Volunteer Travel Opportunities in India (2023/24)

Guest put up by Dhruv Khanna (with inputs)

In the summer season of 2022, I had the chance to volunteer journey to the distant Sarmoli village within the Uttarakhand Himalayas. Along with the native organizations Himalayan Ark and Himal Prakriti, I used to be to arrange workshops on visible storytelling for the area people.

Before I arrived, my foremost intention was to share what I had learnt about social media, particularly the way to attain a wider viewers with a significant strategy. But as soon as I acquired there, I shortly realized that educating is at all times a two-way course of.

Over the subsequent few days, I used to be uncovered to a complete new world. I learnt how essential it’s to embrace who I’m and the place I come from. To be open to new experiences and do issues that make me really feel alive, just like the locals who ran lengthy distance, excessive altitude marathons! To keep in tune with my very own pure environment, and protect what we now have.

That expertise left such a profound impression on me, that I’m now an advocate of volunteering and travelling concurrently.

Why volunteer in India?

India has so many layers, that travelling as common vacationers, we will hardly unravel all of them. Slowing down and volunteering for a trigger near our hearts can enable us to construct robust bonds with native communities, journey to locations off the overwhelmed observe, and make a tangible distinction within the lives of those that name them residence.

Whether you’re enthusiastic about schooling, environmental conservation, healthcare or neighborhood growth, this record of volunteering alternatives in India provide a rewarding expertise to travellers trying to depart a optimistic influence on the locations they go to.

From the distant Himalayan deserts of Ladakh and Spiti to the luxurious forests of Darjeeling and Auroville, these non-profits and social enterprises invite travellers to contribute their time and abilities to worthwhile causes:

*Please be aware that whereas none of those provide free journey volunteer applications in India (or contain paid volunteer work), they subsidize the boarding and lodging price for volunteers.

Volunteer journey alternatives in India

1. Sadhana Forest, Auroville

Sadhana Forest is a transformative ecological venture centered on reforestation, water conservation, and sustainable residing. By supporting native rural villages by means of water retention and indigenous plant restoration, it empowers communities to domesticate their very own meals and forestall migration to city slums. Through environmental schooling, notably concentrating on kids and younger individuals, Sadhana Forest goals to foster a shared imaginative and prescient of ecological accountability and sustainable residing, permitting them to expertise and protect the forest heritage of their ancestors.

Opportunities

• Engage in ecological restoration and sustainable, vegan neighborhood residing
• Assist with each day neighborhood duties and caring for rescued cows within the vegan animal sanctuary
• Live in an off-grid, low waste campus within the forest

Desired abilities 

• Minimum 4 nights dedication

Costs concerned

Volunteers are required to contribute INR 600 per day to cowl the bills of their meals and biodegradable toiletries.

How to use

Send an e mail to india@sadhanaforest.org 

2. Lha Charitable Trust, Dharamshala

Lha Charitable Trust, a distinguished non-profit in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, helps Tibetan refugees in India. Through language lessons, livelihood coaching, scholarships and social providers, Lha empowers Tibetan adults and youths to settle and thrive of their new residence, whereas additionally welcoming native Indians and folks from the Himalayan areas. Lha presents volunteer alternatives that enrich the neighborhood by means of engagement with worldwide travellers and guests.

Opportunities

• Volunteer as a language trainer in English, German, French, or Chinese with a three-month dedication.
• Provide private tutoring and one-on-one help to college students in search of to enhance their language abilities.
• Join each day English Conversation lessons as a drop-in volunteer, participating in casual conversations with college students to assist them follow spoken English. No prior dedication is required for this; merely drop by between Monday and Friday from 4 to five pm.

Desired abilities 

Experience in educating language to foreigners is a should. Preference is given to these with a certification in language educating, reminiscent of TESL or TEFL.

Costs concerned

There is not any value concerned for volunteer alternatives supplied, however volunteers should handle their very own lodging and meals. No stipend is concerned.

How to use

Fill out Lha’s volunteer type.        

3. Sambhali Trust, Rajasthan

Sambhali Trust, established in 2007, empowers Rajasthani girls by means of schooling, conventional talent coaching, and self-help teams. They present help in circumstances of home violence, authorized or medical points, and promote consciousness of human rights. Sambhali Trust is devoted to addressing discrimination confronted by girls from marginalized communities.

Opportunities

• Teach on the Trust’s Empowerment and Primary Education Centres.
• Provide admin and workplace help.
• Support survivors of gender-based violence.
• Work on the stitching centre. 

Desired abilities 

• Volunteer for ideally two months, have a passable degree of English, and be keen and versatile to become involved in altering actions.
• Show endurance, understanding and compassion in the direction of kids of various studying talents. Prior educating or arts and crafts expertise is helpful, whereas stitching, dress-making, or tailoring abilities are advantageous.
• For these taken with supporting their Aadarsh and Nirbhaya tasks, which concentrate on counselling and elevating consciousness about sexual abuse and gender-based violence, a background in psychology or counselling is required.

Costs concerned

Reach out to Sambhali Trust to debate.

How to use

Email volunteer@sambhali.org along with your CV and motivation letter.

4. Tieedi Forest Garden, Darjeeling

TIEEDI, an environmental conservation group in Darjeeling, makes a speciality of permaculture. Since 2016, their focus has been on experiential setting schooling, regenerative tourism, pure farming, waste administration, and sustainable land and constructing design. As frontline warriors within the battle in opposition to the local weather disaster, they try to offer holistic options to the challenges of our occasions.

