India: Orphanage

Project Summary

Thousands of refugee families from Bangladesh have been displaced and living in shanty communities for years. Keeping this in mind, one of the simple, yet necessary goals of this project is to give a smile to all the needy children. It is based on offering a free school, or center, where education, food, medical support, clothing, entertainment programs, games etc. are provided to the street and shanty kids. The lack of food, education, employment, shelter and medical facilities are the root to the problems. It is our hope that "Happy Home" will provide a support system to help diminish these issues.

At this time there are 3 centers with another one on its way. The goal is to add 10 more in 2007. The three established "Happy Homes" are located in Madhyamgram, Bishorpara, and New Barrackpore. There are approximately 20 kids per center from 4-12 years of age.

At a Glance

Minimum Program Length:	2 weeks
Start Dates:	May: 1st & 16th June: 1st & 14th August: 1st September: 1st & 14th November: 1st & 16th December: 16th
Arrival Date:	1 days prior to your Start Date (Sunday)
Minimum Age:	18 years old
Volunteer Gender:	Male and Female
Accommodation:	Your accommodation is included in the program price. Volunteers could stay in any of the following: family homestays, halls, lodges, guest house and school lodges (dormitory) depending on availability at the time and location. Accommodations will be for 2-4 (same gender) volunteers per room with basic living conditions.
Food:	Three meals a day are included in the program price.
Pick-up Info:	A Volunteer Visions representative will be waiting for you at your arrival point and guide you to your accommodation and project location.
Project Schedule:	The working day can range from 4-8 hours of teaching Monday to Friday.

Your role as a Volunteer

You will be given a more specific list a work details during your orientation, but the following is a very basic description of what you may be able to expect. We are looking for long, medium and short term volunteers to work directly with the children at the centers. Your role as a volunteer could be from teaching educational classes of any type to simply playing with the children and making them smile. The children need someone to love and play with them, be a role model and a friend and teach and guide them. Depending on where your strengths lie and upon the support needed at the specific time, you will have the opportunity to become actively involved in the lives of these desperate children. There is also plenty of room for you to use your own creativity to involve the children in more positive activities.

Project Location

In the north of India, Kolkata (Calcutta), India's third largest city is defined not by its poverty but by the energy, imagination and zest for life of its people. Located in West Bengel, Kolkata has a population of 14,000,000. From April to June the city is extraordinarily hot, so the arrival of the monsoon rains in mid June can feel like a blessing. From mid June to October these rains poor down on the city and lighten up starting in October and run through February. Temperatures in Kolkata rarely drop below 15ºC (59ºF) and often soar above 35ºC (95ºF). The city is expected to date back around 2000 years, therefore it clearly has an abundance of history underneath your feet. More recently the IT boom in India has started to catch up with Kolkata, prompting many multinational companies to set up base in the city.

Local Activities and Attractions

Considering volunteers have weekends free they are more than welcome to travel to nearby places. We are also capable of organizing tour programs for our volunteers before or after their program. Possible excursions depend on available time and project location. Here is a list of destinations you may choose to visit: Taj Mahal, New Delhi - Capital of India, Trekking or simply seeing the sights of the Mountains of India - Himalayans, Western Ghats, and Eastern Ghats, Villages of India with cow driven cart and man driven cart rides, Ganges Safari, Pilgrimage places of India, Jaipur - the Pink City of India with elegant Elephant ride, Deserts of India - Thar Desert with a challenging Camel ride, Beaches of India, and Indian valleys which include snow-capped peaks, dry and cold deserts, luxuriant fields, rock-faces, mangroves, bare stretches of earth, and a range of alpine to impenetrable tropical rain forests.

Activities that are available on site to volunteers include Yoga and Language classes. Yoga classes are available for $50 per week, per person. This includes two classes a week on Saturday and Sunday evening. Bengali language classes are also available for this same rate on Saturday and Sunday early mornings.

Suggested Skills and Interests

Most importantly the volunteers need to be open-minded, have initiative, creative, patient and enjoy working with children. Self-motivation is very important as well. Volunteers should respect the culture, dress codes, and traditions very closely. They need to be flexible with local foods, accommodations and systems of living. Specific skills or trades that have been found in previous volunteers include, but are not limited to: teachers, health care professionals, social workers, arts and craft trainers, community developers, music and dance trainers, sports enthusiasts, construction workers, and dieticians or food distributors.