In one of Jaipur’s slum areas, a women’s center run by local staff holds classes that many of its students never had the chance to take: English for teenage girls, reading and writing for women, health and hygiene, computer skills and trades such as stitching.
It is a conservative community where few women speak English. Volunteers help most by being patient and practical, and by getting a point across with pictures, gestures and games when words run out.
At a glance
- A community women’s center in one of Jaipur’s slum areas.
- English for teenage girls, health and hygiene sessions, literacy and vocational classes.
- Monday to Friday, about 1pm to 6pm, with mornings and weekends free.
- 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
- Hold English conversation classes for girls aged 12 to 17.
- Run health and hygiene sessions with women, including married and pregnant women.
- Help with vocational classes such as stitching, handmade crafts and basic beauty skills.
- Support reading and writing classes for adult women.
- Give basic computer lessons to girls who want them.
- Help with workshops on nutrition, family planning and the value of education, and with life-skills sessions for girls.
About the center
The center works in a neighborhood where girls often leave school early and women have few chances to earn. Its classes give teenage girls a reason to stay in education and a voice of their own, and give women skills they can use at home and to bring in an income. Local staff run the classes year round and decide what each group needs.
Sessions mix ages and abilities, so flexible teaching works best: a picture-based health talk one day, a conversation game with the girls the next, a hand at the sewing machine after that.
Working responsibly
The center’s staff plan the classes and run them whether or not volunteers are there. You add an extra teacher and a lot of conversation practice.
Because you will work with teenage girls and vulnerable women, every volunteer shows a clean background check, and staff are present for every session. Volunteers do not give professional counseling or medical advice.
Change here is slow and personal. A girl who finds the confidence to speak English in front of the class, or a woman who learns to sign her name, is what success looks like.
A typical day
- 7:30am: Breakfast at the house. Mornings are free to plan sessions, rest or explore.
- 12:30pm: Lunch at the house, then head out by ride app or auto-rickshaw.
- 1pm: English conversation with the teenage girls, often the liveliest class of the day.
- Late afternoon: A health or literacy session with the women, or help in the vocational class.
- 6pm: Head back to the house.
- 7:30pm: Dinner.
Every project keeps its own rhythm, and hours move with school terms, festivals and the summer heat. 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, about 1pm to 6pm. 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, since much of the work is conversation.
- A clean criminal background check, issued within 12 months of your start date, because you will work with teenage girls.
- 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
4.4 from 9 reviews
From volunteers on our women’s empowerment program in Delhi.
The projectI enjoyed the Womens Empowerment program very much. The girls are 16 - 24 and learning vocational skills. I worked mostly in a computer class + simply speaking in English to help them practice. The girls were SO fun, energetic and happy to learn. The staff and director made me feel very welcome.
HighlightMy personal highlights were the 30 or more "little sisters" I gained at the womens center, the knowledge that I helped them build skills for a better life and also the great friends I made among the volunteers.
Read the full review
Before the tripAll of my Pre - Departure e-mails were answered promptly and I was pleased with the level of communication. The booklet had useful information about the program and when paired with reading guidebooks I felt very well prepared for India.
Food and accommodationThe volunteers home in Rajiv's family home was well equipped with TV, hot showers, WiFi and it was nice having our own space to "come home to" at the end of our workday. The house is in South Delhi in a very nice + Safe neighbourhood with amenities close by. The food, mostly vegetarian, was yummy!
Our teamRajiv, his wife Priya and Dheeraj all were caring + available for big and little questions helping with a problem or giving directions! Having a smiling face waiting at the airport was such a welcome sight!
Would you recommend us?Yes - I felt very well supported, safe, and so pleased with the volunteer work I was able to do in 1 month.
Any comments and suggestionsVolunteering India is fantastic, as is volunteer work and India itself. Do be prepared for life in Delhi - its awesome but has challenges, transportation, learning Hindi (or enough to get by) and just the details of living in India. If it is your first time I would STRONGLY recommend the Orientation week, mostly because it lets you slowly get your feet wet and acclimate to India before jumping into work + haggling with rickshaws on your own. Rajiv is very knowledgeble and educated guide - you'll get far more out of sightseeing this way then on your own
Katie Weilbacher, USAWomen’s empowerment
The projectAMAZING!!! The women at the center are powerful and amazing. Sometime I don't feel like I am helping them than they are helping me with their everyday Smiling faces! sometime we just talk to the girls but even this helps them because so they can practice English in conversations.
Read the full review
Before the tripI was in contact with Office in India. They answered all the question I had and helped to find my lost payment bill 🙂
ArrivalMy arrival was a bit stressful for me as the Airline lost my luggage but after I arrived in Delhi and was directly picked up from Rajiv's assistant (I didn't had to search him!!!), Rajiv helped me to get my Luggage back!
Food and accommodationThe house is Great! I love the Bed, my room, the evenings with the other volunteers, the food [we got some cooking lessons from Didi 🙂 ]
Our teamLovely 🙂 Rajiv is taking care of us all the time. I got sick and he have done the best. I brought me to the Doctor and was asking me everyday How I am feeling! He always asking about our trips ow how do we like our work. He tries to let us feel comfortable in this completely different world!!
Would you recommend us?Ofcourse! you can't get a better impression of India and its people!!!!
Annelie Schneider, GermanyWomen’s empowerment
The projectYes very much!! I really enjoyed being able to help them and teach.
HighlightMy highlight was being able to teach the women skills they will use for their whole life especially reading English.
Read the full review
Before the tripThe booklet was really good, especially helpful in preparing me for Indian culture. Emails with queries were replied to quickly.
Food and accommodationVery comfortable, enjoyed the food. It was not too spicy and good variety.
Our teamVery helpful, friendly and welcoming. Always happy to help and make us comfortable.
Would you recommend us?Yes
Emily Ball, United KingdomWomen’s empowerment
The projectYes I loved working with the girls and liked my placement.
HighlightTaj Mahal Trip.
The women at the project.
The friends I made during my stay.
Read the full review
Before the tripIt was very good. The booklet had a loads of information in it and my emails were answered quickly.
Food and accommodationVery nice and had everything we needed.
Our teamThe coordinators were very helpful and kind.
Ann Imbrechts, BelgiumWomen’s empowerment
Questions volunteers ask
Do I need to speak Hindi?
No, but expect to explain things with pictures, gestures and games as much as with words. The phrases you learn at orientation help.
How should I dress?
Modestly: shoulders covered and trousers or skirts below the knee. Light cotton Indian clothes are cheap in Jaipur and comfortable in the heat.
What hours will I work?
Monday to Friday, about 1pm to 6pm, so your mornings are free.
I have a skill to share. Can I teach it?
Yes. Stitching, crafts, beauty skills, computing and health knowledge are all useful. Tell us when you apply and we will let the center know.
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.
