Nepotistic Apathy- what volunteering?

Ratings
Overall
1
Impact: 1
Support: 1
Fun: 1
Value: 1
Safety: 5
Review

I could not be more disappointed with my experience, and I cannot believe the positive reviews. At least in Delhi, the organization is corrupted by nepotism and apathy toward volunteering. I came to India to volunteer, but often the three NGOs CCS chose from (yes, there were only three-- two now, since they cut ties with one that refused to be controlled by CCS' tyranny) left volunteers sometimes under two hours a day to work. A volunteer while I was there was not allowed to volunteer one day when the NGO was doing a project at a different location than usual. There are also arbitrary rules, like a curfew and enforced meals. You must eat with the rest of the group, despite being provided a kitchen in which to cook. I was treated rudely by the staff: the head of India continually made inappropriate comments about my appearance and weight. The staff again and again referred the volunteers to relatives and friends, which wouldn't be so bad except the businesses were the worst we encountered in India. I think that most volunteers don't see the corruption because they don't stay the full three months that I did. Many volunteers with me had problems with CCS as well. An adult woman was kicked out for breaking the fake curfew (they lied and said the gates closed at 10 on weekdays and 1 on weekends-- we lived in a very safe affluent area and staying out beyond then put no one in danger.)
The Hindi lessons promised are just basic phrasing unless you are doing the internship program. However, the 'teacher' is just one of the regular staff, a guy who, while well-meaning, is impatient and is just a regular Hindi speaker who doesn't have grasp of the grammar. The people learning mostly learned from books on their own. The placements were made without regard for personal preference whatsoever. A woman who was a nurse and wrote specifically that she did not want to do medical work was expected to do so. No one I talked to was placed in an NGO with a focus they had requested, probably because CCS did not take advantage of the many NGOs in Delhi. It only had relationships with organizations that it could bully-- for example, agreeing to refuse to let kicked out volunteers stay at the NGO, even if they were kicked out for reasons completely unrelated to their volunteering work (a 23 year old having a glass of wine at dinner, a 34 year old returning to the flat at midnight, etc.)
CCS, instead of integrating you into the community, cloistered you. You cannot interact with the staff and volunteers at the NGO as much because you are forced to have limited hours and meals at the office (the "chef" is actually just a regular guy who makes cheap, repetitive meals over and over.) You live in a sheltered gated community without just that- a sense of community. I lived in Delhi after leaving CCS and the community I lived in was welcoming and wonderful to me, so much more so than CCS was. If you want a real Indian experience, and want to travel to really make a difference and volunteer, avoid CCS at all costs. The organization, at least in Delhi, is an overpriced scam whose main focus is liability and cost effectiveness.

Would you recommend this program?
No, I would not