Opportunities

• Engage in numerous volunteering roles, reminiscent of pure farming, permaculture ideas, Zero Waste Andolan Projects, waste assortment and segregation, upcycling, and native craft strategies.
• Dedicate 6 hours per day to voluntary work, with no particular time dedication throughout your keep, permitting flexibility primarily based on the period price chart supplied.
• Volunteers may also contribute their abilities in areas like visitor administration or social media administration, relying on their experience and pursuits.

Desired abilities 

• They search passionate people who share a dedication to zero waste and sustainable residing and are wanting to make a optimistic influence on the world.
• Artists, craftsmen, and skilled permaculture designers are inspired to submit their portfolios for potential alternatives, which can embody backed stays or waived volunteering price primarily based on venture wants and helpful contributions.

Costs concerned

Volunteering price varies primarily based on the period of the keep, as beneath:

• Upto 2 weeks: INR 750/day
• Upto 1 month: INR 500/day
• More than a month: INR 400/day 

The volunteering price must be paid earlier than or upon arrival at Tieedi. For volunteers trying to volunteer longer than two weeks, an quantity of 10,500 must be deposited upfront. 

How to use

Aspiring volunteers can e mail at tieediforestgarden@gmail.com or ship them a DM on Instagram. 

5. Aarohi, Uttarakhand

Aarohi, a not-for-profit group in Uttarakhand, fosters resilience by means of sustainable livelihoods, healthcare, schooling, and environmental conservation. Touching the lives of over 150,000 individuals yearly, Aarohi empowers communities with a devoted crew of over 100 full-time workers, lots of who hail from neighboring villages.

Opportunities

• While the group shouldn’t be at present in search of volunteers, they anticipate doing so within the close to future and can notify people of potential openings. 
• A minimal of 1 week is really useful for volunteers to achieve a fundamental understanding of the group’s numerous operations.

Desired abilities 

• Aarohi seeks people with experience in social work, well being, schooling, livelihood technology, pure useful resource administration, and conservation to contribute to their mission.
• They additionally welcome volunteers in information assortment, evaluation, content material creation, social media technique, and advertising and marketing as they increase their scope.

Costs concerned

Volunteers are anticipated to cowl their very own bills for boarding, transportation and meals, though discounted choices for volunteer lodging and meals may be organized. This is a superb alternative for worldwide journey volunteering in India for anybody taken with environmental conservation within the Himalayan area.

How to use

Contact Aarohi by e mail at information@aarohi.org

6. Rose Kanda, Uttarakhand

A homestay positioned within the picturesque valley of Kanda, Uttarakhand, it presents a singular alternative for worldwide college students, volunteers, social activists and eco-conscious vacationers to work together with the area people, help micro-projects, and expertise genuine village life. From collaborating in farming actions and festivals to fundraising, Rose Kanda presents a various vary of experiences within the coronary heart of rural India.

Opportunities

• Teach English within the native faculty.
• Study Rose Kanda’s strategy to rural sustainable tourism, setting safety, and eco-development.
• Get concerned in tasks like rural structure growth, eco building, renewable sources of power like photo voltaic lighting, natural farming, and so on.
• Assist in advertising and marketing campaigns, web site design, networking, workplace assist, and slideshow creation with a global perspective.

Desired abilities 

Contribute any talent you possess. Whether it’s educating, designing, constructing, filming, advertising and marketing, or another means, your experience is valued and may make a distinction in the neighborhood.

Costs concerned

Contact the group for extra particulars. 

How to use

The finest option to apply is through e mail: jlverma.rosekanda@gmail.com 

7. Maitri Pathshala, Spiti and Ladakh

Maitrī Pathshala, a volunteer-run educating program, is devoted to offering language and life abilities schooling to monks and nuns whereas enhancing the infrastructure of their school rooms. Inspired by a Lama’s request, the initiative actively concerned the kids and the Lama in envisioning their ultimate studying setting.

Through fundraising efforts and the help of volunteers, Maitrī Pathshala efficiently prolonged their efforts to Kwang Nunnery in Kwang village. Building on their achievements, this system expanded its influence in 2023 by participating with a authorities faculty in Ladakh, to supply volunteer educating alternatives and additional enhance classroom services.

Opportunities

• Maitrī Pathshala seeks volunteer academics and admins to help this system’s operations, however there could also be alternatives for specialists and discipline staff sooner or later, relying on particular wants and ongoing tasks.
• Volunteer academics are anticipated to decide to a minimal period of 1 month, making certain a considerable and significant engagement with the scholars and this system.

Desired abilities 

With an emphasis on open-mindedness and powerful communication abilities, volunteer academics at Maitrī Pathshala don’t require particular {qualifications}. However, a love for kids, and an enthusiastic spirit, mixed with a readiness for journey, are extremely valued attributes for individuals who be part of this system.

Costs concerned

Volunteers at Maitrī Pathshala are accountable for their journey and lodging bills throughout the volunteering interval. The group offers info to help volunteers in planning their travels and discovering appropriate lodging close to the monastery. In some circumstances, it could be doable to volunteer and journey without cost on this a part of India, with the choice to remain within the free academics’ room on the monastery or nunnery, topic to availability.

How to use

Send them a DM on Instagram.

To compile these energetic volunteering alternatives in 2023/24, we reached out to travellers on Instagram to hunt suggestions – and shortlisted a variety of organizations doing commendable work of their areas. We hope to progressively develop this record. If you’ve volunteered in your travels, or run a company that provides significant alternatives for travellers, please attain out.

Have you ever volunteered in your travels? What was that have like?

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