The Volunteer Programme
The Goa Experience offers you the chance to sample life in India giving invaluable help to children and adults in deprived communities. You will live close to an Ashram for a two-day course on yoga & meditation and experience the wilderness through a 2-day adventure program including trekking through an unexplored area, climbing hills and rocks and staying in a tribal village for 1 night.
When you arrive in Goa you will receive a full orientation on India, your volunteer options and cultural differences. For the next few weeks you will be based 2km from the beach whilst doing volunteer work in education, childcare or ASRO shelter.
Volunteer Projects
Wherever your volunteer placement occurs, the general pattern is to work five days a week for approximately three to five hours per day. Most work occurs in the morning before lunch. But some placements require afternoon work as well.
If you choose the 4-week Goa project your volunteer options are:
Morning volunteer work
- Day care centre work with children
- Special education camps and bridge courses to children of immigrant and slum-dwelling families
- Computer education to the children for a variety of population segments which may include orphanages, groups of local women and adolescent girls.
If you choose the 8-week Goa project your volunteer options are:
Morning volunteer work
- Day care centre work with children
- Special education camps and bridge courses to children of immigrant and slum-dwelling families
- Computer education to the children for a variety of population segments which may include orphanages, groups of local women and adolescent girls.
- Teaching in schools
- Working in the ASRO HIV home
- Working in the school for mentally challenged.
Extra Afternoon Options for both 4, 6 & 8-week volunteers:
Girls Orphanage (women only)
The Orphanage homes people from 0-80 years of age. As a volunteer you will be involved with computer education, helping with homework, playing games and organising fun activities.
Bridge Courses
Teaching conversational English and sharing your computer skills with adolescent girls and women.
Teaching
Volunteers participate in educational enhancement for students of primary school specifically in the areas of English, Math and enhancing creativity.
The volunteer activities in the field include:
- Regularly teaching children English and Mathematics in the schools. No prior teaching experience is necessary.
- Creating a playful environment and enhance the creativity of the children through painting, playing games, singing etc.
- Working in creating low cost teaching material in making education more fun for the children.
- Ensuring regular health check ups of the children in each school through cooperating with the local doctors and hospital staff.
- Each volunteer to take responsibility for everyday attendance of a few children to the school, aimed at improving overall interest in the school and reduce drop-out rate.
Government school are out of season between 21st April – 4th June and from 29th October – 17th November. During these times, volunteers will be teaching in independently sponsored schools (using community centers).
Child Care
Early childhood care and education is an area of need in a region of Goa: maintenance and care of local child care centres. Also called “Anganwari”, these centres carry out holistic childcare in the area.
It is important to inform the participants that a childcare centre is a facility that established over a certain population for ensuring healthy growth and stimulation of children in rural areas. At such centre health monitoring, improvement of motor skills, nutritional supplements, vaccination etc. are provided for children from poor or uneducated families.
Drawing upon our experience we have also taken up the responsibility of maintenance and care of local childcare centres. Also called “Anganwari”, these centres carry out holistic childcare in the area. In line with the expected activities of such institutions, the volunteer activities include:
The volunteer activities include:
- Personal attention and care to the children coming to the centre everyday.
- Assistance to the local worker for record maintenance for each child based on health, vaccination, growth and nutritional condition.
- Making and feeding the children a specially prepared nutritious meal everyday with the help of a local worker.
- Continuous survey of all pregnant women and newborn babies in the area for regular health check ups and vaccination.
- Creating a colourful and enjoyable environment for the children with games, stories and other creative activities (all material support and training for such activities would be provided.
- Developing the motor skills of the little children
ASRO- Shelter for HIV/AIDS affected patients
ASRO is a Community Care and Support Centre CCSC), for People living with HIV/AIDS. As a transitional Shelter for AIDS patients, ASRO acts as a bridge between health care institutions and patients’ families to create awareness in the community.
Volunteer intervention (limited placements, for longer term volunteers only) is required and very welcomed at the institution to help care for the patients who have often been left out of the social circle due to their condition.
The volunteer activities would include:
- Everyday care for the patients and assisting nurses in the centre
- Maintenance of the facilities for the patients.
- To improve and look and feel of the centre through decorations etc.
- To make the centre more patient friendly and giving company to often-lonesome patients.
School for Mentally challenged children, Margao:
Volunteers are needed at the school for general help, care and special attention to each of the approximately 40 students enrolled in the school.
The volunteer activities would include:
- Teaching children based on instruction and advice of local teachers
- Helping the students in completing study assignments.
- Organising education and fun activities for the children
Visiting students’ homes for sensitization of the family towards their children with special needs.
What’s Included in the Programme
- Transfer from Mumbai airport
- One nights accommodation in Mumbai hotel
- All transport between projects, excursions and airport transfers
- All meals and accommodation (Mumbai- Just breakfast)
- Two-day adventure activity including trekking through an unexplored region, climbing hills and rocks. This will include a one-night stay & visit to an Indian village to explore the different way of life in rural India.
- Two-day “Ashram Experience” for learning yoga and meditation.
- Detailed orientation in Goa including a talk on Indian society and culture.
- A selection of volunteer projects
- Dedicated on-site assistance from English speaking guides
- All material required for various activities during the volunteer work like colour pens, paper, sports equipment etc
- Free time to explore local area
What’s Not Included in the Programme
- Tourist Visa
- All items of a personal nature such as gifts, clothes etc
- Flights
- E-mail and telephone calls made
- Personal insurance cover for the duration of your placement
- Ashram (any treatments)
Prices and Durations
India Goa Community Volunteers - 4 weeks
£1,539
India Goa Community Volunteers - 6 weeks
£1,979
India Goa Community Volunteers - 8 weeks
£2,299
