Child Care SupportIndia

Volunteers provide essential assistance to underfunded and understaffed day care centres within the local community as well as supporting community outreach projects.

In the mornings volunteers run activities at day care centres, a fun and interactive way to develop children’s English speaking and listening skills through songs, games and activities. Volunteers also run arts and crafts activities and the children love the opportunity to be creative which they don't usually get a chance to do.

Children experience a ‘classroom environment’ and develop skills that will set the groundwork for when they start primary school. There are usually 7-15 children who attend each day, between the ages of 1 and 6 years. At the end of the session, volunteers help with meal time and promoting the importance of washing hands before eating.

In the afternoons volunteers work together at community outreach projects and a disabled school, leading games, sports, dance, arts and crafts sessions or additional English and maths lessons. The sessions run for around 2 hours and the children are mainly between 5-14 years old.

The outreach projects include supporting a rag picking community where the children collect and sell rubbish to generate an income for their families. By interacting with volunteers, the children and community can start to engage in the education system. The children are full of life and love to get stuck into a new game!

“Without our volunteers we wouldn’t be able to achieve our goals and help underprivileged communities. Together we can provide support to the less privileged people of India to develop the knowledge and skills which will assist them in leading positive and independent lives.”
Ravi, Founder

Typical day

Volunteers work 5 days per week, from Monday to Friday. Working hours vary depending on the activities you are involved in that day; some afternoon activities will finish at 4:30pm while others finish at 6:30pm. In between the morning and afternoon session, volunteers return to the accommodation for lunch and will have time to rest and plan the afternoon’s activities.

Daily travel to the project sites is arranged by the local team and varies from 10 and 30 minutes, using a rickshaw or car.

Weekends are free to experience free time activities and the exciting trips which are included.

Other volunteers

There are normally 1-4 Child Care volunteers.

Animal Rescue, Child Care and Community Education volunteers all live together so there are normally 5-12 volunteers at the accommodation with a maximum of 18. Some volunteers choose to combine the different volunteer roles while in India.

Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award

This placement has been approved by the DofE as meeting the requirements for the Residential section of the Gold Award.

Child protection

Pod is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults - please see our Child and Vulnerable Adults Protection Policy. All volunteers are required to have a criminal records check, which we will arrange with you.

Local support

Ravi and Gaurav are brothers and support volunteers whilst they are in India. Neha is Ravi’s wife and also supports volunteers, teaching cooking and henna, and helping buy locally made saris and spices. Gaurav lives at the volunteer accommodation and Ravi and Neha live nearby.

During your first few days you will be given a full induction and cultural introduction for your volunteer placement. The local team are on hand to assist you throughout your placement, and their experience is invaluable in helping volunteers plan their sessions.

Volunteers live in a family guesthouse alongside the local team. You share a bedroom with up to 3 other volunteers on a single-sex basis and each bedroom has its own bathroom. The accommodation is simple but clean and has a TV room, dining room, kitchen and has WIFI.

Meals

All main meals are provided and are vegetarian. Here are typical examples of the food you will have: 

• Breakfast – bread, toast, cereals, spreads and fresh fruit
• Lunch and dinner – traditional Northern Indian curries with rice and local bread

In the afternoons there is sometimes local chai tea to enjoy.

Vegans are welcomed and can be catered for.

Drinking water is provided at the volunteer accommodation which you can take to the project with you. 

The project is based on the outskirts of Udaipur, a vibrant city that attracts visitors with its colourful temples and palaces. A day can easily be spent exploring the colourful street markets with beautiful Rajasthan jewellery and clothing. Known to locals as the “City of Lakes”, it is now considered one of the most romantic destinations in India, thanks to its lake and mountainous scenery!

Lake Pichola is a relaxing spot to try local cuisines and admire the stunning views of the Lake Palace, Monsoon Palace and the surrounding mountains. The Jagdish Temple and City Palace are interesting places to visit to learn more about the local culture and history.

Volunteers can arrange trips to some of India’s famous sights and cities including day trips to the nearby medieval hilltop fortress of Kumbhagargh (the second longest wall in the world!) and Ranakpur Jain Temple, as well as weekend trips to the unmissable Taj Mahal or Jodhpur desert safari.

You can enjoy yoga, cook local dishes, learn Rajasthan dances or practise henna at the volunteer accommodation - a great way to learn about Indian culture. Volunteers have free time in the evenings where they can relax, read a book, watch films and TV in the communal areas.

Trips

During your first week the local team arrange trips to the following local sights:

• Monsoon Palace - offers stunning views of Udaipur!
• Waterfront cultural theatre dance and puppet show

Travelling in India before or after your placement

India is a popular tourist destination and it’s clear to see why as it offers a unique immersive experience. It is a diverse destination from golden beaches in Goa to vibrant cities that will leave you wanting to see more!

Popular activities in India include:

• Visiting the Taj Mahal – a visit to India is not complete without a visit to the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World
• The Golden Triangle – is a popular route for travellers connecting the national capital Delhi, Agra (for the Taj Mahal) and Jaipur in Rajasthan
• Trying Indian Cuisine – travel around and try them all!
• Experiencing one of India’s many festivals – Diwali and Holi festivals are a bright and colourful spectacle not to be missed

To find out more, see the Lonely Planet India

Sara

“I had a great experience volunteering with the Child Care project in Udaipur. Within a few days I already felt at home and knew that I would want to come back next year. Ravi and Gaurav are so kind and dedicated to the kids and their community. It was a privilege to get to stay with them and to also work with the kids.

It was very rewarding to notice improvement in the children’s learning and also to see the smiles on their faces. I think that it was really important for me to travel and to experience a different culture from my own and if anyone has the chance I would suggest that they do the same.”

Sarah

“Everything about the Child Care project in India exceeded my expectations. From the second we arrived we felt welcomed by Ravi and Gaurav and the other volunteers. The children I was volunteering with were amazing, so eager to learn at such young ages.

I found working with the boys from the orphanage the most rewarding. Although I loved the child care children, the boys were older and so seemed to understand more. We just played games with them but they loved it and my favourite part was the fact we could have a laugh and a joke with them and make fun of each other even though we didn’t speak the same language.”

Amelia

“The project and the work of Ravi, Gurav and Neha was amazing and they truly made the experience so amazing for me and for this I will be always be grateful. Plus I know I will go back to India again after the fantastic experience I had first time around! I don’t think I will ever be able to fully sum up my time in Udaipur working as it was an enlightening and life affirming trip for me.

Each volunteering experience was incredibly rewarding, each day was different as the kids would make us laugh in different ways, or there would be that moment where one of the children said their numbers in the right order meaning our teaching methods were working, or the team you are playing rounders with wins! Crucially what ran throughout was how rewarding this work was and how much the project staff in India truly care for the people and children they work with.”

Anna

“Volunteering within this project was an amazing experience that I felt lucky to be a part of. Throughout the organising process I felt fully supported. The volunteering itself exceeded every expectation and honestly one of the best things I’ve ever done! I feel I both gave and gained a lot from the project; the children were beautiful, happy people with an eagerness to learn as well as a hilarious competitiveness between them.

Most rewarding was seeing the children progress, especially when a clear improvement had been made from a previous lesson. You also gain so much from experiencing India’s fantastic and vibrant culture first hand and I feel very privileged to be a part of the whole process, I just wish I could have stayed longer!”

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