Experience India as a Volunteer: introduction
get involved
See the India beyond the travel brochures
Meet Indian people from all walks of life
Greg teaching a song
Volunteers with teachers at the local primary school
A volunteer painting a quotation on the college building
- low cost (only £265 excl. flights)
- flexible: any time from 3 weeks upward
- open to anyone: no specific skills required
- (click here to view a 3 minute video clip about the scheme)
Experience Rural India as a Volunteer with VRI
Have you seen Indian villages from your train window and wondered what life is actually like there?
Have you ever wanted to get "behind the scenes" and see for yourself how a development charity works?
Under the VRI scheme you have the opportunity to visit development projects and learn about the culture of rural India. The emphasis is on learning rather than traditional volunteer work.
The volunteer scheme involves a three-week stay at our partner project at Amarpurkashi, a village in northern India, which provides a safe place to experience this very different way of life.
Many visitors treat this three-week stay as an end in itself, often as part of a longer stay in India as an independent traveller. They find that their stay at Amarpurkashi has given them more confidence to travel independently, and that they go home with a much more rounded view of India.
Other volunteers decide they want to get more involved; they go on to visit other projects linked to the scheme, or they remain at Amarpurkashi and become more involved in voluntary work there.
“I had such a unique experience and felt I got to be part of people’s lives while at the project that I never would have experienced otherwise.” Chloe Hignett, October 2012
"Best three weeks I've ever had in India!" - Samta Patel, September 2004
"I enjoyed my experience as a volunteer so much that I wanted to continue my involvement in the charity." - Samta Patel returns, February 2014
How the Volunteer Scheme works
| Skills: | No specific skills are required, just a willingness to learn and fit in. |
|---|---|
| Age: | The Volunteer Scheme is open to anyone over the age of 18. We regularly have volunteers taking a career break. |
| Time period: | The scheme is extremely flexible. After your three-week introductory period in the Indian village of Amarpurkashi, you can spend some time at development projects or just enjoy India as a tourist. |
| Dates: | The scheme runs on set dates from September to February. Click here to check dates. |
| Interviews: | VRI runs interviews for prospective volunteers to give you further insight into the scheme before you make the final commitment. It also gives us the chance to find out more about you and to see whether the scheme is suitable for you or not. Most interviews take place in London. For applicants from overseas, interviews are conducted over the phone. |
| Preparation: | If you decide you want to join the scheme you will attend a short preparation session in London to help you prepare for your time in India and meet other visitors and past visitors. All applicants are expected to attend. The only exceptions are applicants from overseas, for whom other arrangements can be made. |
| Cost: |
The placement fees are low making the scheme accessible to the low budget traveller.
The fee is £265 (including VRI membership fee) for the initial 3-week period (including food and accommodation, but not including travel or insurance), and £2 to £3 per day thereafter. |
| Travel: | You make your own travel arrangements, although VRI will offer advice. |
| Insurance: | You must ensure you have adequate travel insurance to cover your time in India, including your stay at the project. |
| Outside UK: | The scheme welcomes visitors from outside the UK but you must be able to speak fluent English. |
| Cancellations: | If, after the orientation, you decide that the scheme is not for you or VRI feels that you would not benefit from it, your placement can be cancelled. We will return your fee minus a small amount for administration. |
click here for more information about the scheme