Your Guide To Volunteering While Visiting India

By Author: Halabol Team
Total Articles: 39
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A large number of foreign nationals flock into India each year to join a revolution commonly referred to as ‘voluntourism’. If you wish to volunteer on your next trip to India, here are a few things you need to know.

Advantages of Volunteering

Opting to volunteer for any cause is a great way to give back to the society. It is also a great alternative to donating money, as it gives you an opportunity to be involved with a cause on a personal level and make a difference first hand. Opting to volunteer is also a great way to acquire a different outlook and appreciation for life.

How to Volunteer

If you wish to volunteer in India, there are two primary routes worth considering –

Independently

Signing up with a company that provides volunteer placements

Volunteering on an independent capacity with an anti animal cruelty organization or any other scheme is a much more cost effective option. However, that will not give you as much support that is typically provided by placement companies. The latter also provides training, accommodation, food and other resources to settle ...
... into the new environment.

If you are visiting India for the first time, joining a placement company is recommended.

Consider this before you Volunteer

Before you commit yourself to a cause, here are a few things you must consider-

What type of volunteer work do you intend to pursue?

Where would you like to work?

What type of people would you like to work with?

The options you have at hand-

Joining an anti animal cruelty welfare program.

Working at an orphanage

Working for an empowerment program for underprivileged women

Working in a rehabilitation program for the sick, dying or the disabled

Joining an environmental conservation program

Contributing to a rural development program

Working on a healthcare scheme

Teaching tribal communities and underprivileged children

How long should you Stay

In most cases the duration of your stay is a decision you need to take on your own. You can find welfare programs that are as short as two weeks or teaching programs that you can take on for over six months or longer.

If you truly wish to have a fulfilling volunteering experience, spending at least a month is recommended. This gives you enough time to settle in, get to know the objective of the program and make a valuable difference.

If you spend a short time volunteering for an anti animal cruelty scheme for example, you will end up dedicating most of your time to just learning as against making any contributions.

It is highly uncommon for an international volunteer to regret his or decision to contribute to a project or a scheme. With the help of some basic research you can find your true calling and identify a functional way to make a difference.

About Author:-

Halabol is the space that aims at bringing like minded people together and making an impact collectively. Thus, it helps in supporting and solving various problems that we rather neglect otherwise. Halabol allows you to not make any more excuses. Team Halabol has written several articles on contemporary issues related to social campaign, social good, social movements in India, animal rights, animal welfare, animal abuse animal cruelty, environment, minorities, education, youth affairs, and present social events to create awareness among people.