A small, grassroots project that teaches children in Jaipur’s slum communities and runs health and environmental awareness work alongside. It is free for the families it serves, and volunteer contributions keep it going.
You co-teach two or three small groups of children each day, with the project’s own teachers and coordinators beside you.
At a glance
- A grassroots project teaching children in Jaipur’s slum communities, free for families.
- Small groups: English, math, computer basics and sports, plus art and dance workshops.
- Monday to Friday, usually 2pm to 5pm, moving to mornings in the hottest months.
- Open from age 17 with intermediate English; no teaching experience needed.
- Stay from one week to 12 weeks, starting every Sunday.
What you’ll do
- Teach English, math, computer basics or sport to small groups.
- Set homework and practice tasks.
- Prepare games and activities that keep the children interested.
- Share general knowledge about the world beyond the classroom.
- Run workshops in dance, art, crafts or sport.
- Help with girls’ empowerment or health sessions when the project holds them.
About the project
The project reaches children the school system misses: children who help their families with work, who started school late, or who fell behind and never caught up. Classes are small and informal, held close to where the children live, and run alongside health and environmental awareness work in the same communities.
Because groups are small, you get to know each child’s level quickly and see progress for yourself: a child who reads a sentence aloud, or works out a sum without counting on their fingers.
Working responsibly
Project staff supervise every session and decide what is taught. You support them rather than run a class alone.
Every volunteer shows a clean background check before starting, and orientation covers our code of conduct for working with children.
Part of your program price supports the project, which charges families nothing. Your time in the classroom is the rest of your contribution.
A typical day
- 7:30am: Breakfast at the house. Mornings are free in the cooler months: plan lessons, rest or explore.
- 1pm: Lunch at the house, then head out.
- 2pm: Your first small group: English, math or computers, depending on the children.
- 3 to 5pm: One or two more groups, or a workshop in art, dance or sport.
- 7:30pm: Dinner.
In the hottest months sessions move to the morning, 9am to noon, and your afternoons are free instead. Your coordinator confirms your times at orientation.
How your week runs
- Arrival: our Jaipur coordinator meets you at the airport, or at Jaipur railway station if you are already in India, and takes you to your room.
- Next day: a half-day orientation on safety, culture, a few words of Hindi and getting around, with a walk through the neighborhood.
- The day after: you visit your project, watch how it runs and meet the staff before you start.
- Then: Monday to Friday, usually 2pm to 5pm, or 9am to noon in the hottest months. Projects are 20 to 30 minutes away, and the team helps you set up the ride apps volunteers use to get there.
Evenings and weekends
Jaipur is small enough to get to know and old enough to keep surprising you. Your free half-day and weekends leave plenty of time for the Pink City: the bazaars around Johari Bazaar and Bapu Bazaar, the honeycomb windows of Hawa Mahal, the City Palace and the Jantar Mantar observatory, and sunset from Nahargarh Fort above the city.
- Close to home: Amber Fort and the walk up to Jaigarh, the Galta Ji monkey temple, and a lassi on MI Road.
- Weekends away: the lake town of Pushkar, the Taj Mahal in Agra, Delhi, or a tiger safari at Ranthambore National Park.
Your coordinator can help you book trains and buses, and our weekend trips include a Golden Triangle tour if you would rather have everything arranged.
Your base in Jaipur
Jaipur gives you a choice of how to live:
- With other volunteers at our house in the north of the city. Expect shared rooms, Wi-Fi, hot water, air coolers for the summer and a washing machine, with shops, cafes and cash machines a short walk away.
- With a host family, in a twin room in a local home. It is the closest look you will get at everyday Rajasthani family life.
Either way, three vegetarian meals a day are included: breakfast to start your day, then lunch and dinner of home-style Indian food such as dal, vegetable curry, rice and fresh roti. Host families usually serve a traditional breakfast, such as paratha or poha.
Good to know
- Tell us which option you prefer when you apply.
- Drinking water is filtered at both.
- Alcohol and drugs are not allowed at the accommodation.
What your price covers
- Pre-departure information: packing list, visa and health advice, and your coordinator’s details.
- Pickup at Jaipur International Airport or Jaipur railway station, and your drop-off when you leave.
- Orientation, and a visit to your project before you start.
- A shared room at our volunteer house in north Jaipur, or a twin room with a host family.
- Three vegetarian meals a day.
- Your placement, plus support from our team at any hour.
- A certificate of participation, if you ask for one.
Not included
- Flights and your Indian visa
- Travel and medical insurance, which is compulsory
- Vaccinations
- Ride-app and auto-rickshaw fares to your project
- Weekend trips, entry fees, a local SIM card and personal spending
Support while you are here
- Your coordinator lives locally, runs your orientation, takes you to your project the first time and checks in with you and the project while you are there.
- Our team can be reached at any hour, every day of your stay, for anything from a lost phone to a hospital visit.
Before you apply
- You are 17 or older on your start date (under-18s need a consent form signed by a parent).
- Intermediate English. No teaching experience is needed.
- A clean criminal background check, issued within 12 months of your start date, because you will work with children or vulnerable adults.
- Travel and medical insurance for your whole stay. Your own policy is fine.
- An open mind, patience and reasonable health. Tell us about any medical condition before you travel.
What volunteers say
4.3 from 44 reviews
From Volunteering India volunteers on our childcare and teaching projects.
The projectStreet children project and Teaching English/Games to underprivileged children was a difficult task but very satisfying. Children were very keen to learn.
Read the full review
Before the tripContact by email and then phoned the coordinator .Very helpful and informed me on how program will run.
ArrivalPickup was smooth. Coordinator took us to family on first day and showed us the project site.
Food and accommodationHost family were very welcoming and helpful.
