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Street Children Youth
May 01, 2024
Aug 15, 2019
Wish List
6 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Are you interested in providing support to children living on the streets while volunteering abroad? IVHQ is the world’s most trusted and affordable volunteer travel organization, offering the largest range of safe and impactful volunteer projects in 40+ destinations. Over 136,000 travelers have volunteered abroad with IVHQ over the past 10 years, making IVHQ the world’s most experienced volunteer organization with the best safety record. With program fees starting from only $180, IVHQ makes organizing a volunteer trip easy and affordable.

This program is currently not being promoted on Go Overseas by its provider. Check with International Volunteer HQ - IVHQ for the most up-to-date information regarding the status of this program.

Consider your impact: Volunteering abroad can be a rewarding experience for both volunteers and local communities, and at Go Overseas, we believe all volunteers should have the resources to make informed decisions about the type of volunteer project they want to partake in. However, despite best intentions, some organizations offering placements in orphanages may unknowingly place children in danger. You can read about the potential dangers of orphanage volunteering here. Learn more about how International Volunteer HQ - IVHQ is promoting ethical volunteering.

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Volunteer with Street Children with IVHQ

Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 4 reviews
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  • Impact 4.75
  • Support 4.75
  • Fun 5
  • Value 5
  • Safety 5
Showing 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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Sarah
27
United States
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

india ivhq review

Aug 15, 2019

This was an amazing experience. India is a country filled with a rich culture, and if you are open to immerse yourself into that culture, you will learn and grow so much. The community I was working with, specifically the children and mothers, were so welcoming. I worked with children between the ages of 2-6 trying to teach them some basic english so that they could get ready to go to a real school. They came from the slum and were often dirty and hungry, but they came to school everyday happy and smiling. They were excited to learn and had amazing personalities. I loved every second of it. Plus, you get the opportunity to travel on the weekends and see such a beautiful part of the world. I would 100 percent recommend. It will change your life.

47 people found this review helpful.
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Response from International Volunteer HQ - IVHQ

Hi Sarah, thanks for the kind words and for sharing your experience with us in India. Your contribution to the program is very much valued and we hope to welcome you back again sometime soon! ^Will - IVHQ India Program Manager

By IVHQ on August 26, 2019
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Georgina
28
Mexico
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My New Delhi Experience with IVHQ

May 21, 2019

My experience in IVQH made me grow as a person in several ways. As for me, traveling has become an important part of who I am today, experiencing India has been a dream come true. Another part was feeling like I left a bit of my heart. I helped in what may seem small but hopefully my experience will inspire others and together we can create a bigger impact. Anther thing I loved was to be around with other volunteers from all around the world who also want to give their time and energy. Yet the most important of them all was to realize I need to start making a change in my own community. Now I want to let people know about the situations all around the world so they can emphasize with them and try to generate more opportunities instead of just sending some food or materials. To sum up none of these would have been possible without all the help, assistance and guidance I've received from the IVQH team.

What was your funniest moment?
Seeing people breaking their chai cups in the street
59 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Response from International Volunteer HQ - IVHQ

Hi Georgina, it is great to hear that you felt supported while on the program, and it sounds like you had an amazing experience! We would love to have you volunteer with IVHQ again! Samantha - IVHQ Program Manager.

By IVHQ on July 2, 2019
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Page
27
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Time of my life

Aug 27, 2018

I travelled to India with ivhq to volunteer In the childcare programme for the month of August. It was the most incredible experience ever, I can’t put in to words the things I saw and the way the experience has changed me for the better. I’ve met the most amazing people and seen the most beautiful places that photos just doesn’t do justice. I would recommend this experience to anybody, it’s a once in a life time opportunity that I’m so glad I’ve had the chance to be a part of. I fell in love with the children I cared for, fell in love with the culture, fell in love with India. The ivhq team were supportive through out the entire journey.

57 people found this review helpful.
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India
India
India
Response from International Volunteer HQ - IVHQ

Hi Page, thanks for sharing your inspiring experience in India! It was great to hear that you had a once in a life time experience and I agree that India is a place to fall in love with! We would love to have you volunteer with IVHQ again in the future! Samantha - IVHQ Program Manager

By IVHQ on October 3, 2018
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Gabby
25
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing Cultural and Volunteering Experience!

Aug 9, 2018

If you are looking for a life-changing volunteer experience, I highly recommend going on a program with IVHQ. I was in Dharmsala, India and it was the most incredible place in the world. We worked with children and women in extreme poverty and implemented some of our own projects to help make their living situation a little easier, and of course, to make them smile. The children and culture were wonderful! Of course every project is different, but come prepared to be in other projects than you expected and be flexible. We had to create our own projects and ideas, and for the most part got to chose when we were volunteering. While we were not volunteering, we could explore nearby towns that had incredible shopping, and could really soak into the natural world around us- from trekking, waterfalls, and other beautiful views. It was really an incredible experience, but to fully enjoy it, I suggest going for more than 2 weeks, as I felt I did not have time to implement all my ideas. It is an incredible experience and I highly recommend!

