Placement locations
Placements are located in a number of towns in the north west of India and in the hill stations in the Himalayan foothills.
Roles explained
Teacher
Teaching placements involve being a teacher’s assistant at primary and secondary schools. The schools range from very poorly resourced community schools to relatively wealthy English-style schools. Volunteers teach English as well as other subjects and also get involved with school administration, care of the children, outreach work and excursions.
There is plenty of opportunity to get involved with life at the schools and as an Teacher volunteers have a unique opportunity to help in a number of varying ways. The spectrum of schools Lattitude work with ranges greatly across India, but the matching process volunteers go through ensure they are placed where they can be of real use to their hosts and where they too will have an incredible experience.
Lattitude Global Vounteering also have a limited number of placements at Buddhist Monasteries where volunteers teach the younger monks and are involved in many elements of Monastery life.
English Teacher
As with other teaching position in India, Lattitude Global Volunteering work across a range of schools, largely in the North East of the country. Volunteers that choose to teach English are greatly appreciated by their host and pupils alike. In many cases volunteers will be given plenty of responsibility to teach English to the students and will no doubt find many interesting and fun ways to make learning fun. As a native English speaker, volunteers can really improve the level of spoken and conversational English for all at the school they work in.
Community Volunteer
Community placements offer the volunteer a chance to work in orphanages and day centres for children with mental and physical disabilities, as well as centres for adults with disabilities. Volunteers help with caring duties, as well as teaching subjects such as art, music, drama, sewing, cooking and sport.
The average working week for placements in India is between 20-30 hours.
Placement details
As a community worker in India, you could be placed in a range of placements, from old people’s homes and children’s welfare centre to psychiatric centres. As a worker in our host psychiatric centre in Kolkata, for example, you would help with the daily care of patients, organise activities such as music and games and assist in the outpatients’ clinic. This is a lovely placement, and patients have many things to do, such as helping to grow fruit and vegetables in the large garden and carrying out carpentry, tailoring and craft work. Thanks to funds raised by a previous Lattitude volunteer, the centre now also includes a children’s wing where volunteers can also lend a hand.
Our English teaching roles are also very varied. You could be teaching English to 80 monks in a Tibetan monastery or helping to improve the language skills of children aged 3-9 years in a small primary school. In the latter, the school is beautifully located on the side of a mountain with stunning views over the surrounding valleys. In this placement you would teach English to the school’s 140 children, and may be called upon to help with other subjects as and when needed. You would also be encouraged to organise extra-curricular activities after school.
If you decide to opt for a more general teaching role, you could find yourself working in a school in one of the poorest areas of Kolkata. Run by a truly inspirational nun, this placement educates children from a range of backgrounds. Although half the students come from families who are able to fund the education of their children, the school aims to open up education to underprivileged youngsters who live on the streets. Out of the 1400 children who attend the school, around half attend free of charge, which has led to students from a mix of financial, social and religious backgrounds learning to live and work together. Your duties in this placement would mostly involve teaching a variety of subjects in the school but there would also be opportunities to get involved in other activities, such as the training of adults in poor areas to become teachers for slum children.
Accommodation and food
Accommodation is provided on site, at schools (if school placement) or with a host family. Accommodation can be quite basic with erratic electricity and water supplies at times. Food is supplied in conjunction with accommodation.
Is it for me?
By volunteering in India you can offer direct assistance to those in need. Your work may involve teaching English to enthusiastic students or helping young people with disabilities to live more independent lives. Our placements in India offer real grass-roots volunteering. Volunteers should be mature, self-sufficient and open-minded.
Need to know
- Pre departure briefing - all volunteers are invited to a group briefing prior to departure
- Teaching skills course – this course is organised by Lattitude Global Volunteering and undertaken in country on arrival
- On arrival - volunteers attend an orientation organised and hosted by our in country staff before commencing their placement
Travel
Where to start… India truly is a delight to the senses for anyone lucky enough to be given the opportunity to explore its vast surface area. With a population of over 1.2 billion people, India incorporates a gigantic melting pot of different ethnic groups, languages and cultures. Although staff in all our placements will have a good level of English, as volunteers will often find themselves working with poorer members of society whose proficiency in English may be limited, it is a good idea to try to learn one of the country’s several hundred native languages in your spare time. During the evenings and at weekends we would highly recommend getting involved in your local community, and helping out with any other charitable projects operating in your area.
During your holidays, however, you must take advantage of all the sights, sounds, tastes and smells that India has to offer. For lovers of the great outdoors, India is home to a broad spectrum of landscapes, from snow-capped mountains to sunny beaches, while culture buffs may prefer to experience the contrast between the countries bustling cities and its peaceful temples. Wildlife enthusiasts will not be disappointed either, with hundreds of places offering wildlife safaris to tourists.
India is so vast and so diverse that volunteers are spoilt for choice. Top places to visit include the Taj Mahal (of course!), the endless sandy beaches of Goa, the nature reserves of Rajasthan (ride on elephants and look for tigers) and the spectacular rock carvings of Ajanta. Then there are the cities: Mumbai, the biggest metropolis in India, Madurai, one of the oldest inhabited cities, and Amritsar, home to the world famous Golden Temple. There is just too much to choose from.
Costs
Lattitude Global Volunteering fee: All departures: £1,990*
What’s included?
- Accommodation & food (provided by host)
- In-country orientation
- 24/7 support
- In-country support
- Assigned Volunteer Coordinator to help with all pre-departure support and offer guidance
- Pre-departure briefing
- Airport pickup
- In depth matching process to align your skills and interests with a placement that really suits you
Please note this fee does not include the cost of getting to India or extras such as insurance or any inoculations you may need. For an estimated break down of all costs you may have to budget for please click here
Fundraising
As a charity we always recommend our volunteers fundraise to help meet the costs involved in volunteering overseas. In many ways it is part of the whole experience. For more information and fundraising ideas please click here
Volunteer in India: Planning your trip
| Placement type | Departure | Application deadline | status |
| Teaching (5 months) |
Aug 2013 | April 2013 | Spaces available |
| Community/Caring (5 months) |
Aug 2013 | April 2013 | Spaces available |
| Teaching (5 months) |
Feb 2014 | October 2013 | Spaces available |
| Community/Caring (5 months) |
Feb 2014 | October 2013 | Spaces available |
Please note that the deadline is the last possible time allowed to get an application form in that allows us enough time to match volunteers and begin sorting out visas. We always recommend applying as early as possible in order to secure your place.
Volunteer photo albums
Volunteer blogs
None available at present
