Gap Year: Volunteer & Teach in India

We spend 60 days with iSpiice in Himachal Pradesh, India. It was a wonderful experience. The staff, local people was amazing. They have variety of activities, including- Teaching English, Childcare, Women’s Empowerment, Street Children, Renovations, Health Education, Summer Programs and Computer Skills. If you want to join volunteering program in India, connect with iSpiice, you will enjoy it.

“Excited anticipation as I stepped off the plane and into an unknown universe of colour, sights and sounds, I can safely say that my iSpiice experience of India totally exceeded all expectations!! It was truly magical, with its fusion of cultural discovery, immersion into the community, rewarding vocational opportunities, and our own inevitable journeys of self discovery inspired by visiting such a breathtaking country. The landscape is spectacular, and from the first moment I woke up to those magnificent mountains, I could feel it’s magic. The riches of India were laid out before us, with the extremely well organised weekend trips and excursions which combined a sense of adventure and rustic travel, with a smooth, hassle free itinerary, where we were skilfully guided by our iSpiice team members, so that we effortlessly moved from place to place to enjoy all there was to see without feeling any stress from the journey. The people are so warm and welcoming, with such generosity, I felt I was truly experiencing the beauty of human kindness. Those I had the opportunity to work with and teach are such enthusiastic, open and inspiring people, that I couldn’t help but be swept up in their positivity, and with each day I found our work infinitely rewarding and appreciated. I am blessed to have made some friends for life and some amazing discoveries on my first, but certainly not my last trip to India. For all these reasons, and most importantly for the unwavering support and dedication of the iSpiice team, whose patience and kindness ensured that every moment was filled with fun and laughter to make our experience unforgettable, I would definitely recommend the iSpiice program to anyone who wants to venture to India; the ‘land where heart is king’. Thank you iSpiice.” Merci infiniment.

”The generosity, kindness and appreciation shown to me by the people of iSpiice and the local village Sidhbari, was like nothing I have been shown before. To know that I was able to make a difference by working with the most enthusiastic and exciting young children is a feeling that will remain with me forever. Days are never dull, and I had the privilege of working in a Day Care center and teaching English to the local children. I was even lucky enough to teach in the local school! Despite being thoroughly well looked after by the more than capable hands of the iSpiice team, there was also the scope for independent travel, and to visit the local towns of Dharamsala and McLeod to explore Himachal further, for that all important shopping! The weekend trips were unforgettable. This was the most awesome, inspiring, rewarding fun month of my life – I have made close friends, made a difference, and thanks to Neeraj’s trusty and delicious cooking, can say I traveled to India and didn’t get the infamous ‘Delhi Belly’! An experience I’ll never forget and one I would do all over again without a moment’s hesitation – thank you iSpiice.”

There is something to be said about organisations that do volunteering work, as it is not an easy job nor is there much profit (true non-profit organisations). Having said that, ISPIICE, is not an organisation that is truly a Volunteering organisation.

1) This is a 3-person organisation (4 if you count the landlord)
2) House - Considering the amount I paid in USD, the house isn't kept clean. It barely gets swept and mopped once a week. They expect volunteers to clean their own bathrooms and most volunteers do not unless you are one that follows rules and takes the time to clean. The girls bathroom did not have shelf space to keep toiletries and sometimes they have 6-7 girls sharing the same bathroom space (you can imagine the mess). There aren't any cupboards/drawers that can be locked. Therefore, you just have to trust that no one will steal your stuff. People come here from all over the world and it is difficult to trust that your money or whatever valuable you have won't be stolen while you are at work/sleeping/in the toilet. Bed mattresses have moulds and stains on them.
3) Since you have to do your own laundry, you need to dry them too. Girls intimate apparel is supposed to be dried inside the room! That means, room stays damp, the stuff doesn't dry for days, and not enough room as there are many room mates and not enough drying space.
4) You go for volunteering work 1.5 -2 hrs in the morning and 2 hrs in the evening. So a total of just 4 hours in a 24 hour day. It is not what I would consider volunteering when I travelled half way across the world. When I asked for more hours, they said that the driver would not be willing to take me around (?!) What else does this driver do? Nothing really, he just roams around. They finally agreed to take me to another volunteer place, yet I was not given the time to teach as the driver wanted to rush home.
5) I went on trips to Amritsar and Agra. The trips were well managed although the 2 star hotels we stayed in didn't have wi-fi in the rooms and had barebones furniture despite paying good money to stay there.
6) Since you do not know your room mates/housemates beforehand, it is possible that you can be stuck with people who have different interests than you. Now think about your own safety when people are drunk and staying in the same room as you!
7) If 1 girl is left to return to Delhi to catch her international flight, they ask the girl to travel alone by an overnight bus to Delhi. This is dangerous, as the bus drops you off at the side of some highway in Delhi (not a proper bus stand) at 5am (dark) and you are surrounded by autorikshaws that want you as their customer. As a lone girl, it is a very dangerous situation to be in! You do not know which driver is a crook and whether he would actually take you to your destination.
8) If you do not know Hindi (Indian language), it is hard to communicate with the locals. They do not teach it, as some volunteers had requested for lessons, but never received them.

