India Volunteer Programs from $18/day | Most Affordable & Trusted

My experience with IVHQ and it's local team in India was far better than I expected. The local staff, host family, and other volunteers were immeasurably helpful and overall amazing people to spend time with. I participated in the healthcare program, where we did regular check-ups and provided free medicines to the people in a local slum in Delhi. The impact the project has on the underprivileged is direct and profound. The summer heat in Delhi was almost unbearable at times, but the smiles of our patients made up for it. We had more than enough time during the day to explore Delhi and Faridabad, and it is very easy to take weekend trips to neighboring cities.

Choosing India to travel to at the age of 18 was a very "why not" kind of decision. I knew the culture shock was going to be crazy, and boy was I right. Every thing about India screamed "different" than the comfort of my western home in the states. But boy did I love it! India was such a beautiful and magical country that one can only be there to know what I am talking about. Being around temples, monuments and just the people was eye-opening! The kids were also the best part about it! They were so sweet and and gracious for everything I did! IVHQ was a great program and I cant wait to do another one!

IVHQ India
IVHQ organisation was an amazingly straight forward program that was efficient, organised and easy to work with. They provided a lot of information about all aspects of the program and country. They were also very responsive to email inquiries. I was grateful for how smoothly everything went for me, from airport pick up and a very helpful orientation.

Program
My program was teaching Slum Children. Before beginning I was nervous and didn't know what to expect, however once I arrived in India I received a lot of tips about how to manage the kids and ongoing support from the IVHQ staff. Working with the kids was an unbelievably humbling experience, you really get to know them on a personal level, teaching them every day and then playing cricket or soccer with them after school. I grew so much as a teacher, learning how to manage the kids and came to really enjoy going to school and seeing their smiling, excited faces.

Homestay

I had THE BEST homestay family. I stayed with Chandni and Mohit - living with them was so much fun. I felt like part of the family as they took us to the movies, shared amazing food with us and had hilarious late night conversations. I could't feel safer and more at home in India then with these amazing people.

I graduated from university last month, and want to start my new life. It's very lucky that I choose to be a volunteer in this slum school with my cute host family. I taught maths in school,and students have so many passions for learning that.Finally, I forgot I was a volunteer cause students are helping me to know myself! My experience here let me know who I can be and who I want to be. Also, staying with the host family is the best choice to experience the real Indian life. I had a lot of good Indian food I've never tried before. My host family members ate meal with me, we sat around the table, had dinner together,and talked about Indian culture and our interesting stories. I'm so happy to have such a sweet family. Now I have more brothers and sisters.They warm my heart,and let me touch the feeling of home.

Dropping everything and heading to a new country for three months to volunteer can be a scary thing. As a college student, I wanted to do something meaningful with my summer. IVHQ made my volunteer experience an incredible one. They provided me a fully arranged sightseeing week, an incredible homestay family, and truly caring local staff. On top of that, IVHQ gave me the chance to impact a community.

My placement was in the Sandesh Slum school. I taught twice per day with three other volunteers. The children were so precious. Everyday we could always count on twenty kids eagerly running up to us to shake our hands, saying "hello ma'am!" in their excited little voices. Fridays were "fundays", and all the students would bring goodies from home. As with any teaching job, it can be challenging, but the reward from doing it in the end is so great.

The homestay life was incredible. I stayed with four other volunteers, and our family was beyond great. I had such a positive experience that I've actually already made plans to come back and see them in the future. I'm a vegetarian and one of the other volunteers was vegan, and Mamta (the homestay mom) always accommodated to our dietary needs. The food was delicious. Her hospitality was unparalleled, also. She had twins who always accompanied me to the fruit market or to hail a tuktuk, and we even made dessert together one night.

The local staff was so helpful and kind, and all of the volunteers really got close to them during our time in Delhi. In addition, the 30 volunteers that I began the program with have become some of my best friends. We traveled on weekends together, and we're even making plans to visit each other after we all part ways.

I'd be happy to answer any questions about IVHQ or the Delhi program more specifically. I am going to Rabat, Morocco with IVHQ tomorrow and I am super excited because of the super positive experience I've had here in India.

Every day I got to walk in the door and see the happiest smiling faces ready to learn! We helped with English math and taught other fun activities like yoga dance and art. One of my favorite lessons we taught was about emotions. The kids loved learning these and always love to say happy when we ask how they're feeling! I loved getting to know each child's personality and learning how to communicate with them without sharing a common language

This is probably the best experience I have had in a long time. I have done other volunteer and travel experiences...but my time in India has been like nothing else. Where do I begin?
The culture is amazing first of all. The food, the smells, the sights and the sounds...all draw you into falling in LOVE with India. Just traveling alone around India, you get immersed in the history and their life that has been so well preserved for thousands of years.
The volunteer company that I came here through, IVHQ, was nothing but the best. Not only was the New Zeland headquarter staff helpful, but when I got to India the staff here went above and beyond my expectations. They have been friendly, suppourtive and extremely helpful.. Not once did I feel alone or unsafe being here. If i needed any help or assistance, literally just a phone call away and they would show up to help out. I was working in the slums, and naturally you would be skeptical about the safety...but to be honest, i never felt unsafe AT ALL.
I think 'life changing' understates my feelings about coming here...India is definitely worth the travel and visit, and IVHQ is definitely worth volunteering with.

When I got to India I jumped straight into the slum school teaching program. This is a life changing experience because it opens your eyes to the different cultures that are in this world. It was a shock to see how differently these schools operate compared to the schools in America. Your weekends are free to roam India(I recommend Rishikesh) they have lot of great food ! My host family was amazing , they made me feel like a part of the family they are so welcoming and are willing to help you! If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask them. If your doing the slum school teaching try to plan a teaching outline that you want to teach the kids (this way your time will be filled )the kids also love songs and dancing ! Try to do arts and crafts with them :) And last but not least Enjoy , don't take things to seriously , just relax!