Do not join this organization

Ratings
Overall
1
Growth: 1
Support: 1
Fun: 1
Housing: 1
Safety: 1
Review

I was supposed to start my internship in Rajasthan with EduCare India in February 2017 as an alternative energy volunteer, however the internal situation in the organization made me change my mind once I was already there.
After a long journey and spending a considerable amount of money, I arrived to Rangmahal center in India, initially completely motivated to start a project in solar energy with the support of EduCare India. All of a sudden my plans changed completely, as soon as I was informed about the current situation in the organization. Some volunteers found out that the organization was lacking a legal structure, thus nobady knew where the initial payments were going or from where the project funding was coming from. This fact posed a situation of serious doubts about the real intention of the organization when charging almost 600 € to each volunteer before arrival, giving a feeling closer to a Scam rather than an organized NGO. On top of that, there was a suspicion that EduCare India owed money to local people and old volunteers which financed their own projects. When I arrived all volunteers stoped their projects and the introduction curses were cancelled, leaving us with no more chances than leaving the country, since our Visas were linked to the organization.
EduCare India does not have a real NGO structure, the volunteers are in the reality doing all the job, from writing to new volunteers, to organizing the introduction curses. Each volunteer has to finance its own project and wait later for refunding. It is mandatory to make an initial payment (paid by Wester Union) that nobody knows for what exactly is used. This sad reality makes me write the worst possible review and recommend to everybody interested "Do NOT join this organization" please.

Would you recommend this program?
No, I would not
Year Completed
2017