Women Empowerment Program | Volunteer India

I had the most amazing 2 weeks volunteering at a women's centre in Jaipur. Stayed at a guest house close to the city centre. Volunteering was from 12-4pm each day and Rohit the coordinator would come with me each day. I felt incredibly safe and supported. Often after volunteering we would stop for chai or other indian treats on the way back to the guest house. The women at the centre were welcoming and as a volunteer you can incorporate your own skills. I work in a school in Australia so I ran some different art/self identity activities. On arrival to the centre the women would be practicing Mehendi (henna). The guest house rooftop spot was my favourite, Jaipur is a special place. Hope I can return one day soon!

I chose the women's empowerment programme because I wanted to come into contact with Indian girls and women - especially from the slums of Jaipur - and understand more about their world, their lives, their expectations, their difficulties and their dreams. The two weeks I worked in the programme were very enriching for me. The girls who attend the six-month course at the NGO Veeneta Society are trained to become dress makers and/or beauticians. I attended their practical lessons, helping where needed, and I was their teacher in the English lessons. With a great dedication the girls made me the beauty treatments they had learnt. Despite the language barriers between us (there was always a Hindi-English language mediator with me, to help in case of misunderstandings) we shared bits and pieces of our lives. I also had the honour of handing diplomas to the girls who had completed the six-month course. The festive moments were unforgettable for me, the girls performed traditional Rajasthan dances. All in all, I highly recommend this experience.

My volunteer program lasted 4 weeks in Jaipur, India. I spent 2 weeks in the women's support program and 2 weeks in the hospital. Both were very enriching experiences for me.

The girls and women were incredibly open-minded and inquisitive. They were interested in and implemented everything that was offered to them. First and foremost, they want to learn English. Any form of teaching is welcome, whether role-playing, singing, and translating English songs or face-to-face at the blackboard. It was a lot of fun to see how quickly they learned. In return, I got traditional make-up, beautiful braided hairstyles, or henna tattoos on my hands and feet. It was a very warm and unforgettable time.

The work in the hospital was very touching, as people came with problems and pain and needed help. The doctor's idealistic commitment means that even the poor population can receive very good treatment. They couldn't afford a normal hospital. So they only pay a small fee and only those who can afford it pay. The doctor works on a voluntary basis. The treatments mostly consisted of infusions, acupuncture with electrotherapy, cupping treatments, stretching and the administration of medication. The doctor also makes his own Ayurvedic medicine. I was very impressed by his efficiency and was able to learn a lot. As a physiotherapist, I was able to alleviate the pain in some patients. All of this left a lasting, deep impression on me. Perhaps it was a start for me to further projects of this kind.

I would like to thank the organization again for making this possible for me. Sukret, my local coordinator, responded immediately when there were questions or problems. They were solved immediately. Shekhar, my driver and "bodyguard", drove me everywhere extremely reliably, picked me up again, and showed me a bit of the area. Perhaps it is still possible to get a small handout about the work in the projects beforehand so that you can prepare better. However, I was integrated quickly.

My accommodation at Boby Mansion Homestay was a blessing because, as a woman traveling alone, I enjoyed family contact with all the care that comes with it. I felt very safe and secure in a foreign world.

I had the opportunity to spend 4 weeks with the association, working in two different settings. First, I worked in a school located in a clearly disadvantaged neighborhood, where I provided academic support to teenagers. Then, I joined a beauty school where women were training for careers in esthetics.

My biggest surprise was discovering that the community members didn't speak, or spoke very little, English. This posed a challenge to my initial goal of empowering women through English language learning. Unfortunately, I was only able to truly pursue this mission in the last five days, once a translator became available.

Personally, this experience was enriching. However, I remain unsure about the actual impact of my involvement. At times, I felt left to my own devices, without a structured program or insight into previous activities. Although I'm not an English teacher but rather a business and marketing trainer, I was still able to share my expertise with some women, though it was less relevant for the teenagers.

On the other hand, I want to highlight the quality of the association's hospitality, as well as the weekend excursion offerings and the comfort of the guest house. These aspects undoubtedly contributed to making my stay enjoyable.

I was supposed to spend 2 weeks, in the end I spent 3 weeks
I had a wonderful time with the children and teenagers so keen to learn
My time with the women was so wonderful: we laughed a lot, we exchanged so many stories. Through them all I learned a lot
I chose Jaipur because of the program
I was there a few years ago as an ordinary tourist. This time I wanted to take part in the everyday life. Being in the guesthouse taught me a lot about the culture ( I knew a bit already through books and films). I was often alone in the streets day and evening. I felt so safe even with the monkeys, the cows and the dogs. I danced in the temples, in the streets during all the ceremonies

During August I volunteered for three weeks with the Women’s Empowerment Program and the School Program. Volunteering for an extended period of time meant I was able to build strong relationships with the women and children. Most of the time was spent teaching English, however, the programs are flexible which means you can contribute knowledge and skills based upon your own background and strengths. I was able to draw upon my own resources (nutrition, yoga) and I would encourage this for future volunteers - if you have teaching resources/activities/games from your home country, bring them with you! The home stay accomodation was AMAZING. The family treated me as one of their own, sharing safe, local advice and including me in activities such as visiting the temple, the cinema and a theme park! My favourite part of the stay was playing with the children and helping cook meals. I recommend Volunteering with India for those who want to experience an authentic Indian lifestyle.
Danae, Australia

This experience was definitely worth it, as a person that lives in europe, the lifestyle is completely different but very interesting. Working with the kids was awesome, they always wanted to learn new things and were really happy to spend some time with us. The other part of this experience was to discover a new culture and visit some temple or cities like Delhi or Agra with the Taj Mahal that was wonderful. I am really happy about this experience it definitely changed me as a person. I am really glad about it.

I had an amazing time with the association and the kids. The kids were so happy about our presence and give us a really warm welcome. They were really happy to learn english and math but also to show us their beauty or stitching class. The city is beautiful and the culture is also very incredible. The hospitality of the people but also how nice they were with us was super nice. If you like to travel, discover a new culture and spend time with kids this program is perfect for you. You would not be disappointed.