Best Volunteer Programs In India 2023

Voluntourism at its worst. Very little of the money paid is invested into the projects, as volunteers we had to buy our own supplies for the children and none of the volunteer work at the orphanage is sustainable long term.

I volunteered in the government orphanage, conditions were dire and I witnessed serious abuse towards the children which was very distressing. There is no emotional support to prepare you for this. It’s not an appropriate environment for short-term volunteers and there is no opportunity to make any sustainable positive change. I would argue having volunteers go in, build attachments and then leave after a few weeks or months is causing more long term emotional damage to the already vulnerable children than good. There were also no background checks for volunteers, many had no experience with children let alone vulnerable, traumatised and disabled children and no police checks are carried out to ensure volunteers are fit to work with children. There was no safeguarding in place for the children, no training for volunteers or understanding of issues such as attachment disorders which can arise from having a constant stream of volunteers come in, build bonds and then leave.

Meanwhile, the project leaders were driving around in a Mercedes, regularly taking overseas holidays and obviously making money from volunteers whilst investing little to none of this money into long term change within this project. Even years later I feel incredible guilt that I was a part of this project and for the effects having a western person come in, build bonds and then disappear may have had on those children attachment, anger that almost none of the money was invested into the project as well as suffering long term psychological effects from the abuse and horror that I witnessed inflicted on children at the orphanage. This included canes routinely being used on 18-month old toddlers, disabled children being severely mishandled (Eg: picked up hanging by a single limb, dropped on hard floors, having food and drink poured down their throats as they coughed and spluttered choking), disabled children with severe pressure sores from being neglected/ never having their position changed, children being hosed down in freezing cold water, the children all locked in bedrooms overnight, children being encouraged to bully each other by the staff and countless other abusive scenarios. Any items we brought in for the children (Eg: toys, clothes) were either taken home by the orphanage staff or locked away where the children couldn’t access them. It was genuinely awful to witness and still haunts me. When these abuses were raised with the project leaders they simply shrugged and said it was a government orphanage and out of their control; why are they continuing to partner with a place which is abusive to children? Obviously because it brings in money from volunteers! But why is none of the money being paid by volunteers being invested into campaigning for long term change for these forgotten children and instead being used to find cars and holidays for the owners?

This is not a charity, it is a business which makes the project leaders money whilst allowing western volunteers to feel good about themselves for doing good, however it offer no long term or positive difference to the lives of the vulnerable children who are being exploited without any understanding of attachment disorders, trauma responses in children or the risk of abuse from sending in unvetted volunteers. Projects like this which do not have a long term positive impact and serve solely to benefit the western volunteers whilst putting children at risk should be shut down

I spent 4 weeks with Sankalp in the summer of 2018 and it was honestly one of THE BEST, THE MOST REWSRDING, THE MOST UNFORGETTABLY INCREDIBLE experience I have ever had ❤
I've done a lot of volunteering and travel in the past but would never have dreamed of how easy it could be to combined the 2!
I did the travel and volunteer package with Sankalp in Jaipur (the Pink city) and got to hike parts of the gorgeous Himalayas (involving a quite a few unforgettably funny stories), visit the hometown of the Dalai Lama and his temple, visit Delhi and Pushkar (city of colour), see one of the 7 wonders of the world - the Taj Mahal, and the best part was THE PEOPLE!
The people you end up volunteering with are so like minded, you come from all around the world for the same purpose, you get on so well and make friends for life! Oh my gosh and then there were the kids 😍 I dont even know where to begin, they were the most beautiful, kind hearted, innocent, loving, talented, smart children I've ever had the pleasure to work with! They've not had the easiest of upbringings in an orphanage but my God they are still so full of love and just like every normal child they LOVE TO PLAY!
YOU get one of the most incredible chances to impact their lives by playing with them, showing them love and affection and attention where they otherwise wouldnt know what that felt like! It's unbelievably rewarding and I'm definitely planning on returning again in the future!! 💕🎉
Any questions about this place feel free to message me!
India is nowhere near as dangerous as the media make it out to seem, the people are so friendly, the food is AMAZING, I was fortunate enough to not experience any "delly belly" 😂 despite having dodgy streetfood! And everyday you finish at midday so you have all afternoon to explore the lovely city of Jaipur, all the scenery, forts, palaces and bazaars it has to offer!
I COULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE HIGHLY ENOUGH, PLEASE GO AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO THESE WONDERFUL CHILDREN'S LIVES AND YOUR OWN ❤❤❤❤❤

I joined the Volunteer and Travel Program in Jaipur, India for four weeks and found it to be the experience of a lifetime!

