Location: New Delhi NCR or Shimla

As a volunteer, you will help the teachers with their curriculum for the school, which they keep as close as possible to a private school's academic curriculum. Volunteers can teach English, mathematics, physical exercises, art, and western culture to the children through song and dance, to enrich the children's worldliness. As an English teacher, your classes will be filled with enthusiastic students. The school children are 'fascinated by the volunteers' and will enthusiastically come to school each day with a grin from ear to ear. With your help, you will empower hundreds of children by encouraging them to learn English and by doing so, their skills will greatly improve. In most schools, volunteers can offer computer classes to the children which helps to enable them with new opportunities for communication with other people and the outside world. Teaching English in India mainly focuses on the development of English-speaking skills of students presently studying in schools and colleges. English teaching in India also offers exceptional opportunities to build a career in teaching, explore Indian culture, hospitality, and meet new local people. As a volunteer, you will also be able to teach and participate in developing and planning English camps, trips, and other activities with teachers and students, to practice conversational English. Textbooks and other teaching materials will be readily available at any school that you volunteer with.

Location: Faridabad district, Haryana state (approximately 20 km from New Delhi)

Access to education for India’s children is complex and contentious and has become compounded by the COVID 19 pandemic. According to the United Nations “…despite Government emphasis on access, quality, and equity in education, challenges persist for children belonging to marginalised and disadvantaged groups. …A study revealed that of the six million out-of-school children, 44 percent have never been to school, 49 percent are Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe children, and 25 percent are Muslim. Of the 2.1 million identified disabled children, 600,000 are out of school. The 2011 Census highlighted that more than four in five females aged 5-19 years who are not attending an educational institution stay at home.” (United Nations in India, 2024) The local teachers here instruct the children in subjects such as Hindi, English, mathematics, science, social studies, physical exercises, dance and music, and arts and crafts. Although the majority of India’s children attend public schools, the quality and state of the structures vastly range. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals have developed strategic priorities which target child development in conjunction with UNICEF and NITI Aayog. These have provided a “comprehensive measure to understand the multidimensional attainments and deprivations among children across health and nutrition, education, water and sanitation, household living standards and protective environment, with the aim of analyzing the status of children around critical child related SDGs to establish recent trends” (UNICEF India Press Release, April 2022).

Volunteers in this program are of immeasurable importance in closing the gap to provide support services and education to children who fall within the marginalized and vulnerable categories of society. Volunteers are needed to assist with a variety of aspects of learning provision and program application. This program specifically seeks compassionate and kind-hearted individuals who are capable of interacting tactfully with a variety of cultures, religions and socio-economic statuses to motivate and engage children and adults regarding the value of education. While most of the teaching is done in the morning in parks or partially built structures on the street (which can include between 100-300 children), assisting in the orphanages during the afternoon is often appreciated. Volunteers are needed from 9am through 1pm to meet schooling and teaching commitments, however flexibility to meet the ever-changing program tasks for the children this program serves, is what contributes to the programs success.

PLEASE NOTE: As with all programs working with children, a criminal record check (which includes vulnerable sector) will be requested with applications.

Location: Faridabad (approximately 20 km from New Delhi), New Delhi or Udaipur

Living on the streets or becoming an orphan is incredibly difficult for most individuals to imagine, but it is a harsh reality for so many children in many developing countries, especially throughout India. To make matters even more difficult, most families do not want female children. Thousands of children every year are dropped off at orphanages and the parents are never to be seen again. Luckily, efforts have been made by various welfare organizations to protect these children, to provide a safe and secure home environment and most importantly to offer them adequate education. Working at an orphanage requires love for children, maturity and self-discipline. As a volunteer, you will share your time, energy and skills to support these children and bring a bright ray of hope into their lives. During your stay, you will be encouraged to teach basic English, draw, help organize games or sports activities, sing, dance, or even perform theatre with the children. Providing general care for the children is also something that is highly encouraged. You may also be asked to perform general and special tasks and accompany children on outings as required by the program. We offer a special orphanage set up specifically for HIV positive children if you're willing to spend your time volunteering in Udaipur. This orphanage provides a safe home where staff and volunteers help to educate and provide skills that will empower these children and give them a fighting chance to achieve their goals and dreams. At this centre, there are currently nine children and they all attend local government run schools. Some of the challenges they face are beginning school late and delayed education, a lack of opportunity, and limited platforms to progress academically. By becoming a volunteer on this program, you can help support them by providing education with special emphasis on English, mathematics and computers. You can also spend time with them, make them smile and promote their overall well-being.

Location: Udaipur

This program is designed for youth residing in village areas that are not aware of the benefit and value of education. At our youth centres, we work with youth aged five to fifteen years old, both girls and boys. Our youth centres are open in the afternoon from Monday to Friday. On the weekends, we have meetings to share achievements and discuss challenges of the week ahead. Every youth centre has a coordinator, helper and mentors who manage and improve the structure of the youth centre and actively communicate with the villagers to address education related issues. Our education centres have two areas, the library area and activity area. The youth are free to spend time as much time in the area they are interested in.

The following are the goals of this program: develop compassion and helpful attitude towards each other and the community; teach the youth values of education and encourage them to attend school and learn new skills; educate the parents on the importance of education and encourage them to send their children to school; spread awareness about issues like health and hygiene and assist youth to develop good habits; assist the youth with personal challenges in education and help those who attend schools with their homework and class work. Volunteers will visit some of the youth education centres and spend some evenings there. During the morning, volunteers can acquire useful education materials for the youth.

Location: New Delhi or Faridabad (approximately 20 km from New Delhi)

Most of the rural women in India are illiterate. Not by choice, merely because they were never given access to any kind of education in their lifetime. The goal of these programs is to teach and empower women to understand the benefits of personal hygiene and care, basic calculations, basic computer skills, knitting and or stitching, and life skills. By empowering local women, it provides them with new skills to be able to analyze their own situations and use this acquired knowledge to make changes whenever necessary. For example, one of our projects offers volunteers the chance to observe the process of and assist with teaching how, handmade jewelry as well as plastic and leather bags are produced, stitched and tailored. These are valuable skills that can easily be learned and taught to others and will help these women and many others. In their quest to be financially independent, they can begin to provide for their families or future families.

Location: New Delhi or Jaipur

Mentally challenged children find it difficult to follow basic verbal commands as swiftly as normal children can. Mentally challenged children often struggle with school and demonstrate academic awkwardness and can appear lost in their own world. They are poor in ADL (activities of daily living which includes, combing, brushing teeth and getting dressed). As a volunteer on this special program, you will be involved in assisting these special needs children to lead a near normal life. If volunteers are planning to stay for a minimum of 2 weeks, some of the projects offer training to teach them how to provide care for these children. Other services provided on this program are: therapy and counselling for schizophrenics, occupational therapy, psycho-physical exercises and outpatient counselling. Some tasks for volunteers will include centre maintenance and gardening, preparing and serving meals, cleaning, and providing companionship to the inhabitants of the house as well as helping with their education.