Volunteering India Testimonials-3
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Jennifer Trigueira
Program Name - Volunteer Summer Program DelhiProgram City - Delhi Program Date - 18 July, 2011 
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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?
* Useful in terms of learning about the culture
* The staff was very helpful Did you enjoy working at your project/placement?
I enjoyed it very much. The kids were keen and very cute. It is a worthwhile organization.
How was your meals and accommodation?
Comfortable room. Great meals. Pleasant atmosphere.
What was the highlight of your Volunteering experiences and your trip?
*The cute kids demanding more homework and hugs.
*Visiting the biggest Hindu temple. *Tasting genuine Masala Dosa and lassi. Would you recommend this program and our organization to others?
Yes!! for sure ...
What you have to say about Coordinator/Staff?
Very helpful and accomodating.
Any comments and Suggestion you want to make.
Bit more information about what to bring for children's and how much money we should bring for personal usage for better budgeting.
Overall a worthwhile adventure, I am greatful to the organization and the staff - they do good work!! |
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Marta Migliorini
Program Name - Childcare Volunteer Program, Palapur/DharamshalaProgram City - Palampur/Dharamshala Program Date - 17 July, 2011 
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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?
The booklet was helpful to be prepared before arriving in India. As soon as I arrived here the stass has done the best to answer all my questions and has always been very reliable.
Did you enjoy working at your project/placement?
I really enjoyed working at my placement. Kids and teachers were lovely and even if it was a breif perios (2 weeks), I reallt get attached to them.
How was your meals and accommodation?
Accommodation was really good, room was comfortable, clean and common spaces are very enjoyable. Meals were really really good and delicious. I loved the food very much.
What was the highlight of your Volunteering experiences and your trip?
I really enjoyed my work and I have been very happy to have the possibilities to be in contact with local people and experience their culture. I am sure I would not have find the same things as a tourist. I really loved the company of other volunteers and coordinators.
Would you recommend this program and our organization to others?
Yes, it is a nice opportunity to live a different experience, enjoy a country in a deeper way.
What you have to say about Coordinator/Staff?
Coordinator have always been releiable and always there to make me feel comfprtable. It was nice spending time with them. they have been very kind answering to all queries and answering about India's customs and traditions.
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Shannon Anderson
Program Name - Volunteer at an Orphanage in KolkataProgram City - Kolkata Program Date - 7 July, 2011 
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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?
It was good! I felt very informed.
Did you enjoy working at your Project / Placement?
I absolutely loved it!
Accommodation and Meals
Everything was great. We were treated to three meals a day and a room to ourselves.
What was the highlight of your volunteering experience and your trip ?
Spending time with the boys was the best part! But I also go to see the sights, travel India style (busses and autos), and I got to experience this wonderful colored powder that dyes your skin for 4 days. Lol. I had tons of fun every day.___
Would you recommend this program and our organization to others?
YES
Any comments and suggestions
Volunteering India does a great job of taking care of their volunteers and answering questions. Thank you so much for all of your help and communication. This is a great program.
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Adip Pillai - Touro College Group Member
Program Name - Medical ProgramProgram City - Palampur Program Date - 27 June, 2011 
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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?
The booklet was very informative and gave a good idea of what to expect upon arrival.It clearly stated the differences between Western and Indian cultures and allowed people a chance to prepare themselves for the possible culture shock.It was also helpful and informative when it came to how to manage our daily needs from what to pack and how to replenish our funds.
Did you enjoy working at your project/placement ?
I enjoyed the opportunity to be exposed to a whole new world of medical treatment.As future osteopathic physicians, it was very important for us to be aware of alternative, non invasive and cost effective treatments in order to educate and allow our patients a full range of treatment options.
How was your meals and accommodation?
The accommodations and meals far exceeded my expectations.The rooms were neat and clean.The food was absolutely phenomenal.Our host family was very welcoming and friendly.The house cook is a very sweet man and a great cook who made almost anything on request.
What you have to say about Coordinator/Staff?
My coordinators Bobby and Amit are the most amazing people and I truly loved every second that we spent with them.This trip would not have been nearly as fun or memorable without amit and Bobby.They are one of the most genuine and caring people I have met and it was apparent from the start that they wanted us to have the best time in India.They were patient and answered our million questions without any hesitations.
Would you recommend this program and our organization to others?
Yes, most definitely.
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Krupali Patel (Touro College - Group Leader)
Program Name - Medical ProgramProgram City - Palampur Program Date - 24 June, 2011 
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What areas did you like about our website?
Easy to apply,contact info was easily available, pictures were available and there was a good description of all that was included in the program.
Pre departure information and support?
Saurabh was really good , fast and helpful in replying to the queries as well as on the phone.The local coordinators also took really good care of us, explained really well to us and answered all questions to their best ability.
Did you enjoy working in the project ?
