• Want to experience it all on your gap year? If so, this Asia gap year package is for you! You’ll start your adventure by heading off into the mountains of Himachal Pradesh to experience rural Indian life. Then it’s off to the beautiful beaches of Goa before heading to your final destination, the bustling metropolis of Kathmandu, Nepal. Along the way you’ll get involved in various projects working with children who are all eager to learn and to have fun. Spending your gap year in India and Nepal will certainly an experience you’ll never forget!

• 

  Child Care and Youth Development in Himachal with 1 Week Cultural Tour

  India

  India continues to struggle to provide care and education to the increasing number of children born into poverty. This lack of resources leaves children vulnerable to malnutrition, illiteracy and a...

• 

  Cultural Immersion and Volunteer Combo in Goa

  India

  Attracting a young crowd, this cultural volunteering experience in Goa will begin with a week-long cultural and sightseeing orientation travelling down to Goa from Mumbai by the great Indian railwa...

• 

  Childcare and Education for At-Risk Children in Nepal

  Nepal

  Volunteer in Nepal and support children living on the edges of society. We work with a School and a Child Care centre to give Children from deprived areas of Kathmandu the opportunities for educati...

Project Facts

• Duration: 12 weeks
• Cost: £3048
• Requirements: Age 18+
• Location: Goa, India / Himachal, India / Kathmandu, Nepal
• Project activities: Teaching children, taking care of children, preparing food for children
• Working hours: 08:30 – 15:00, Monday - Friday, hours may vary from project to project

What is included

• Accommodation: Shared room in a volunteer house
• Food: 3 meals per day
• Airport pick up and drop off
• Transfer by train from Goa to Himachal
• Training: Pre-departure information pack, on-site Orientation and project induction provided
• Support: 24 hour support from on-site coordinator
• Excursions: 2 day trekking trip to Dharamasala included in the price.
• 5 days of Yoga classes

What is not included

• Flights
• Insurance
• Visas

Role of the volunteer

In Himachal, As a volunteer you may be placed in a number of different institutions working with children including a schools, daycare centres, orphanages, and a school for the mentally challenged. The decision of where you will be placed will not be made until you arrive in India. Your personal preferences and skills are taken into consideration and in most cases volunteers are placed at their first preference. Ultimately, however, the need of the community is the most important factor that decides volunteers’ placements. So to ensure that volunteer help is spread out equally and therefore of most benefit to the community we find it necessary to place volunteers in this way.

In Goa, project duties vary depending on the type of centre that you will be placed within. At present, there are child care centres, shelters for HIV/AIDS affected patients and a school for mentally challenged children, which are all in desperate need of the help and support of international volunteers. You role as a volunteer will be varied and diverse, depending on the needs of the project at the time of your volunteering. You will be required to provide care and support to the regular visitors at the centre, you may be required to teach and develop the children’s motor skills, help in feeding programs, help to build awareness in the community about the need for children to attend the centres, assist in local research and population/health monitoring as well as creating a colourful and enjoyable atmosphere for the kids to relax and grow more confident in.

In Nepal, the driving force behind the Day Care Centre is to provide quality care and education for all of the children who walk through their doors. The children have a thirst, and the centre wants to quench this by helping them to learn, grow and to discover how their childhood should be.

The centre offers day care for 2 different groups of children; those aged under 5 and those between 4 and 6 years old who are already in pre-school. As a volunteer, you will be actively involved in playing with the youngsters while helping to teach the pre-school children. The teachers at the centre are understaffed so you will be required to help out in the areas where they feel a need so you are being put to efficient use. A number of the classes are not in English, however there are English lessons which you can get involved with, as well as art, dance and yoga classes and additional activities at the pre-school which can always do with your help and support. The children are supported in two separate centres, which are next to each other, so it is easy to go between the two during your working day.

Skills Required

In Himachal, No specific qualifications are needed to take part in this project but previous experience working with children is preferred and volunteers must feel confident working with children of all ages. Whichever one of our children's projects you work on there will be a wide range of varied activities and volunteers must be prepared to take on all tasks with energy and enthusiasm.

In Goa, Prior knowledge of schooling systems or teaching experience is helpful but not required. A love of children is a must, as is enthusiasm and dedication to supporting worthwhile projects in Goa!

In Nepal, No specific skills are required, but a desire to work with young children is essential. Those volunteers with an interest in art, dance and yoga are more than welcome to come out and share their talents with the children. The children at the centre are really creative and love being immersed in creativity, so if you have a talent to share, please let us know! The project involves helping out and assisting in a classroom setting as well, so an interest in teaching is also important.

Your life outside the project

In Himachal you will be staying the the town of Palampur. This is known as the tea capital of India so after finishing your days work on your project why not relax with a cup of local tea in one of the tea shops and then head down to the local Tea Factory to see how your tea was made! Although the town is relatively small with only around 4000 inhabitants there is still plenty of interesting things to see and do in the area; spend time marvelling at some of the beautiful temples in the area, some of which are up to 5 centuries old. Some volunteers explore the natural beauty of the countryside, others read, write, play board games, watch movies/television, or even plan independent excursions to local points of interest. Volunteers often enjoy travelling to nearby city of Dharmasala, emmersing themselves in authentic Tibetan culture. Most Friday evenings, volunteers arrange a small party or casual get-together to celebrate the end of the work week.

In Goa, on your free days, you’ll have plenty of time to relax and pursue your own hobbies. You may wish to explore the natural beauty of the local surroundings, or while away the hours reading, writing and playing board games. You can also plan some excursions to some local points of interests including the beautiful beaches, markets and surrounding towns. Usually, Fridays evenings consist of a small party or a volunteer get-together to celebrate the end of the working week and to relax you for the weekend ahead!

In Nepal, There are numerous things to see and do around Kathmandu. Among the highlights are the Three Goddesses Temple, Durbar Square, Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple), Mahakala Temple, Pasupatinath and Bodhnath. There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy tasting the vast variety of tantalizing food and shopping and bargaining in the labyrinth of small restaurants and shops. Kathmandu is a complete mix of modern and ancient; with it’s software houses, tuk-tuk taxis buzzing around at breakneck speed, cows roaming the streets freely, mobile phones ringing, Buddhist monks in wingtips shoes, children playing on 500 year-old temples, the smell of incense, and images of Hindu gods everywhere. Sitting watching the world go by should be enough to keep you entertained for hours!

Highlights

Desert Camel Safaris in India

Camel Safaris take place in Rajasthan. It's a fantastic way to travel across the open desert sands, whilst visiting remote traditional villages, seeing wildlife and experiencing the harsh conditions of a desert. This truly is exciting adventure travel!

Gir National Park in India

Gir is the only place left on the planet where the Asiatic Lion can be found. It is on the critically endangered list as there are only around 300 left. It is a fantastic opportunity to see these lions in their natural habitat.

Himalayas in Nepal

The most famous highlight in Nepal is certainly the Himalayas. There are many well-known treks here the most popular being the "Mount Everest Base Camp trek". These treks can last anything from 8-16 days depending on the departure point therefore it is essential to have a reasonably good level of fitness.

Itinerary