Sankalp Volunteer Society India

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8.6 / 10 after 189 Reviews Based on overall, support & value average ratings

Program website: http://www.volunteersindia.org/

When I decided to take a gap year I looked for a legitimate and trustworthy organization amidst a rally of overpriced volunteer businesses. I happily settled upon Sankalp because their programmes looked great and the price was reasonable.

I had no expectations when I began and was pleasently surprised with what I was met with. From the get go I had the support I needed. I asked for a pickup from Delhi ariport and I was met right on time; no misunderstandings or mistakes. I was then given an introduction to the organization and the work after arrivel. The conditions of the volunteer house was much better then I expected, however the rooms could need some more cleaning from time to time. However, the cleanliness of the room will also depend on yourself and your roomates. You are given lunch and dinner everyday, and the food is amazing. If you have any issues you can tell the cook and she will adjust.

I worked at the street children programme and it was great! There are not too many children making it easier to teach the children properly and devote more time for each one. Some children have a carriculum they follow, whilst others don't. In which case you just ask the teacher working there if she can help you out. The children are amazing you will fall in love. They have so much to give and teach you. You have weekends off, so plenty of time for travelling around Rajasthan and India.

The programme directors were very supportive and available most of the time if needed. However, there are some pesky rules placed by the organization that are there for your safety, but they are also a little exaggerated. Some of them such as curfew and limited communications with the local community were some that saddens me the most. For a short term volunteers this would not be of much issue, but for me who was there for 4 months it was not very pleasant and I soon grew restless. The other rules are mostly reasonsable. Anyhow, the staff are nice and very approachable.

I highly recommend this programme! I learnt so much about myself and how I am as a person. We got to see so much of India and the beautiful city of Jaipur. My gap year would not have been as amazing had it not been for Sankalp.

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Volunteer Abroad

Location:

India

Posted: June 28, 2014

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By: DilmiWijesekara

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I took part in the Street KIds part of this program and found it to be a rewarding experience. The children were a joy to teach, however more aid in preparation would certainly have been welcomed seeing as I went into my first lesson completely blind as to the previous standards to which the children were taught. This was a major issue as having finished 2 weeks of teaching I still feel as if the children have not truly learnt anything and that the next group of volunteers will simply repeat the same content over again.

The timing of the volunteering was perfect as we worked from 7 till 11 and were give the rest of the day free. This was not so for the Women Empowerment however and I have learnt from talking to other volunteers that the timing of this program was a little restrictive (especially considering the 9:00 curfew). Accommodation was pleasant and the food provided was sufficient although I personally found that buying outside food and snacks was necessary to keep my energy levels up.

Overall, I will never forget this experience and would recommend it to anyone even mildly interested in volunteering. If you are looking to change the world this is not the program for you. There is little structure involved but it provides a pleasurable experience nonetheless.

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Posted: June 27, 2014

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By: LucasOakeley

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Overall, I wouldn't recommend this program because I am not completely sure I believe in "Global Aid". It does a lot in the way of reinforcing paternalism with the third world v.s first world relationship emphasized. Who's to say our Western values-- education namely-- are transatlantic views to be upheld? Moreover, who's to to know if these impressed upon the "aided" people group isn't more isolating for them in their community at the end of it?
As with Sankalp, highlights included the cook and her 1) delicious meals 2) her girlish, sincere energy, as well as the group of girls we worked with in the Women's Empowerment program, as well as the woman who translated for us in that program.
As far as improvements, both the Street Kids and Women's Empowerment could use more structure in what material to teach. As volunteers, we are thrust into an environment where we don't know what level of education any of these children have, so lesson planning is crucial and often misguided and fallible. Also, when old volunteers leave and new ones come in, the children are left to deal with this gap i.e being re-taught, or taught at a level too high/too low for them, or just having to re-acclimate to a new teaching environment. Because of the inevitable flux and the lack of consistent lesson plans, the children suffer.
But, who really is to know how these things turn out because we come for 4-6 weeks spans, exploit the city and its people, and leave forever with no follow up of progress. It's a safe space to feel good about yourself and the mark you've left in the world as a global citizen, but without knowing the actual impact you have on these people in this community and if it was any good at all.

Program:

Volunteer Abroad

Location:

India

Posted: June 20, 2014

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By: Indiagirl524

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I had a pleasant experience with Sankalp overall. I was in Jaipur and I thought the volunteer house was very nice- especially compared to Indian standards. There is a fridge with a freezer, running water, electricity, wifi, and aircon at night. The meals (lunch and dinner were made for us) were always tasty vegetarian curry. I was here for 4 weeks and I would say that I had a great experience mostly due to the other volunteers that I bonded with the house. I'm not sure I could recommend the volunteer program 100%, though I do find it a worthy cause(I was doing the women empowerment program). I felt at times that it was not very well organized because for any of the programs there were no teaching curriculums so as teachers we were in a tough place in the beginning trying to figure out a) where they were at in their education and b) what would be most helpful to teach them. The teacher that was present to help us and translate did do her best at giving us suggestions, though I think that in order for the program to be truly successful, they should come up with a curriculum at some point. Aside from that, the program ran fairly smoothly. We had plenty of free time each day and on the weekends to travel and explore the city of Jaipur. This was truly an eye-opening experience and while it was exhausting at times, I'm extremely thankful for the experience I've had.

Program:

Volunteer Abroad

Location:

India

Posted: June 20, 2014

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By: Miller19

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Overall, my personal experience withe Sankalp organization was fine. However, there were many problems other volunteers experienced when they first got here. I'm going to stick with my own personal experience though.

I worked in the Street Children program and Women's Empowerment for a total of six weeks. Both groups had wonderful children to work with, and I enjoyed my time working with both different programs. The first few days of volunteering with each program was a bit stressful and overwhelming. There was no provided curriculum, and I had no clue what the children did and did not know. It was really frustrating to just get thrown into the program with absolutely no direction. However, that did leave room for me to pick and choose whatever I wanted to teach the children. If I needed supplies for the school, the Sankalp organizers were very quick to get them to me. Even after long, sweaty days, the volunteering was very rewarding.

Many volunteers do not like all the house rules. The biggest complaint is the 9:00 pm curfew. This time made it hard for me to go out after I got off work at 6:30 from Women's Empowerment with the other volunteers. I didn't mind it too much, though. I know it is for safety reasons. This rule is not flexible which sometimes made weekend travel frustrating and rushed.

I met some great people in the house, and they were the ones who actually got me through the rough days. This was such a great learning experience!

Program:

Volunteer Abroad

Location:

India

Posted: June 20, 2014

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By: makenzieolaker

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