I enjoyed this placement a lot.I learnt some Ayurvedic treatment and enjoyed seeing how medicine is practiced in rural India.Some of the doctors were really helpful and also enthusiastic to teach us.
How was your accommodation and meals ?
Place was amazing.The host family was so loving and caring.The accommodation was very comfortable and peaceful.
Would you recommend this program to others ?
DEFINITELY !!! YES
About the Coordinator(s)
Both our coordinators were excellent. We are so thankful to them.They helped us so much and we really enjoyed our time with them.We will definitely miss them a lot.
Any comments and suggestions
EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT! This was the best experience !
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Robby Syed - Touro College Group Member
Program Name - Medical ProgramProgram City - Palampur Program Date - 24 June, 2011 
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What areas did you like about our website?
It was organized and easy to find info about our placements.
Pre departure information and support?
Staff was very helpful and very quick to respond to the emails.They answered all the questions that I had.
Did you enjoy working in the project ?
Yes, I had a great time working in the project.Any concerns we had regarding the placement were very rapidly addressed to by the coordinators.It was very educational for our group to learn about the Indian system of medicine and to work alongside doctors and students.
How was your accommodation and meals ?
Amazing !! the food was great too.Every meal was served at exactly the time we were told.Our cook also went out of his way to make us happy and help us with whatever needed.
Would you recommend this program to others ?
YES.
About the Coordinator(s)
Both the coordinators were the best coordinators possible. I am already considering returning to the program because of how wonderful our coordinators were.They both went out of their way to make sure that our group was happy.
Any comments and suggestions
Add the weekend trip info on the website.
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Shirley Xing- Touro College Group Member
Program Name - Medical ProgramProgram City - Palampur Program Date - 24 June, 2011 
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What areas did you like about our website ?
It was simple and straightforward to apply to the program.
Pre departure information and support
It was very detailed and gave good preperation for the trip.
Did you enjoy working in the project ?
It was a very unique experience to volunteer at an Ayurvedic Hospital and to see a practice so different than what I am used to seeing.
Accommodation and Meals
Overally there was really no problem the accommodations and the food.The cook was so great to us.Every single meal was delicious and he made Tea and Coffee for us regularly.We also bought eggplant and he kindly made a tasty meal out of it a couple of times.
A few lines about your coordinators
This trip wouldn't have been as much fun without each and every person who helped us everybody.Afzal and Joginder were always so kind. Bobby and Amit - I can't say thank you enough for everything you did for us.
Would you recommend this program and our organization to others ?
Of Course ! Great program coordinators and amazing location.There is so much to explore and discover.
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Shoji Samson - Touro College Group Member
Program Name - Medical ProgramProgram City - Palampur Program Date - 24 June, 2011 
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Did you enjoy working at your project/placement?
I enjoyed going to the Ayurvedic Hospital and Medical School.It was really interesting to learn about a different system of medicine.
Accommodation and Meals
The family was very nice.I enjoyed every meal that was served.I have only had Indian food a few times prior to this trip and I have grown to love the food.I was more than satisfied with the accommodation, house staff and meals.
What was the highlight of your Volunteering experiences and your trip?
Getting the opportunity to examine newborns and infants at the hospital and going on the weekend trips was the highlight of my trip.
Coordinators
Both my coordinators were AWESOME !! They did a great job in organizing everything and they are both very cool people.
Yes, I will definitely recommend this program to other medical students from Touro College.This was a great way to help out, learn about other forms of medicine and travel to another part of the world.
Any comments and suggestions
This was the best time of my life !! I will remember this experience , India and this program for the rest of my life.India will always have a place in my heart and I hope to return some day.
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Erwin van de Bunt
Program Name - Volunteering at an OrphanageProgram City - Kolkata Program Date - 5 June, 2011 |
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?
The information we got before was fine and sufficient. I didn’t feel we lacked any information and we asked something we got a pretty quick reply, so that was good. The part about the customs and different ways in India was for me the most helpful part.
Did you enjoy working at your Project / Placement?
I really enjoyed working at this placement. It’s great to help out the children here and to make (even though it’s a small) contribution to their lives. It was a great place be and I experienced a lot of freedom to do what I liked, to be myself and to take rest when I felt the need (or when it was just too hot for me…).
Accommodation and Meals
The accommodation was good. Especially because it’s in a really quite place compared to the city center of Kolkata. So that was really relaxed. The room, bathroom, rooftop and meals were all good and I had nothing to complain about.
What was the highlight of your volunteering experience and your trip ?
The highlight for me was just hanging around with the kids on a daily basis. Just play with them and having fun with them. Seeing how they really enjoy it when you are there.
Would you recommend this program and our organization to others?
Yes
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Myrthe van der Boom
Program Name - Volunteering at an OrphanageProgram City - Kolkata Program Date - 5 June, 2011 
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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?
The information was sufficient.
Did you enjoy working at your Project / Placement?
