Imagine waking up every morning and then heading off to a slum school where roughly 30, 40 children are waiting for you – and the moment they see you, they start jumping in joy! (I know you are already smiling with this thought…and wondering how it would actually feel like, in reality.)

Volunteering with children is beautiful beyond words and when you considering traveling to India for contributing meaningfully towards the lives of the street children, you not only choose to travel responsibly but also gather blessings from everywhere. The kids whom you’ll work with, are mostly abandoned or orphaned – and they live in pretty hard circumstances. They’ve been provided with basic shelter and food, and we are trying our level best to make life a tad bit easier for them. You, being a part of this program, can be their mentor and guide, shower them with the love they deserve and help them dream of a better tomorrow.

Every year, we host people from different corners of the world – some are enthusiast solo travelers on their gap year, some college students and some explorers – but all of them have the zeal of spreading happiness among these li’l ones!

While you’ll find endless reasons to travel to India and explore this magnificent country, we’ll tell you about 5 amazing reasons why volunteering for the street children should be there on your bucket list:

1# Share your valuable time with the underprivileged kids and contribute towards making life more meaningful for them.

As a popular saying states, ‘The best gift we can give someone is time’…and there can be nothing truer than this! When you choose to be a volunteer, you pledge to offer some valuable time towards the well being of these kids, who aren’t as fortunate and are victims of destiny. Your presence would matter and you’ll soon understand this, from the joy of the kids. No matter whether you teach them some maths lessons, or guide them with basic English, or maybe tell them simple stories about your country – you do end up spreading some knowledge, that they’re gonna remember for long! You can love them and play with them, teach them songs and rhymes, or how to color or maybe making a paper boat! While your steps might appear to be really small, you can make a big difference in their lives by making them happy.

2# Add more meaning to your journey in India.

Volunteering, undoubtedly, adds a lot of value to your travel expedition. It would give you a strong and defined purpose to travel overseas and something worthy to look forward to. You’ll know for yourself that the reason for traveling to India is not just to visit the popular sights, but to engage with a noble cause – a cause that’d let you make an impact in some underprivileged lives and help you in spreading smiles among others. If you’re on a gap year, then you’ll surely get to add this experience in your Resume and narrate your journey to your future employers. For high school & college students, this volunteering journey can prove to be a stepping stone and help you navigate through several career prospects, in the days ahead.

3# You’ll get to make friends in all shapes and sizes!

It is said that all it takes is one moment to make a long-lasting connection with someone. Friendship is one relation in this world that we make and choose on our own. It does not see age, caste, gender, social status, or language; it just needs a connection to happen.

When you work for the street children in India under this volunteer program, you’ll be intrigued by their warmth and exuberance towards your presence alone. Just when a simple handshake would turn into a warm tight hug, you won’t even realize it; till you are done with the program and all set to leave. You will be amazed to realize how these little, unfortunate children could create such a huge impact in your life and leave a mark of friendship for years to come.

4# You’ll get to explore India like a local.

While volunteering for the Street Children Program, you’ll be living in the capital city of New Delhi for a considerable period of time (unlike other tourists, who just have a few days in hand to explore the city!). You’ll get enough time to visit the popular places and wander around the not-so-touristy areas. To be precise, you’ll get to explore the nooks and corners of the city, like a local! Sounds amazing, right? You can also head out to visit Agra (where you’ll see the Taj Mahal) and Jaipur (the Pink City) over the weekends, and maybe, explore the Himalayan town of Palampur as well. You can learn the hacks of bargaining, and shop like a pro from the local markets. What can be more fun than this?

5# Inspire others with the stories of your journey!

On one hand, you’ll be gaining experience that you can cherish for a lifetime. And on the other, you’ll get to inspire a lot of other people, with the stories that you’ll gather during this journey. You can set an example for others through your volunteering endeavor. Many of your friends and family members would be highly influenced by your actions, and who knows – even they might be keen to take a step out of their comfort zone and travel to India for volunteering?

So if you have plans to visit India anytime, do consider being a part of this volunteering journey. Volunteering India would be glad to host you and assist in all possible ways. You can also write to us at [email protected], in case you are looking for more information. Also, you can take a quick look at this Comprehensive Guidebook, that’d tell you more about the Street Children Volunteering Program in India.