Bottomline- I felt the program was not a proper volunteering experience.
It is not a volunteering organisation, it a mostly a tourist agency with some volunteering.

ispiice is a place where you can find yourself with a great supporting team, they know very well that how to organize a volunteering program. By working with ispiice I can say that it has changed my life, now I see my life in a positive way. I would love to go back and volunteer again one day.If you want to start your volunteering life in India, I recommend this organization for anyone wanting a fun, enriching experience. You won't be disappointed.

Everyone has their skills. Some people can sing, other people can build things, some people are good with numbers, etc. ispiice has definitely perfected their skill of volunteering.It is a place where you would love to come again and again and every time you will learn something new in volunteering with the help of very supporting team members. ispiice allows you to mix with the Indian culture and tradition which you will never forget till the end of your life.

I give it 3 star out of 5, there are lots of places it needs to be improved such as: food can be improved, I am not saying it is bad but more improvement can attract more volunteers from outside. But spice having a best supporting team, you can not feel that you are from another country, they are so friendly. Overall, I got a life changing positive experience in volunteering and I will go again there with my friends. Varun, you are doing great work. Keep it up!!!

I really love this organization. The work they do is so important,This is a great volunteer experience and you can really feel you're making a difference. This is a really cool volunteer opportunity. It's a pretty good way to spend a couple hours on a free night.Very relaxed environment and great people to be around!i have learned so much from here.he staff is so knowledgable and easy to talk to about any questions you have regarding the prison system, how it works, and what we can do to help.

iSpiice is an amazing organization located in Dharamsala, India. It's a beautiful rural town up in the Himalayas, and it is run by the greatest group of men who want the best for the people of India.The iSpiice staff are friendly, professional and courteous. They are wonderful cooks with great senses of humor and make sure their volunteers are comfortable and safe during their stay.The iSpiice house was honestly one of the nicest guest houses I've ever stayed at clean and comfortable.

I made 3 weeks only of volunteer with ispiice in India. I have to say ONLY because i would have loved to stay there longer. I found a well organized Group which helped me with everything needed.Great Support!!!

Volunteering with iSpiice was one of the most uplifting experiences I've ever had. Thanks to the charming people in the organization I had the opportunity to work with, my time with iSpiice was an experience I never thought I'd have- and one I will never forget. The support you get and the safety you feel with the iSpiice guys exceeded all my expectations!

I always wanted to go to India so when I had the opportunity to I searched for different volunteer organizations. Volunteering with iSpiice was one of the most uplifting experiences I've ever had. Thanks to the charming people in the organization I had the opportunity to work with, my time with iSpiice was an experience I never thought I'd have- and one I will never forget.

As a volunteer you are greeted with open arms from everyone around and they are so very appreciative of all the time you give them! I 100% recommend this project to anyone who wants a indescribably unique experience and knowledge that will throw you out of your comfort zone in the best possible direction.. iSpiice had the best options at a great price so I chose them. The staff are so helpful and make sure you are comfortable and happy the whole time.