I felt at ease and we got a lot of freedom. We enjoyed playing with the boys and helping them with their homework. We also liked to paint the kitchen.
Accommodation and Meals
We got a whole room for ourselves so I was very happy that we got our own space. The shower and toilet are in a good state and we got 3 (big) meals every day and also chai with cookies. The atmosphere was very homely and I felt very welcome. The food was good and also more than sufficient. There is also a nice rooftop terrace and the location is very nice and quiet, not so much pollution and a pleasant environment.
What was the highlight of your volunteering experience and your trip ?
The highlight of my volunteering experience was the contact with the kids and Prabir and his family. It felt like family. The highlight of my trip (besides our volunteering-experience) was trekking in the Himalayas.
Any comments and suggestions
I had a very great time here and it was a very valuable experience, thank you very much for offering this opportunity to help out in India.
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Shivani Sonecha
Program Name - Volunteer with Street ChildrenProgram City - Delhi, India Program Date - 5 June, 2011 
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What areas did you like about our website?
Easy to follow, Testimonials helped me to decide my project.
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?
Service of staff was excellent; always responded to emails quickly and I was able to phone and discuss my concerns. Booklet was good and easy to follow.
Did you enjoy working at your project/placement?
Yes, absolutely loved it. First time I have done this so I will definitely do it again.
How was your meals and accommodation?
Accommodation was basic but clean and comfortable. Meals were lovely thanks to Priya.
What was the highlight of your Volunteering experiences and your trip?
The children were definitely my highlet. Full of energy and love. Always made me Happy to put a smile on their face. Also met some great people on my project.
Would you recommend this program and our organization to others?
Yes I would.The program is well organised and very safe.
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Sean O Riordan
Program Name - Volunteer Street Children ProgramProgram City - Delhi, India Program Date - 5 June, 2011 
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What areas did you like about our website?
Layout was good and very user friendly.
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?
Helpful and reassuring as it was my first time in India.
Did you enjoy working at your project/placement?
I really enjoyed working at the placement, I learnt so much from the experience. It was amazing, it was challenging at first and a bit more preparation or supervision on the first few days would have been good but once I settled in it was one of the greatest experience of my life.
How was your meals and accommodation?
Accommodation was very simple plus basic but comfortable. I enjoyed being around the other volunteers.
Meals were delicious plus excellently prepared. True Indian food and was very tasty.
What you have to say about Coordinator/Staff?
Very helpful plus willing to help me with any problem I had which is important when in different country.
What was the highlight of your Volunteering experiences and your trip?
Working with the children everyday. They taught me so much and I hope I taught them something and also meeting different volunteers.
Would you recommend this program and our organization to others?
Yes.
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Steven Pope
Program Name - Volunteering at an OrphanageProgram City - Bangalore Program Date - 1 June, 2011 
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Arrival and Airport Pickup
Our coordinator was very helpful when we first arrived in Bangalore and briefed us on the city and India as a whole.He made us feel at ease and prepared us for the program,
Placement
We had such an enjoyable time at the orphanage.The children were so lovely and we really felt like we struck up a bond.
Host family
Kissy was a brilliant host and the older girls were also very accommodating.She was caring and gave us our own space too.We couldn't have asked for more.
Your Indian experience on a scale of 1-10.
10
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Kirsty Murphy
Program Name - Childcare and Mentally Challenged SchoolProgram City - Palampur Program Date - 30 May, 2011 
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How did you find our website and staff?
Was very informative and everything was very easy to find. The staff answered all emails very quickly and concisely.
How did you find the placement?
The daycare work was good and children were fun. The mentally challenged school was great, it is a great setup teaching the older once skills for life. The children are all lovely and I think they crave for adults to play with and get comfort from.
How was your accommodation and meals?
The food was tasty! The house is lovely and it is great to have a balcony to hang out on.
What was the highlight of your trip to Palampur?
Probably teaching the students at the mentally challenged school and getting to know that children. The trek to Triund as well, plus the weekend trips to Lord Shiva temple and buddhist monestries.
How were your coordinators?
Both Amit and Bobby were great and very helpful and informative, both made me feel very welcome and at home.
Would you recommend our program to others?
It was perfect for me and what I was looking for as I got to see how the local people live and experience India. I would definetely recommend it. - Yes
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Tanya Singh
Program Name - Teaching EnglishProgram City - Palampur Program Date - 21 May, 2011 
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What areas did you like about our website?
The photos and videos were great, it gives the volunteers a good idea of what to expect.
Did you enjoy working at your project / placement?
Yes I did. The placement is very rewarding and the staff is very nice too. The children are very sweet and it is easy to get attached to them. It is rewarding to know that you are making a difference in their lives.
How was your accommodation and meals?
Both the food and accommodation were good. The house is very nice, big and clean.
How were your coordinators?
Both the coordinators (Bobby and Amit) were very nice and helpful. They gave us good answers to our questions.
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