Ever fancied a job as one of Santa’s elves? You don’t have to go to the North Pole. This holiday season you can do the same good work in India as a volunteer, and swap the shopping rush for something that lasts longer than the wrapping paper.
In India, the festive season starts early, with Diwali in October or November, and carries on through Christmas to New Year. December days in Delhi and Jaipur are dry and sunny, the nights are cold, and Christmas lights go up in markets and churches. For the festive side of things, read our reasons to volunteer in India at Christmas. This post is about the giving: which projects suit a holiday break, what to bring and how to plan.
Give your time where it’s needed
The most useful gift you can bring a project is a reliable pair of hands for the work its staff already do. Most of our programs start from one week, so even a short break is enough. These suit the season well.
Children at shelter homes in Delhi
On our street children program, you join the staff of shelter homes and non-formal education centers that give children from Delhi’s streets and slums meals, safety and a way back into learning. You run games, art and simple lessons, and if your stay falls over Christmas, you can help the staff plan a small celebration with paper decorations, a craft session or a cake to share. The staff stay responsible for the children throughout.
Women and girls in Delhi and Jaipur
Community centers in Delhi’s urban slums need volunteers to practice spoken English with young women, help in literacy and computer classes, and share skills such as sewing or beauty work. That is the heart of our women’s empowerment program. In Jaipur, the women and girls program covers English, health and hygiene, literacy and stitching at a women’s center. Swapping holiday traditions makes a lively conversation class.
Children’s shelters in Jaipur
Jaipur programs start every Sunday, which makes them easy to fit around holiday flights. On the childcare program, you spend your afternoons at a shelter home for boys rescued from child labor, or for girls affected by HIV, helping with homework, English, crafts and play. You need to be 18 or over.
A gift that lasts: renovation in Jaipur
If you would like to give something you can see, join our construction and renovation program. Volunteers repair, paint and decorate schools, community centers and clinics that can’t afford the work themselves, for four to five hours a day. A freshly painted classroom is still there long after the decorations come down.
Elephants and the Golden Triangle
For animal lovers, our 15-day childcare and elephants program combines a week at children’s projects in Delhi with three days at an elephant rescue center near Agra, where you help the keepers prepare food, build enrichment and look after the grounds, and walk alongside the elephants with them. There is no riding, bathing or performing. The trip also takes in the Taj Mahal and ends with sightseeing in Jaipur, so your holiday travel is planned for you.
Give things that help
Many volunteers want to bring presents. A few tips so your generosity goes where it’s needed:
- Ask first. Your coordinator knows what each project is short of, whether that’s exercise books, art supplies or something bigger.
- Buy locally. Pens, notebooks and craft materials are easy to find in Delhi and Jaipur, usually cost less than at home and support local shops. They save space in your luggage, too.
- Give to the project, not to individual children. Hand donations to the staff, who can share them fairly and make them last.
Celebrate together
Christmas Day is a public holiday in India, and schools usually close for a winter break around the New Year. Every project keeps its own calendar, so your coordinator tells you about closures ahead of time and helps you plan those days. You share your accommodation with volunteers from other countries, so expect to swap traditions as well as gifts: a dinner out on Christmas Eve, a walk among the lights, a countdown to midnight on New Year’s Eve.
Plan your holiday trip
- Choose your dates early. Delhi programs start on two Sundays a month and Jaipur programs every Sunday. See dates and prices.
- Book flights soon. Flights to India fill up around Christmas and New Year.
- Start the paperwork now. You need an Indian visa (most volunteers use the e-Visa), compulsory travel and medical insurance and, for work with children or vulnerable adults, a criminal background check issued within 12 months of your start date. In some countries the check can take a few weeks, so apply early.
- Pack for cold nights. Days are pleasant, but evenings are chilly and rooms are rarely heated. Our winter packing list has the details.
Ready to make this holiday season about someone else? Browse our programs, or email info@volunteeringindia.com with your dates and we’ll help you choose.