program, work area information, city, things to bring, immunizations along with your 100% comprehensive Insurance details and welcome details in Delhi Airport.
3. All excursion/trips are included in a program fee.
          * Himalaya trek and McLeod Ganj visit including one night's camping, Transfer, meals.
          * Visit Taj Mahal - regarding one of the eight wonders of the world. One night stay.
          * Visit the Golden Temple at Amritsar, one night stay Transfer, accommodation, meals.
4. All transportation are included in a program fee.
5. Volunteer work with community in rural areas.
6. Emergency support.
7. All meals are included in program fee. (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)
8. All accommodation for the duration of your placement is included in program fee.
9. English speaking Guides for the duration of your placement.
10. Cultural and language Orientation Program in Himachal Pradesh before volunteer start there work.
11. Basic teaching materials and use of Computer/Internet.
12. All material required for various activities during the volunteer work like color, pens papers, sports equipment etc.
13. Workshops Program to include yoga teaching.
14. Basic sporting equipment for volunteer activities in the Camp.
15. Popular workshop subjects include Hindi class, Indian cooking, Yoga and decorative Henna painting.
16. Delhi airport drop at the end of your project.

Other facilities provided by iSPiiCE for comfort and recreation of volunteers include:
a. Amenities like refrigerator, DVD player, television etc.
b. Video and books library; Board Games.
c. Information and assistance for independent excursions during the weekends.

What the program fee does not cover:
1 Airfare, Insurance, Visa
2 Application Fee
3 Any personal expenses.
4.Laundry, telephone, immunizations.

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 18 and above

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

Application Process Involves:

• Online Application plus Application Assessment

iSPiiCE (Integrated Social Programs In Indian Child Education)'s Mission Statement: We endeavor to directly contribute to the sustainable development of rural Indian Communities and to provide our volunteers with meaningful and socially responsible opportunities for travel, service and cultural exchange. We are always ready to assist the local community in practical ways and we aim to be flexible in the support we offer to meet specific need within the community. Our aims are to assist in providing a good education and adequate attention for all children, to promote a personal awareness on hygiene and nutritious food matters and to bring increased awareness to the community, of the importance of providing a good education for both boy and girl students while resolving the problems which guardians face in their daily lives which can allow for this.