Gap Year: Community Volunteering in Asia

What is the Gap Year: Community Volunteering in Asia all about?

Grab the opportunity during your gap year travels and spend some of your time volunteering on a range of fascinating community projects in Nepal, Thailand and India. By choosing our community volunteering route not only can you take the opportunity to visit some amazing places but also immerse yourself in local culture and help the communities in which you will be living. It’s a truly fantastic opportunity to take your gap year beyond the normal travel experiences.

Begin your gap year by integrating a small rural farm community near the Himalayans, where you will be able to experience living on a farm and helping vulnerable women sustained themselves and their children as they have been rejected by their own families after suffering some abuse. Trekk around the area and make sure to experience the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu during your weekend off. 

Next head to Thailand to volunteer on our grassroots community and conservation initiative based in rural Chiang Mai. The project aims to support the local government in developing basic healthcare provision, education, a community-based agroforestry project in order to ultimately reduce poverty of the members of the community including ethnic Thais, Hmong, Lahu Lisu and Karen peoples. Volunteers can really make an impact by sharing their skills or by lending a hand to aid development of community services in this culturally and geographically rich Thai province.

Finally, head to India for the experience of a lifetime to volunteer and travel around the country for 3 weeks. After landing in Delhi, you will get the chance to visit the world’s famous Taj Mahal before heading to Jaipur where you will participate in community volunteering. You will then go to Pushkar for a camel safari and continue on to go and relax on the beautiful beaches of Goa before returning home. Whatever your interest, you are sure to gain an amazing insight into different cultures in Asia and the community initiatives taking place to support them.

Gap Year Travel Packages

You will spend 4 weeks volunteering in Nepal and Thailand, while you will go around India for 3 weeks:

Role of the Community Volunteer

As a volunteer, your role will depend on the needs of the project and your skill set. In Nepal, your activities will rotate around farming the land and caring for the animals there. In Thailand, volunteers may get involved in a variety of activities including environmental conservation, community health awareness and education support. In India volunteers may be responsible for planning and leading classes for adults and children, running awareness sessions covering basic hygiene or playing games.

What skills do I need to be a Community Volunteer in Asia?

Volunteers with all levels of experience are welcome to join us on these projects. Specific skills the projects are looking for:

• Nepal – volunteers should have a positive attitude, be willing to help and be fairly fit.
• Thailand – an ability to be flexible and help where the project needs it, teamwork and people skills are required.
• India – teachers, childcare workers and volunteers with experience of special needs support are highly sought after, however, no skills or experience are required.

All volunteers are asked to submit a copy of their CV/Resume.

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Where will I work in Asia?

Use your community gap year to explore three distinctly different but equally wondrous Asian cultures. In Nepal, go back to basics by living in a remote farming community only 35 kilometres away from Kathmandu but because of limited infrastructure making it feel much further away. Enjoy waking up to gorgeous scenic views! In Thailand, travel to gorgeous national parks, go trekking through the jungle and island hopping in search of your own piece of undiscovered paradise. In India, you’ll head to 2 destinations. Jaipur, the pink city, has a fascinating market to explore and is overlooked by the stunning fort, and Goa has the beaches and is a good point to explore Mumbai on a weekend. There are plenty of opportunities for independent travel including trips to the Taj Mahal, Pushkar for a camel safari or Mumbai to see Bollywood. This Asian experience is sure to tantalise all of your senses and show you the diverse range of people, cultures and landscapes on this fascinating continent.

Pictures from our Gap Year: Community Volunteering in Asia