Childcare & Elephant Volunteer Experience India

Your project coordinator in Delhi and Jaipur will take you to your project placement and introduce you to everyone after giving you a basic orientation about the program/city/culture etc.You will be told about the directions to the project from your accommodation as well as the best and the most affordable mode of transport you can use. Volunteers use a variety of modes of transport to commute to different locations in Delhi and Jaipur. Major modes of transport are Metro train, Uber taxi and auto rickshaw (tuk-tuk).

Delhi: Participants are accommodated at a well-located hostel in South Delhi, offering air-conditioned dormitories and private rooms. The hostel features comfortable common areas, an in-house café, and an outdoor space for socializing. Bedding is provided, while towels and toiletries should be brought by participants. Room allocation includes mixed-gender and female-only dorms, subject to availability, with private room upgrades available at an extra cost. Two meals per day are provided from Monday to Saturday.

Jaipur: Participants stay either at a volunteer house or with a host family. The volunteer house is located in a lively yet residential area in the northern part of the city and offers shared, dorm-style rooms. Host family accommodation provides a more immersive cultural experience, with home-cooked Indian meals and shared living spaces. Host family rooms typically have single or dual occupancy, with a maximum of three participants per room.Private room upgrades are available.

Yes, that is not a problem at all. In fact, volunteers are served only vegetarian meals at the accommodations in India. 

Your program fee does not cover your personal expenses. You will need to provide for yourself your personal expenses, such as bottled water, local transport, telephone, shopping, sightseeing etc. However, you should carry around $70-80 per week for your basic personal expenses. This amount can vary and you would need a higher amount if you go on different weekend trips out of town.

We can only provide contact details for former volunteers who have consented to having their data shared. However, there is a Facebook group for past and current volunteers which you are welcome to join. There are also hundreds of reviews online from our former volunteers as well as social media posts on Instagram, TikTok and our You Tube Channel.

We encourage volunteers to get in touch with former Volunteering Solutions participants and also other program participants joining our projects. You are recommended to join the Volunteering Solutions Facebook Page or Facebook Group to communicate with other participants.
Volunteers can also view the volunteer testimonials of Delhi program participants by clicking here.

All enrolled participants are provided information about the appropriate Visa requirements for India in the pre-departure manual. You can also contact your pre-departure point of contact to know more about the Visa requirements.

Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi (DEL) is connected with all major airports across the globe and flights are easily available. Some of the major flight carriers operating direct flights to Delhi are:
British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Air India, Etihad Airways, United Airlines, Swiss Air, KLM Dutch Airlines, Lufthansa, Austrian, Air France, Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Finn Air.

Jaipur International Airport (JAI) has limited direct international flights, but it is well connected via major hubs in India such as Delhi (DEL) and Mumbai (BOM).Most international flights operating to Jaipur are via Middle eastern countries such as UAE.

Volunteers work from Monday - Friday and have their weekends free for sightseeing. You can utilize this time to visit local markets of Old Delhi, Janpath or simply visit the Central Park (Garden) and Connaught Place. During the weekend, you have the option to take a short trip to Jaipur and Agra, and the Golden Triangle tour. Strategic placement of Delhi also allows you to take quick weekend trips to Palampur in Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh as well as Amritsar, Punjab. There is a lot to do and explore, and the local Delhi office team would happily assist you in making travel plans and arrangements for short trips. Volunteers in Jaipur head out to cities like Pushkar, Udaipur or Jodhpur on the weekends.

Yes, for all participants, it is mandatory to have a valid travel medical insurance for their trip. Volunteers have the option to purchase Travel and Medical Insurance at a nominal extra cost from Volunteering Solutions. To provide the best option to our participants, we offer comprehensive insurance coverage in collaboration with a leading insurance provider. To view more details of the insurance policy, please click here
If you already have a valid Travel and Medical insurance, you can email us a copy of the same. It is also advised to bring along the Insurance documents during your trip.
 

India is a country of diverse cultures and practices. and Delhi being the capital city is home to varied ethnicities. Like in any new foreign country, participants are advised to follow the guidelines specified by the project coordinator to enjoy their Indian experience fully. The program coordinators are always ready to help and give helpful safety tips. During the first day of the orientation, you will be given safety guidelines and will be informed about the dos and dont's. Jaipur is also generally safe for travelers, including tourists, students, and volunteers, and is considered one of the safest major cities in India. It is a very popular tourist destination.

All participants are recommended to consult their physician or travel doctor before traveling to India. To view the general list of vaccinations recommended for your travel to India, click here.

Delhi and Jaipur are one of the most popular volunteering destinations, and it is advised to apply for the projects once the volunteering/ traveling dates are decided as there are limited spots available. The application fee is valid for one full year and can be sent earlier than the desired year of volunteering for timely confirmation of the seat. As soon as you decide the travel dates, we suggest you to apply for the program and hold your spot. Every program has limited spots available. 

You can book your slot by filling the online application form and pay the application fee. You can pay your program fee later and also, in installments, however,  the complete payment should be made 45 days prior the start of the program.  If you are volunteering in a group, you can also fill a group application form. The initial application fee is refunded in the unlikely event that we’re not able to offer you a place on the program, and you have the flexibility to request a change of start date up until the 45 day payment deadline (this is subject to availability for other dates). 

To participate in volunteer projects in India, participants must be at least 17 years old at the time of joining. Families are also welcome to join the program with their children of 8 years and above. Volunteers should have an open mind and a flexible attitude to adapt to a new environment and must be in good health. As India is a country with diverse cultures and traditions, it is important to respect local customs and sensitivities. Volunteers are also expected to bring energy, enthusiasm, and a genuine desire to make a positive impact. A clear criminal background check report is required from all adult participants.

Yes, you are welcome to take part in any of the India Volunteer Programs as part of a group. We welcome families, friends, high school students, college/university and corporate groups to volunteer together in the Indian programs.Volunteering Solutions India program has hosted large student groups as well as families coming to volunteer in the program. We have hosted groups from universities in UK, Europe, and USA as well as other countries, in Delhi.

Yes, most definitely you can as we believe every participant brings something new to the project. If you do not have previous experience, we offer you the opportunity to have a great start with us. We make international volunteering easy – not only are our Volunteer Abroad opportunities rooted in offering you extensive support, but they are also very affordable.

All volunteers need to arrive in Delhi or Jaipur on the starting day of the program. Participants are picked up from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi or Jaipur International Airport by the local coordinator or representative and are transferred to the volunteer accommodation.Orientation would be conducted the next day where you will also be shown the area around the accommodations, the nearest ATM, market, and will be given safety guidelines as well as information about your project.

Do not worry, all the coordinators can speak and converse in English. Most of our participants are non-Hindi speakers and they’ve never had any problems while communicating. Like we say, love is expressed better through actions than the language.To add to the project experience, you can also join the Language and Orientation Week in Delhi before beginning the program. It's an optional week, besides that we recommend participants to brush up their Hindi skills (learn basic terms and phrases, greetings) before traveling. 

Depending on the project, elected volunteers will work during the week from Monday- Friday. You will have the weekend off so you can travel on weekends. However, volunteers need to be flexible, open minded and understand that work requirements can change as well on certain occasions.