Traditional communities
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Ages 4 – 14
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Volunteer Projects in India

Introduction

The sheer diversity of cultures, languages, landscapes and cuisine make India one of the most interesting, inspiring and exciting countries on earth. From the peace, tranquillity and beauty of the Himalayas, to the noise and vibrancy and of the cities to the beautiful beaches of the South, India has something to offer everyone. It can also be a shock to the senses and it is certainly a place to expect the unexpected. Challenging certainly but also hugely rewarding with many visitors finding themselves drawn back again and again.

About India

The Republic of India is the world's seventh largest country and with one billion inhabitants, the world's largest democracy. The landscape contrasts from the mountainous Himalayas in the north to the flat plateau of the south. It has 18 major languages and more than a thousand dialects! While the majority of people are Hindu (82%), other major religions include Islam (11%) Christianity (2%), Sikhism (2%) and Buddhism (1%).

Since Independence in 1947, the Indian government has strived to raise the living standards of the poor, but poverty still remains widespread. Despite the influx of people to its growing, sprawling cities, more than 60% are employed in farming. The World Bank describes India as a 'low-income' developing country.

The weather is mainly hot and tropical with regional variations. The coolest weather lasts from December to February, with cool, fresh mornings and evenings and dry, sunny days. When it is cold and wet, snow fall is possible. The maximum temperature is around 15 °C (59 °F).

Between March and May, the weather is still a little cold but you will be able to see the sun early in the mornings. There is fairly frequent rain and it is cloudy most of the time later on in the day. From April, it gets warmer with some sunny days that can last for a few days, interspersed with heavy rain.

Monsoon rains occur in most regions in the summer between June and September. Rain can last for up to three days at a time but mostly you find there is brief, heavy rain followed again by nice weather for a day or two. During the monsoon and winter seasons, Darjeeling is often enveloped by fog.

Mondo In India

MondoChallenge offers a wide range of voluntary projects in India. Our volunteer projects are based in Darjeeling, (north-east India), in some of the busy cities of India like Calcutta, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai providing the career break volunteers opportunity to use their skills across a range of development issues and make a real difference while taking time out from their work.

Our voluntary projects in India comprise of teaching programmes, which focus on Primary school education in rural villages in the Himalayan foothills or working with inner city slum schools.you could be enjoying the peace and quite of rural life based in a little village located in the Darjeeling & Kalimpong region or spend your career break as a volunteer in a busy city experiencing the pressures of a fast growing developing economy.

Along with voluntary teaching, we also offer more specialist volunteer opportunities to get involved with Business Development programmes, where our volunteers can work with a local NGO to address community issues whether around women's empowerment, helping street children develop life skills, or help children affected with cerebral palsy or autism. A range of skills are needed in order to help these organisations to more effectively help and can provide a challenging and fulfilling career break experience.

Things to see and do in India

Within the region, there are many places to visit such as:

Kalimpong: Apart from the local market and the large monastery astride the hill above the town, Delio Dara, Relay Bagar and Durbin Dara are some of the places to see. Dr Graham's home is worth seeing. It is a big complex with a nice chapel and a working orphanage and school.

Visits to Sikkim: These can be arranged. Some of the villages where we work are looking out over Sikkim and it is easy to get a taxi to Gangtok, the capital. You can also get shared jeeps from Kalimpong to Gangtok for around £3. Visitor's passes need to be completed at the river crossing (no charge). Rumtek Gompa is a great place to visit en route and you can buy cheap goods in Gangtok and at the border town. Another place of interest is the institute of Tibetology.

Tiger Hill and Darjeeling: At 2650 metres, this is the highest point of Darjeeling. It is famous for viewing the sunrise. However, it is not uncommon for the view to be completely obscured by mist, so try to plan a couple of visits! The 'Toy Train'’, the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Zoo, Botanical Garden, Rock Garden and Chourasta are worth visiting and there are several historical buildings to see, as well as Mirik Lake which is a 2 hours ride from Darjeeling.

Living in India

We are not aware of any particular issues in the Darjeeling area but you should keep an eye on the Foreign Office (UK volunteers) web site (www.fco.gov.uk) and the press for information.

There is nowhere in the world where all danger can be avoided but Darjeeling/Kalimpong is a charming, peaceful and safe region.