PMGY - Volunteer in India from $375

Hello!
Overall my experience was very positive. I assisted in the school as a teacher, helping children to learn English and also provide support and help with the children at the orphanage. It was a very fulfill experience because I was able to experience a different culture and be emerge myself in it. I enjoyed being part of this program. It has completely opened my eyes when it comes to volunteerism and I have become more outgoing and open to new experiences. I was in India for 2 weeks during the month of November and being with the staff throughout the state made me know them better and understand their life more and more. I made amazing friends and explore things that I never thought of doing.

PMGY has the most helpful service and you can see it from the beginning of the trip to the very end. I was given enough information to know the project and the people involved. I felt very safe because I understood that they had my back. I also want to note that I traveled to Peru on March 2019 and thanks to the travel insurance I have purchased with the program I was provided exclusive medical assistance when I experienced altitude sickness. I was hospitalized and then stayed in a hotel until I recovered then paid tickets to travel home, and all of this covered by the insurance. I truly appreciate the support and efficiency that the offered me. I will continue to travel with this company, because they have guaranteed me a safe and adventurous trip and that is exactly what I got.

Great experience!
* Good predepature support and informative volunteer handbook to refer to
* Excellent in-country support
* Accomodation is very basic but clean.
* Taught English and worked with Disabled pupils.

* Advice for future volunteers: the house in January is very very cold! A sleeping bag is definitely needed and slippers/thick socks along with warm lounge wear.

Plan your time well and the activities you want to do as time flies when you’re there. Ask Vishy about the weekend trips available and he will help you to organise them. A weekend in Amritsar was my favourite weekend trip to see the India/Pakistan border ceremony!

I took part in the medical program in India Summer 2017 for two weeks. This was one of the most rewarding, jam packed two weeks of my life! Firstly, I was thoroughly impressed with the breadth of activities available for you. A typical day consisted of a 9 am start in either the hospital, slum clinic or dispensary. I was able to learn and reinforce basic medical examinations and I found scrubbing into surgery very useful as I experienced first hand how a busy hospital is run in a developing country. Then in the evening you could explore the local town or volunteer in the orphanage or disable school, which I particularly looked forward to.
You are well looked after by Vishi, Kranti and the family with three cooked meals a day. The volunteering housing facility is equipped as well as can be for the extremely warm climate, with a fan in each room.
On the weekend you have the opportunity to visit different cities which I organised myself. I visited the beautiful Amritsar, which was definitely one of the highlights of my trip.

Thank you to everyone out there who made my experience a thoroughly rewarding one!

James and I decided to start our gap year volunteering in India, and we chose this program to do so. The choice was the best we could have made.
On arrival, we couldn’t find any wifi, but as they told us, there was a driver waiting for us that drove us to the accommodation. Our place was fine, sharing with other volunteers. It had a rooftop to chill out.
We taught in the slums school in the mornings and helped in the orphanage in the afternoons. During our month of volunteering we really developed a close relationship with those amazing kids. Sometimes we think that we learnt more about them than we did from them. We really encourage other people to try the same. Give them your best and you won’t be disappointed. Those kids are great!
Thank you for everything!

I spent two weeks in India and had the best time of my life. The whole experience from beginning to end was something I will never forget. It was VERY hot whilst I was there but although in the beginning it felt unbearable i quickly got used to it and missed it as soon as i got home.

The program is well organised and motivated by care and with great understanding.

I would highly recommend this program to anyone wishing to visit india and experience the culture.

Sarah x

This Month was not a regular month at all to me, it started full of inthusiasm for the trip to India and become a bit harder when i had to face the loss of my beloved Grandmother on my 4th day of the program in India. and found no optio for support from the PMGY organization Unfortunately!
i staid for two weeks in the house with Vishy and his wonderful family, i volunteered in the medical program. as a 4th year medical student this experience was very enriching to me due to the fact that i was able to explore a totaly different medical system and therapy methods.
The experience in the slum clinics, dispensary, medical camp and differet clinics has tought me many meaningful lessons and will accompany me through all my years in the medical feild.
other than that, i had real good time spent with my fellow volunteers in the orphanages with the amazing kids staying there. and had enough time on the weekends to travel thanks to the help of Vishy, i cannot find the words to describe this person ! inlimited kindness and a huge heart whom is willing to help in everything needed, my visit would have been much harder without Vishys help.

I spent just under a month in Faridabad with Vishy and his family and couldn't have asked for a better experience. They were amazing and helped us out with anything we needed (including booking all our weekend trips) and made us all feel completely safe! The accommodation in Faridabad was lovely and clean and there was different foods to try every day! You're only an hour away from Delhi on the metro, making it easy to spend evenings out if you wanted to! The support team in the UK were amazing, too, and answered any questions I had really quickly! I did the women empowerment programme which I loved and all the women there were so welcoming!! I'd recommend the programme to anyone!

The only advice I'd give to future volunteers is just to keep an open mind; India can be a little overwhelming at times (the heat, how busy it is etc) but it's the most amazing place I've visited!

Can't recommend PMGY and the projects in India enough!

I spent three weeks volunteering with the Women's Empowerment Project in Faridabad and it was spectactular.
The coordinator Vishy was fantastic at making sure you felt comfortable, helping organise weekends trips, changing your money. He knew everything and was always willing to help, just swing him a WhatsApp!
Going to the slum school everyday was also a great learning curve. I spent time with the sewing business set up by Vishy wife, Kranti.
Unfortunately the women's empowerment project itself wasn't quite what I was expecting. It was only three afternoons a week and was predominantly teaching English to the few girls that turned up. However, in my last week we changed the Project around so volunteers would visit the girls polytechnics school- much better!
I definitely wouldn't go for any less than three weeks if you want the true, Indian experience. Definitely worth it, go whilst you can.