Volunteer in the Himalayas in India

Volunteer in Palampur, a small beautiful picturesque town in Himachal Pradesh in the north of India.Palampur is famous for its tea gardens and is in close proximity to Dharamshala and Mcleodganj. Our Volunteer Program aims at serving the underprivileged and marginalized children of the rural community by creating educational programs with international volunteers, local NGO’s and local people working together.

Volunteer Programs Available

Volunteers work in local day care centers in and around Palampur. These centers are short of well trained care takers for children and volunteers are very much needed.Volunteers take care of the children and help the staff in their daily work such as cleaning , feeding the children and engaging the children in different playful activities. Children in these centers are in the age group of 2-5 years.

Volunteers work in government primary and public schools located in around the areas in Palampur to teach children. Volunteers mainly teach children aged between 6-13 years. Typical subjects taught include English (Conversational and Written), Maths, Geography, Physical Education and General Knowledge.
Volunteers will teach for approximately 4-5 hours per day five days a week. In this program, volunteers can work by themselves or alongside other teachers and volunteers.

Note:Volunteers do not need to be a qualified teacher to join this program.

Program Location
Volunteer Projects are located in and around the city of Palampur in Noth India. Palampur is at an elevation of 4500 feet above sea level . The area is famous for its tea gardens and toursist attractions especially Dharamshala which is just 30 km east of Palampur.Dharamshala is the home town of the Dalai Lama and provides immense tourist and learning opportunities.
Palampur is well connected by road and air from Delhi. Volunteers have the option of taking a direct flight from Delhi to Dharamshala , from they are picked up by the local staff. The other option is to take an overnight bus from Delhi to Palampur.

The minimum age requirement for joining the program is 17 years.Volunteers need to have an open mind and flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment. 
Cost and Start Dates:

Volunteers can choose to start their program on any Monday throughout the year.
We have programs running throughout the year for your convenience.

Note : An Application Fee of only $150 is required at the time of application. This would confirm your spot and would be refunded if we are not able to provide placement in India.

What's Included :-

Airport Pickup: Volunteers are picked up from the airport (in Dharamshala) or the bus terminal in Palampur and are transferred to their home stay accommodations.

Orientation: A half day orientation will be provided by our staff. Areas like safety, cutomes , culture, greetings, locations, transportation etc are covered during the orientation. Volunteers are encouraged to join the Orientation Week - Learn Language, History, Culture & Discover India! in Delhi which gives them an opprtunity to explore different sights in Delhi and also learn some basic Hindi.

Lodging: Accommodation is provided in a safe and comfortable homestay in Palampur. Accommodation is shared along with other volunteers. The home stay has all the modern facilities available to ensure a comfortable stay for our volunteers

Food: Volunteers are served with 3 Indian meals in a day. Typical lunch and dinner meals include Dal, Rice, Vegetables, Salad, Yoghurt, Roti (Indian Bread).

In-country support:
24 hours support provided by our local staff. Volunteers have the support and assistance of the local coordinators and staff in case of any Emergency.

Pre-departure information:
After we receive full and final payment all participants are provided by a pre-departure information booklet by e-mail which will have all vital information about your program. The booklet provides information regarding the country , projects , coordinators , Things to pack , Visas and Emergency Contact Information.

What's Not Included :-
Return airfare to India
Personal expenses
Travel Insurance
Visa charges
Local city Transportation (except placement drop)