What would you improve about this program?
More staff support and structure to implement the projects. It is easy to opt out of activities due to a lack of structure. If we had solidified schedules each day it would've been easier to plan our own adventures around our volunteering, which I believe should be the main focus of our trip.
51 people found this review helpful.
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Response from International Volunteer HQ - IVHQ

Hi Gabby, thanks for your review and providing an insightful overview of what future volunteers can expect on the program! It sounds like you truly had an incredible experience in India and really immersed yourself in the culture! Thanks for being a great IVHQ volunteer and we would love to have you back in the future! Samantha - IVHQ Program Manager

By IVHQ on October 3, 2018

Questions & Answers

is there an upper age limit for volunteers?

Hi Doreen, IVHQ has volunteer programs for all ages - we have families with school-aged children joining us and many retirees who are seeking meaningful travel opportunities where they can be immersed in a new culture while giving back to their host community. For personalized program recommendations based on your age and interests, you can submit an enquiry here: https://my.volunteerhq.org...

By IVHQ on December 8, 2020

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

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Program
Affordable & Trusted Street Children Volunteer Projects with IVHQ
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Why did you choose this program?

Considering that I am a 21-year old student, I was looking for the most affordable program to volunteer with. IVHQ was not only the most affordable, but also had the most positive reviews, the most projects to choose from, and the best locations to travel to. For any questions I had, Samantha was there to help all the time.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

As part of my degree, it is compulsory that you complete three weeks of Professional Development (volunteer work). This is something the University expects you to take on by yourself, to show that you are able and independent. Therefore, the University didn't participate in my trip to India. It was all organized on my own, and the layout of the application and the steps are so simple to complete that this wasn't a problem.

I was provided with the email for my point of contact if I needed anything, and Samantha was absolutely amazing. She responded quickly and would do her best to answer all the questions and worries!

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Have no expectations!

I had no idea what to expect, and that meant I was not disappointed in any way, and I was just constantly amazed and overwhelmed by everything and everyone I met. Everybody experiences it differently, and you will read reviews about how you will be chucked in the deep end and lack support. Yes, you will more than likely be chucked in the deep end, but it's what you make it. Go in with no expectations, plan ahead, and embrace every moment because when you return home, it doesn't feel real.

The majority of the people volunteering are adults and are not babied, but the support of IVHQ staff overseas is there whenever you need it. Share your experiences with each other, get ideas from other volunteers, and don't be afraid to ask the staff anything! Also, don't be afraid to get stuck in.

The children in my Children Care Project appeared so shy at first; they get volunteers come and go all the time, it must get confusing! However, the minute you interact with them, they have the biggest smiles on their faces, and you start to develop the most adorable little bonds.

You will not be able to change everything in your time volunteering, that's what I learned during my time on the project. I will never be able to make everything perfect, but every day, I made sure the children left class with a smile on their face.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

The average day for my program was to wake up at around 7:30 AM for breakfast with the other volunteers. The driver then picked volunteers up from the hostel and transported us to our projects. My project was Childcare so I would arrive at the school around 8:30 where I would interact with the children individually before starting class at 9. There are teachers in the classroom, however, they are mainly there for discipline. You are the real teacher, so you just get stuck in with basic English, basic Math, nursery rhymes, coloring, and then the children have a half an hour play before they have lunch. The school day ends at 12 noon.

The driver will then pick you up from placement and take you back to the hostel where lunch will be waiting for you, and all the volunteers sit around talking about their day. The afternoon and evening are yours to do what you wish! I would highly recommend using this time wisely to travel around your choice of location! Get to know the culture and see everything you can in your time there!

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

One thing I was worried about was that the language barrier would make the project difficult. Thankfully, this was not the case. The language barrier was the most difficult part of the project, however, there had been many volunteers before me, so the teachers, pupils, and staff were amazing. They all spoke good English, some better than others, but it was still not a problem!

I also made sure I learned some Hindi before travelling, and whilst I was over there, the staff and children were great at helping with any barriers or translations!

Should I be worried about traveling alone?

If you're travelling alone, do not worry about a thing. You will meet the most amazing people and friends from all over the world. I am already planning on meeting up again with the majority of the volunteers I had met during my time in India!

Embrace every single moment and take as many photos as you can, because once it's over, the photos are all you have.

About International Volunteer HQ - IVHQ

International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ) brings people together from all walks of life to make a difference on the adventure of a lifetime. We offer the world’s #1 rated and largest range of volunteer programs with 300+ projects across 40+ countries - from teaching and working with children to medical missions, conservation and wildlife volunteering. For...
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