The volunteer work, caring for orphans at a government-run children’s home in Jaipur was an incredibly humbling and life-changing experience that I will be eternally thankful for.

My volunteer hosts offered me as well as the rest of the volunteers unbelievable support during our stay. Every concern or query we raised was dealt with immediately and they went out of their way to make sure all our needs were met and we were comfortable and happy on all levels - offering physical and emotional support whenever needed.

Our “house mother” was fantastic! She made the most amazing meals, served us tea, took care of us when we were ill and was there for us all day every day and night with a smile on her face. No task ever a problem!

The travel program was fantastic! Very well organized, fantastic hotels, safe transport and wonderful sight seeing.

Overall this is one of the best volunteer programs available and offers amazing value for money when including the travel aspect into the volunteer program! Highly recommended!

Work with your child's dream and do voluntary work. It's the second time I'm working on the street children's project. It says a lot when you go for a second time. It's just amazing, something you'll never forget! Anyone who is interested in volunteering or responsible, wants to visit one of India's addresses: "Sankalp Jaipur". You can choose between several projects: street children, orphanage, women's empowerment. If you want a mix between work, travel, relax then you need to be here. You still have plenty of free time to explore India. They are happy to assist you in organizing. They also have an organized trip that I have done this time. It is definitely worth it. The second time in Sankalp was another great experience! It's a safe organization, it's fun to be with other volunteers, they're happy to help you, give you enough information. I'm very glad I've been able to do this.

The course that I did in my internship was pretty enjoyable and would help me to carry ahead in my professional career. I got to know how to implement my gathered skills practically and see the real outcomes from them. It gave me the courage to be bold enough and confident so that I can converse with professionals with full confidence. It was a real boost and stimulated my intellect to the next level.

I can surely recommend their services to anyone. Amazing services guys! I went to the student internship in North India and trust me, and really learnt a lot about the country too. It’s an awesome country with diverse cultures yet unity in all.

The overall layout and design of the Gap Year Expedition program is good to be a responsible tourist in India, I had a great time. I joined their 6 week Gap Year India Expedition and get opportunity to work with street kids for 4 weeks. This experience definantly ranks as one of my all time greatest. The kids have touched my heart in such an incredible way.
Pranay & Amita (Organizers) are compassionate, caring people who have inspired me to live my life in a way completely dedicated to the kids. I am so impressed by this project. I have learned so much that I know I will never forget. It was an honor to be a Sankalp Volunteer !!
The two weeks of travel has been one of the best ever as this has been an experience of a lifetime.
Thanks to Sankalp team, for all that you do for the kids here and for us !

Sankalp Volunteers
Introduction

I am Fajer Ben Naser, a graduate from the American University of Kuwait 2015.
For as long as I remember, I have admired being a leader in volunteering and not only wanted to change the lives of people who are less fortunate, but mine, and those around me to take a step up, leave their comfort zone, and experience the real world.
Experiencing the real world doesn’t come naturally, by traveling the world, living in luxurious hotels and learning about cultures. Its living the culture, wearing their clothes, eating their food, showering with a bottle of water, not having a choice of whether to walk, hop on a tuk-tuk or a camel’s hump.
Those are the moments we refuse to forget and taught us a lesson, that what we have can be gone at any moment, and what we think we need are just “wants” that make us see life way more complicated than it is.

I have organized several trips with my university, and my aim was that after I graduate, I would see those who took part, continue and take on my path to create future youth volunteers. I successfully did. Sankalp volunteers were our starting point. After having assured everyone’s safety and good time, volunteering trips became an annual part of our university’s good cause initiative.
Sankalp Volunteers 2013, Jaipur

To sum up all of our experiences in a nutshell, the trip to Jaipur India with Sankalp Volunteers in 2014 was unforgettable; it changed each and every one of us as individuals and group leaders, and brought us close together. As most of us travelled not knowing anyone in the group, we became a close group of friends that went on several other trips representing our University after India was the first for most of us.

Flashing back through the memories, describing our experience gets me lost out of my excitement. To start off, we were a group of 20 students around the age of 18-23 both males and females. As we arrived at Jaipur’s airport early in the morning, we were very warmly welcomed by Pranay, Sankalps Director who picked us up on time with a tour bus as promised. Amita, welcomed us at the Sankalp’s housing with warm greetings and some snacks before going down to the basement to have an introductory session.

