Loved this!

I actually volunteered twice for the Elephant program, once in 2014, and again in Feb 2015. It is a super fun program that not only gives you a once in a lifetime experience up close and personal with Elephants, but also gives you a window into the life of the people who own and care for these animals and their families.
You can expect to wake up early (4 or 5am.) And take a 20min tuk tuk ride to the Elephant Village. There is some dirty work involved, such as picking up the poop (they give you gloves) and emptying the poop in a field. But the experience is great, the elephants are friendly and love treats such as bananas, apples, oranges...after all your hard work, you'll enjoy a nice cup of chai and a chat with the mahouts. Maybe even an elephant ride or two!
***Be advised going into this program that this is not an Elephant rescue program, or a Elephant Reserve. These elephants WORK. They are used to give tours up to Amber Fort and other places around Jaipur. Sometimes they are used for weddings. Some of these elephants were rescued from circuses or other abusive settings and brought to the elephant village. They still are used for tours however. In this program I can tell you first hand that these elephants are properly cared for. They are provided with veterinarian care regularly (one had an ear infection and was visited by a vet and treated daily with topical ointment as well as antibiotics while I was there.) They are fed properly (probably excessively! They get lots of treats!) and all are provided shelter and bedding to sleep on. They are chained when inside their shelter, and they are chained while you are cleaning up around them. This is for the protection of the people working near them. Although elephants are friendly and peaceful, they are still a huge animal with a lot of power and capable of severe damage, even if it is unintentional. As far as other reports of use of a bull hook go, I have seen a bull hook in one location. I have never seen it used on any of the elephants. None of the elephants I was around ever had wounds indicating bull hook use, or any other kind of abuse. Some of the elephants, that came from previous circumstances, have old scars around their ears and top of their head. These are obviously very old, and have been healed many years. Never have I seen any elephant with any fresh wound anywhere.
Volunteers help in two ways in this program: 1) The fee you pay to do this program goes to help the families who own the elephants, as well as provide food and care for the elephants themselves. These families are poor. The elephant tours are their sole source of income for many of them. Some of them can hardly afford to feed themselves, let alone an elephant. This program ensures that the elephant is properly fed, cared for, sheltered, and has access to medical attention.
2) Helping the family clean and take care of the elephant in the morning gives the family extra time to take care of children, spend time together, eat breakfast together etc. before they go out to make their money for the day.
I enjoyed this program so much I came back a year later and did it again. I think it does a lot of good for these people, as well as the elephants. But if you're looking for an experience working at an elephant sanctuary or reserve for rescued elephants, this is not it.