As an India disabled children volunteer, you will help care for children with special needs. As a volunteer with disabled children in India, you will assist local staff in essential education and support sessions. On this volunteer community work, you will brighten the days of young ones, making a vital and important contribution to their lives.
VOLUNTEER PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
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CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THE UN’S SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL NO.10 – INEQUALITY
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MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT WITHIN THE DISABLED CHILDREN COMMUNITY OF FARIDABAD
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A TOP DESTINATION FOR FIRST-TIMERS LOOKING FOR A SECURE & SOCIAL EXPERIENCE
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GAIN VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE WITHIN A SUPPORTED NETWORK
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STRUCTURED WEEKEND TRIPS TO THE TAJ MAHAL & JAIPUR
BACKGROUND TO THE DISABLED PROGRAM
Traditionally, people with disabilities in India have had vastly reduced opportunities in life. Many attitudes towards disability have been influenced by the concept of Karma. Unfortunately, it is frequently perceived that disability is a punishment for actions in their past life. In recent years, India’s Government has changed policies and laws which now enable young people with disabilities to receive an education. However, conflicting goals and a lack of clarity still affect disabled young people’s experiences and outcomes of education.
People with disabilities face many barriers within and outside the Indian school system. Lack of awareness and limited access to resources has left many disabled people in India without the care many desperately need. According to the India office of the World Bank, Indian children with disabilities are 5.5 times more likely to not be enrolled at school compared to abled-children. Those who do attend school rarely progress beyond the primary school level. Currently, 52% of adults with disabilities are illiterate, compared to 35% amongst the general Indian population. In India, 74% of people with physical impairments are unemployed.
As a volunteer in India with disabled children, you will work hard to provide support for centres across Faridabad. Volunteers in India on this program support local staff to complement and further enhance opportunities of children with special needs. The role of a volunteer with disabled children in India is varied and rewarding. Whilst also challenging, volunteering on this project offers volunteers the chance to showcase their skills to support others in need.
VOLUNTEER PLACEMENT EXAMPLE
KRC for Special Children - This centre was founded some years ago by a physiotherapist. The project aims to provide children with disabilities the care and attention they deserve. The overall goal is to provide children with the skills and rehabilitation for the greatest chance of independence. Staff at the centre have worked with local people and children with conditions that include Down Syndrome and Infantile hemiplegia.
There are local staff at the volunteer project, but most of the additional support is provided by PMGY volunteer with disabled children in India participants. Daily activities often include storytelling, physical exercise, basic life skill lessons, singing songs and games. You may even get involved in some English language teaching. It is hoped that through these activities, the children will also interact with each other. This, in turn, helps to promote social skills that the children may not otherwise have the opportunity to develop extensively. Volunteers with relevant experience may be able to assist with physiotherapy and speech therapy sessions. Such interaction will be under the guidance of the local staff. Volunteers will usually take along toys and educational aids each day to the community centre project.
When participants arrive on this community development volunteer abroad program, they take over the room with their energy, stimulating and supporting children. The project is very hands-on. Volunteers will have important roles in teaching English and feeding, as well as assisting in activities that focus on motor skills.
Although the project can be challenging, feedback from participants suggests the project is one of the most rewarding volunteer opportunities. The bonds international volunteers build with the children at the project are very unique and special to each participant. As funding and volunteer support increases, we can continue to maximise our support to communities and the centre.
YOUR VOLUNTEER ROLE & TYPICAL VOLUNTEER DAY
Working with special needs children in India, you will provide valuable daily hands-on care and attention for children who need it most. Typically, there will be no strict itinerary or activities that must occur on a day-to-day basis. Volunteers with disabled children in India can expect to get involved in a range of different roles during their time. This means that a volunteer with disabled children in India must be proactive in their role.
As a volunteer with disabled children in India, a large amount of patience, energy and enthusiasm is required. Each day will be different, and a strict structure cannot be expected. With each day will come with different activities, challenges and perhaps even a different set of students! As a volunteer with disabled children in India, tasks may include teaching basic English, introducing activities to promote fine motor skills, and assistance with both meal and assembly times.
In general, volunteer work in India is Monday to Friday. You will usually spend 3-4 hours at the India volunteer program each day, usually, from 9am-12:30pm. If not within walking distance, you with travel to and from the project by either tuk-tuk or minivan. The cost of this is included in your Program Fee.
OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER VOLUNTEERING IN INDIA
Your Approach & Project Structure - Please note that this project relies on the proactivity of PMGY volunteers. Each individual child offers a unique set of characteristics and behaviours. It is, therefore, an important task for a participant to explore these and tailor tasks and activities towards these.
Although our local team/staff will be at hand at the project, you will not always be working as a group. During your time on the project, most of your time will be spent working with children individually or in small groups.
The structure across the classes can be limited. As mentioned, this is because of the varying needs across the children. Together, this naturally can be very challenging. However, this is found to equally be one of our most rewarding volunteering opportunities in India.
Naturally, this project can be quite challenging to structure and plan for. Volunteers are encouraged to be good time managers, adaptable, resilient, creative and able to maintain a positive attitude. This is because many of the children and young adults lack the ability to speak or communicate functionally. Additionally, individuals may find it difficult to follow instructions. This means that interaction and engagement for volunteers can require a lot of patience, time and effort. Language barriers can add an additional hurdle into the mix. Regardless of this, as you persevere, you will begin to see what a truly inspirational experience you are a part of. Although not always visually recognised, your efforts will be met with appreciation and warmth by all staff, local coordinators and children. Any small differences you can make, even just the care and attention you can give will go a very long way.
Project Flexibility - There may be an opportunity as a volunteer in India to get involved with other India volunteer programs. However, there may be instances where this would lead to overcrowding on these volunteering experiences, and thus limited project work opportunity. Therefore, such flexibility on a volunteer trip to India is not always possible. Priority will always be given to those signed up to that specific program in India.
Weekends - Your project work in India runs from Monday-Friday and weekends are free. You are welcome to relax and hang out at the volunteer accommodation but most participants will use this time to travel and explore the country. As a result, you can check out our India Weekend Travel Guide for top tips on how to spend your weekend. We also run two separate weekend trips which you can sign-up to before you depart for India. We offer the Dharamshala Trip along with the Golden Triangle Trip.