Our teamHe was very helpful and gave me all the relevant information when required.
Would you recommend us?YES
Pooja Patel, United KingdomTeaching English
The projectProject was very fulfilling and definitely worth experiencing.Would do something like this again but maybe a different project.
Read the full review
Before the tripHad good contact via email with staff.
ArrivalWas picked up straight away by the coordinator and had no problems at all.
Food and accommodationHost family was lovely and friendly.I was made to feel very welcome and the meals were delicious.Would definitely like to stay with them again.
Our teamWas friendly .
Would you recommend us?YES
Heeral Patel, United KingdomChildcare
The projectWorking at my daycare was a rewarding and challenging experience. The kids were very young and naturally had short attention spans. I am glad to have had the experience, and I hope that my presence brightened their days a little bit.
HighlightThe highlight of my volunteering experience was a little girl in my daycare named Swati. She was so adorable and always smiling. She was never mean to the other children and was a joy to be around. The whole trip was a highlight for me. This being my first time in India, I enjoyed taking in every moment. I particularly enjoyed riding on a motorcycle in Delhi, a meal at Swagath (restaurant in Delhi), trips to McLeod Ganj and Manali, and spending time with my fellow volunteers.
Read the full review
Our websiteFrom what I remember, the website was fairly concise, but informative and helpful. The orientation week was described on a day-by-day basis, which was nice; it gave me a good idea of what to expect during my first week in Delhi. I also remember watching a video of a past volunteer talking about his experiences in the program, as well as photos of past volunteers with kids. Both of these were good additions to the website.
Before the tripThe pre-departure booklet was nice and was very helpful to my mother. I got some good tidbits about Indian culture from it, but apart from that, I would have been fine without it. The staff was excellent in answering all my questions through e-mail promptly and completely.
Food and accommodationNo complaints whatsoever with the accommodation. Bobby, you have a beautiful home and family, and it was an honor to be your guest for 3 weeks. All of the food served was good, Lekh Raj was very kind and did an excellent job. My only request would be a little more variety in the meals, but I also understand the need for caution in serving anything that might upset a volunteer’s stomach.
Our teamBobby, it has been such a pleasure to have spent these few weeks with you and Amit. You have both been very kind to me, and have made me feel like a good friend, not just a volunteer. I am as sad to leave you both as I am my fellow volunteers. Thank you both so much for everything, and I hope to come back and see you again sometime in the next few years. Until then, we’ll keep in touch online!
Would you recommend us?Yes!
Grant Austin, USAChildcare
The projectI did enjoy working at my placement. I was placed at a day care center which was very nice and I really enjoyed volunteering with the children.
HighlightThe highlight of my volunteering experience was when I was helping a little boy read a book and he could read the story on his own after. It really made me feel as if I helped the boy and the day care center. Also, just working with the teachers at the day care made me very happy.
Read the full review
Our websiteI liked that the website was easy to work through. It was nice to see the pictures and read some of the testimonials on the website because that helped me and my parents in picking India to volunteer at.
Before the tripHow 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 Pre Departure Booklet was pretty helpful in telling me about India and the weather and surroundings. Email responses were quick and helpful and every time I called the staff was helpful in answering my questions.
Food and accommodationAccommodation was wonderful. Living with the family was really nice. The meals were nice.
Our teamBobby was an amazing coordinator. He was always helpful and was making sure we were all taken care of. I could not have asked for a better coordinator. He was great and always made me feel as if I could ask him for anything.
Would you recommend us?Yes, I would recommend the volunteering placements in Palampur to other people.
Avni Shah, USAChildcare
Questions volunteers ask
How big are the groups?
Small. You teach two or three groups a day.
Why do the hours change in summer?
In the Indian summer, sessions move to the morning, 9am to noon, to avoid the afternoon heat. The rest of the year they run from 2pm to 5pm.
Where does my money go?
Your program price covers your stay, meals and support in Jaipur, and part of it goes to the project, which charges families nothing.
What should I teach?
Whatever the children need most, which staff will tell you. English and math are the usual subjects; if you can teach computers, art, dance or a sport, say so when you apply.
Is this different from the Teaching program?
Yes. The Teaching program places you in a school, assisting a teacher with a full class in the morning. Here you teach small groups with a community project, usually in the afternoon.
How will I get to my project?
Projects are 20 to 30 minutes from where you stay. The team helps you set up ride apps such as Uber, and you pay your own fares, which are low; local transport is not included in the price.
Volunteer house or host family: which should I choose?
Choose the house for company: other volunteers to share meals, plans and weekend trips with. Choose a host family for a closer look at everyday Rajasthani life and home cooking. Meals are included either way; tell us your preference when you apply.
How much spending money will I need?
Day-to-day costs are low, especially as all three meals are included. Budget for ride-app fares, snacks, a local SIM card and laundry, and more for weekend trips, monument tickets and shopping.
Which visa do I need?
Most volunteers come on an Indian e-Visa, applied for online before you travel. Your passport needs at least six months’ validity after your return and two blank pages. Rules change, so check the official Indian government e-Visa website; we send guidance after you book.
Do I need vaccinations?
There are usually no compulsory vaccinations for travelers from most countries, but keep your routine ones up to date. Travel clinics commonly recommend hepatitis A and typhoid, plus protection against mosquito bites. See a clinic six to eight weeks before you leave.
Is Jaipur safe for volunteers?
Yes, with sensible precautions. We pick you up on arrival, you live in a house or family home our team knows well, and orientation covers getting around, dressing for the culture and what to avoid. Our team can be reached at any hour.
What should I wear?
Modest, light clothes: shoulders covered and trousers or skirts below the knee. Rajasthan is conservative, and cotton Indian clothes from the bazaar are cheap and comfortable in the heat.
