What does it really mean to Volunteer?

This volunteering project provided volunteers with an undeniably good insight into Indian culture. I think living with a local family anywhere in the world is always a beneficial experience for both family and volunteer. This was the case for me living with a middle class Indian family in the industrial city Faridabad, near Delhi. But apart from the rewarding exchange of knowledge with a local family, the other main component of choosing to volunteer is the volunteer work. In this area I think organisations like IVHQ have to do more in depth research into the benefits of projects they are offering for the local community. In my case, I was working at a private hospital not far from my family's home. This hospital did not have much going on for volunteers to get involved in. There were less than 10 patients, and the hospital was running well with plenty of competent staff who did not need our help. With this volunteer company, volunteers do not need any qualifications to be allowed to watch surgery. So I was able to watch many operations and enhance my own knowledge of medicine. But when there wasn't any surgery, I found I was really lacking in anything to do to help, and passed the time talking to the technicians and drinking plentiful cups chai. We were able to request to IVHQ co-ordinators to be placed in other hospitals to get some variety in our work, but it would have been nice for them to have had other options already researched for us. And it was almost impossible for us to work in the public hospitals because of the huge amounts of paperwork for the organisation to complete. Bureaucracy in India... Ultimately, although I was able to watch various operations, the reality is until volunteers have a medical or nursing degree they are kind of more of a hindrance to local workers than a help. Organisations need also to be better adept in placing unskilled volunteers in hospitals that are more in need of help, even our basic help. In India I do not imagine this is that unachievable. I compare this program to one I completed with another company in Cusco, Peru. There I felt really valued as a volunteer and could really be of some help whether it be washing instruments, folding bandages or helping in basic medical work. But after saying all this, I remember that IVHQ is extremely cheap compared to other organisations, and perhaps that is why it is not as organised as others. I would recommend it for the price, but I think the medical community ultimately did not benefit from this project.