We all felt safe, as we went into the house, not knowing what to expect, it was exactly what we saw in pictures, no disappointments, three floors, and a basement. In fact it has a very cozy living room, which was our lunch area and a rooftop terrace for us to chill at night.
Volunteering experiences

The volunteering programs differed. We had a choice of going to the orphanage (girls only), teaching and playing with the street kids at a local school run by Sankalp Volunteers, and lastly, teaching at government schools some English and math, all very basic, nothing to worry about. As the number of volunteers in each area varies, we divided ourselves into groups as Amita explained that once we chose a place to volunteer, we could not change it later. At first, we wanted to try volunteering in all three places and be able to rotate. But after volunteering for 10 days, we understood why that was a rule, and thankfully we sticked to it. Going to the same place and spending hours with the same kids allowed us to grow a connection between them and us that both of us needed. We learned what our weaknesses are and tried working on that, and the kids wanted some older people to look up to, and not just visitors.

Briefly, for all three areas, we woke up early in the morning where a car arranged by Sankalp took and to and from the orphanage, or Schools. After that we’d come back home where we’d find our vegetarian lunch prepared and then rest and explore the city together. Indeed, the food was very clean and healthy, no one got sick or tired as there was enough provided for everyone. One rule is to always drink from bottled water, that’s it.
The orphanage

The orphanage was a tough task, as the people who volunteered there wanted to take another step forward, having previous volunteering experiences before. It taught us girls how to become mothers, and appreciate our families. We went in in the morning seeing how the kids all share a few beds to sleep on, some disabled kids with no wheelchairs or aid, children crying and fighting over what clothes to wear as they shared everything. They had no sense of belonging to a place, nor a thing.
We tried to create an enjoying atmosphere. You’d think its easy to sing, dance and play, what else would make kids happier? Here, we understood the difference; the street kids and school kids were fine with those simple acts, but not the orphans. Too much emotional energy was required, but in the end we did it. After the first week, the kids began to realize that we’re not like any visitor coming for a day or two to sit around, since unfortunately, they had no official “teacher” or “guardian”. We helped them shower and change and play old school games.
If you’re looking for something very life changing and have experienced volunteering before, this is where you’d love to be. It made us stronger.

Street kids and Government schools

Here too, so much patience is required. Kids coming up to you so excited and shouting around a class of around 40 kids is hard to handle. You don’t just want to teach them and leave; you want to make sure they understand the lesson, as if you’re their teacher. Its your responsibility now. Making sure all of your group members abide to the rules and regulations of Sankalp and the school and act as adult leaders is necessary because these kids look up to us as foreigners.
The uniform

During our first day at Jaipur, we went to a shopping center to buy local clothing, as it is a must to be wearing while volunteering. For the government schools, it is required by the government and for the rest; we wore it out of respect and the very different culture we were around. It also made us feel very local, and enjoy the experience. Not only that, we all felt safe while wearing local clothing, as it is advised not to wear tight or short clothes.
Daily touring

Clearing our minds and setting ourselves free came at the end of the day after having some rest. We went to a lot of markets around and ate a lot of good food.

Amazing experience, truly one of a kind. This is because the house was really good safe, had good food, Amita and Pranay were always a doorstep away for any help. We also met a few other volunteers who stayed at the house the same time as we did, great opportunity to make connections worldwide!
After volunteering with sankalp volunteers, Amita and Pranay kept us updated about the kids whether they got adopted or graduated from school. We truly feel like we are part of the Sankalp Family. Great efforts Amita and Pranay, well done.

Truly, a place to visit again with a group of friends, school or family.

All the best everyone.
Thank You,
Fajer Ben Naser

First off, I want to give Pranay and Amita a huge shout out and thank you two for giving me the opportunity to volunteer in this program.
I had the most amazing experience I have ever had while teaching at the school and working at the orphanage. I made some really good friends with the volunteers who stayed at the house and thought the living arrangement was terrific; better than I expected! I will never forget the undeniably giving people who I worked with.
Finally, I believe that this trip changed my life. I will never be able to go through a day without thinking about the kids I met. I became attached to many of them and built relationships I never thought I'd be able to have. Being able to love someone more than myself has made me a better person and I hope to come back to see the kids again.
I would recommend this trip to anyone looking to build relationships and make changes in a positive way!

Thank you,
Gabrielle