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!

I really cannot say enough good things about this programme. From the minute I arrived at Delhi airport I have been taken care of by the most amazing kind and caring people I have ever come across. I would highly recommend including the orientation week in your time here, you can't put a price on what you will learn and experience and the relationships you will build with local staff and fellow volunteers. It was an invaluable week and it taught me so much about how to handle myself in this completely different culture and how to get the most out of this experience. The staff that take care of you here have now become family to me after just a few weeks. I was lucky enough to stay with Mohit and Chandni who are two of the most amazing people I have ever met in my life, they are hilarious and kind and have opened their home to me and their hearts and the thought of leaving them feels like i will be leaving behind my own family. If i ever had any worries or needed any help they have been available 24-7 to chat or sort out anything for me. I am so thankful for this experience and I just know I will be back to India again and will absolutely use IVHQ to Volunteer again. Thank you thank you thank you to IVHQ and the local staff who have made this a once in a lifetime experience for me.

My time in India was an unforgettable one. Orientation week set me up for a crazy, interesting, challenging, wild and wonderful time at AryaKanya, an all girls orphanage in Faridabad.

Faridabad, a city in itself within the outskirts of Delhi, has been a whole other world and yet feels like home too. Every time we returned how from weekend trips it was a warm and comforting welcome back from the rickshaw drivers and the workers at the local supermarket (we went there way too often #snacks).

The orphanage was a lovely place, and too felt like home. I was so glad to be placed there, despite it being a very full on experience. I felt supported everyday at the placement by the local staff of the orphanage and IVHQ. What a memorable 5 weeks of my life.

Spending the last two months volunteering for the slum teaching program in Delhi has been one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, experience of my life. By working with children in a school that is genuinely understaffed and lacking resources, I earned the privilege of being a part, albeit a small one, of these kid's lives and growth; through watching these children live in their conditions, and their satisfaction is the smallest things like receiving a new pencil, I gained perspective and learned a substantial amount about myself and the world around me.

Beyond the placement itself, I was able to truly become part of the community I was living in; local children and shopkeepers knew me by name, and the community in general was extremely welcoming. Thanks to IVHQ, I also met a handful of other volunteers from around the world. We went traveling together during the weekends, and many of them will remain lifelong friends.

I had such a life changing experience in India with IVHQ. Working in the slum clinic in Faridabad was such an amazing and valuable experience I will never forget. IVHQ supported me throughout my whole placement and my host family was even more amazing. This is my second time volunteering with IVHQ and I've been pleased both times. I really wished I stayed longer because I learned so much during this trip not only about India but about healthcare as well. This is great for any pre-Med or pre-PA student and any healthcare professional. If I had to do it all over again I would but I would have stayed longer. I highly recommend this project!

Coming over to India to volunteer was my first time I have travelled by myself, so I was quite nervous. But little did I know I'd make so many amazing friends who I'm sure will be in my life forever! The orientation week is a brilliant experience to meet people to hang out with and go travelling on weekends! The volunteering was an absolutely amazing experience that I'll never forget. The children that I was teaching English to have made such a big impact on my life. I not only taught them English, but they also helped me with my Hindi. Walking into school each day and seeing their smiling faces is so rewarding. I also spent a lot of time at the orphanage near my home stay, where a few of the children in my class live. It's amazing to see all these children so happy. The hardest thing about going back to Australia will be saying goodbye to the children. The staff who run IVHQ were also amazing!! They always make sure you are enjoying yourself and are happy to help at any time. I want to do volunteering overseas again and I will definitely be going through IVHQ. I would recommend them to everyone. It has been a life changing experience!