VOlunteering India Testimonials
Katie Weilbacher - USA - New DelhiProgram Name - Women Empowerment Program
Program City - New Delhi - 03 May 2010
How did you find the pre departure booklet given to you and the service of the staff in regards to answering your questions and helping you prepare?
All of my Pre - Departure e-mails were answered promptly and I was pleased with the level of communication. The booklet had useful information about the program and when paired with reading guidebooks I felt very well prepared for India.
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Did you enjoy working at your project / placement?
I enjoyed the Womens Empowerment program very much. The girls are 16 - 24 and learning vocational skills. I worked mostly in a computer class + simply speaking in English to help them practice. The girls were SO fun, energetic and happy to learn. The staff and director made me feel very welcome.
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Accommodation and meals
The volunteers home in Rajiv's family home was well equipped with TV, hot showers, WiFi and it was nice having our own space to "come home to" at the end of our workday. The house is in South Delhi in a very nice + Safe neighbourhood with amenities close by. The food, mostly vegetarian, was yummy!
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Coordinator
Rajiv, his wife Priya and Dheeraj all were caring + available for big and little questions helping with a problem or giving directions! Having a smiling face waiting at the airport was such a welcome sight!
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What was the highlight of your volunteering experience and your trip?
My personal highlights were the 30 or more "little sisters" I gained at the womens center, the knowledge that I helped them build skills for a better life and also the great friends I made among the volunteers.
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Would you recommend this program and our organization to others? yes/no
Yes - I felt very well supported, safe, and so pleased with the volunteer work I was able to do in 1 month.
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Any comments and suggestions
Volunteering India is fantastic, as is volunteer work and India itself. Do be prepared for life in Delhi - its awesome but has challenges, transportation, learning Hindi (or enough to get by) and just the details of living in India. If it is your first time I would STRONGLY recommend the Orientation week, mostly because it lets you slowly get your feet wet and acclimate to India before jumping into work + haggling with rickshaws on your own. Rajiv is very knowledgeble and educated guide - you'll get far more out of sightseeing this way then on your own
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Kathleen Froese - Canada - Swansea - Wales
Program Name - Volunteer in Health Program
Program City - Delhi - 12 April 2010
How did you find the pre departure booklet given to you and the service of the staff in regards to answering your questions and helping you prepare?
Everyone was wonderful- Thanks for replying promptly to many emails. The pre departure booklet was very informative and really helped me pack. It would be helpful to know the ages of children in the host family so that I could have bought more age appropriate gifts.
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Did you enjoy working at your project / placement?
I really enjoyed working at Csi. The staff were very helpful, friendly and welcoming. Dr. Manish is wonderful. I learnt so much about India's healthcare and poverty. It's a fabulous program.
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Accommodation and meals
Beautiful accommodation! Very clean and comfortable. The food was delicious. The host family was so wonderful and very welcoming. I enjoyed learning about traditional Indian Culture.
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Coordinator
Thank you for everything. I felt very supported and safe.
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What was the highlight of your volunteering experience and your trip?
It's hard to choose just one highlight! I really enjoyed living with the family and playing with their young children and celebrate Holi. I also really enjoyed working in the mobile health van, It was such a great learning experience. The trip to Taj Mahal was also very memorable.
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Would you recommend this program and our organization to others? yes/no
Yes! Wonderful Program
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Kate Wood - Australia -
Program Name - Street Children Program
Program City - Delhi - 07 January 2010
Pre Departure
Good information, prompt and efficient contact.
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Arrival/Airport Pickup
No Problems, smooth pickup and transfer to home.
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Placement/Volunteer Project
Eye Opening and heart wrenching experience working with the poor runaway or abandoned boys at the shelter. Despite their plight, boys were happy, friendly, smart. Most with great potential. The staff working at shelter give boys an opportunity they would otherwise not get for return to families, or training for jobs or futher education. I have such admiration for those staff working there. It was an inspirational place.
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Home Stay /Host family and meals
Home stay was very comfortable. host family made everyone feel welcome and part of the family life and celebrations (diwali) with us. they were always supportive and the meals were outstanding. It was a home away from home!
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Coordinator
Rajiv was a friendly and supportive coordinator. He had a wealth of knowledge of Indian culture, hostory and way of life, here which he shared with us constantly. He was very organised and always there to sort out any problems.
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Would you recommend this program to future Volunteers
YES!
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May Soh - Australia - Sydney, NSW
Program Name - Child Care Program
Program City - Palampur - 30 September 2009
What areas did you like about our website?
The description of the program
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How did you find the pre departure booklet given to you and the service of the staff in regards to answering your questions and helping you prepare?
Excellent. The staff was also good in following up on queries.
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Did you enjoy working at your project / placement?
Yes, it was great.
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Accommodation and meals
Accommodation was good and comfortable and the hosts were really hospitable. The meals were a bit repetitive and a bit of variety would have been good. Overall, the meals were delicious though.
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Coordinator
The coordinators were fantastic. Both were friendly and extremely hospitable to the volunteers. I enjoyed my time thoroughly.
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What was the highlight of your volunteering experience and your trip?
Working at the daycare centre and getting to know the children was the highlight of my trip as that was the main objective of this project. There were also many additional benefits such as meeting other volunteers, the tour of the tea gardens and the great surroundings of the accomodation.
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Would you recommend this program and our organization to others?
Yes
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Sarah Landry Maltais - Canada - Montreal, QC
Program Name - Child Care Program
Program City - Palampur - 31 August 2009
What areas did you like about our website?
It was easy to navigate and easy to get an idea of each program.
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Did you enjoy working at your project / placement?
Yes, I really enjoyed it. The kids were adorable and I had a great time with them. My day care was well attended and there was always lots of action.
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Accommodation and meals
Excellent! Bobby’s house is awesome and very cozy. His family and staff are really welcoming and nice, I immediately felt at home and very comfortable.
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Coordinator
Bobby is awesome! He is always available and goes the extra mile to make our stay really a great experience. He really makes a point that the volunteers are not only taken care of but also understand the Indian culture.
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What was the highlight of your volunteering experience and your trip?
Seeing the kids getting really exited to learn new games and do new activities. Walking home with a little girl from the day care with whom I had a great connection.
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Would you recommend this program and our organization to others?
Yes of course!
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