It's is hard to find the words to describe the overwhelming experience I've had here in India. I stayed with "Sankalp" for almost three months now and it's been a true blessing for me to have been able to work with the children and see the joy in their faces everyday. It has taught me a lot about myself and has opened my mind to different cultures and people. If you ask somebody that has been to India before how they like the country, you rarely hear the answer "so so". It generally is either: "I love it" or "I hate it". I, for my part, can say I love India, the culture, people and everything. But if I had to say what I liked BEST about my overall stay here in India, I would have to say working with the kids every day. Giving them the chance to an education, which they without us most likely wouldn't have, and seeing them smile and laugh everyday has been a real joy for me. Of course everybody's experience is different and wherever you go you'll always face problems. Not everything went as smoothly as I hoped with the organization, but the program itself is absolutely "top" and a MUST for anybody, who wants to experience something out of the ordinary, something MEMORABLE for life!!! I'm heading to Africa next for another 7 months of volunteering, but I miss the kids already and I don't think one day will go by without me smiling about all the memories I've collected here during my stay.
Sankalp Volunteer Society India
I were volunteer for a week and my experience was very good, even being short. the accommodation and food are excellent. Of the program, I can say that the experience is unique, the children are very intelligent and educated, is very easy work with them. No doubt I would love to do it again!
I had heard about volunteer programs such as this from parents and friends and had been interested in volunteering in another country before i had decided to go to India. As i planned to be there for around 4 months I felt it would be a good idea to do a months volunteer work to get me used to the culture, the ease of travel and the food. I browsed a number of organisations and there are many that offer volunteer placements in India, however the shake hands programe seems to be one of the few that operate from India itself and offer a very cheap fee compared to others based in the UK, the US or NZ. I initially opted to go to dharam sala, but there was no space, must also add that this was very short notice. There was space for me to go to Jaipur and work with street children which was my second choice. They were easy to contact and immediatley responded to any queeries i had via e-mail, they arranged pick up from the airport in Delhi which was a huge help especially after the 12 hours flight from the UK. The program itself seems well run, transport is provided to and from the accomadation to the school which is basic as i expected but functional. The kids are a delight to teach, full of personality and even though i was teaching some as young as eight they seem to show real promise. I do hope they get the opportunity for further education. It is unavoidable that they probably suffer having to swap teachers every few weeks. The only downside is that you get only 3 hours with the kids a day, im not sure why this is but it leaves time for only math and english lessons, i would have really liked to teach a third lesson, basic science,art or geography, i feel some of the children would have readily grasped something different like this but i appreciate that the drain on resources and any other reasons behind such a short working day. The accomadation i stayed in, in Jaipur was very good, especially by Indian standards, providing a great place to chill out, watch movies and socialise with other volunteers, also the fridge was a life saver. The only issue was that the house was situated quite a way from Jaipur centre but you can easily catch a rickshaw more or less into town. This was annoying when i wanted to travel on the weekends as i would have to get to town to catch a bus or a train adding on extra time. They do offer a hire car at market rates which is quite economic if you travel in a group and great to tour the local areas. The absolute highlight of my stay was the food. The food was of a high standard, great tasting and delivered both at lunch and in the evenings, all vegatarian which id normally shun were it not so good. I would advise anyone coming to India to rethink if they dislike spicy food but i looked forward to every meal and i will miss the food the most. Overall i have thoughroughly enjoyed my time and would definatley try volunteer like this in the future in India or abroad. Shaking hands(Sandkalp) is a company i would recomend to those who wanted an introduction to India, its amazing culture and a chance to help out some of the local children and its run by Indians!
The Orphanage at Jaipur has been just great! I am glad I have been able to share my time with these kids, helping to feed them, shower them, putting their clothes on and, I think, the most important is the human quality time I could give them. It has been amazing for me that a hug, a small pat or even a nice glance at them could give me back a smile from them. Without being exaggerating things, I might say this program is worth it just because each of the children’s smile. Awesome experience! Get to know myself, other country, other culture, other food; other music….at the same time being able to know people from all over the world is amazing! All those combined with helping people from another country is so nice. Makes you grow as a person. Accommodation and food both are great. I really really really loved every lunch & dinner we had! I will definitely recommend shake hands india volunteer programs to others.
Overall I had an excellent experience in the Work & Travel program of Sankalp and traveling around Jaipur, Pushkar, Agra, Ranthambhore, Jaisalmer & Jodhpur and sleeping under the open sky on sand dunes was great experience of my life.
During my four weeks in the Shake Hands India Volunteer Program by Sankalp I was treated to an experience unlike any other, in the best ways possible. From the delicious food to the enthusiastic students to the friendly staff, Shake Hands by Sankalp is set up such that volunteers have every opportunity to experience Indian culture in their own unique way. Being equipped with a knowledgeable and open support staff who is genuinely interested in the needs and desires of their volunteers makes the experience authentic and hassle-free. The program in Jaipur really felt like a home away from home very soon upon arrival, and this should be credited to the ethic in which Sankalp operates. This is an organization which is all about realizing not only the potential of their volunteers, but also providing extensive opportunities to experience India in a variety of ways. The program goals are well-sought and the contribution expectations are reasonable, this along with their excellent hospitality forms the solid base for experiencing India through Sankalp. I would recommend the Sankalp to anyone who is interested in experiencing India by way of a knowledgeable and interested staff, while contributing to an objective cause at the grassroots level. The combination is endearing and the memories are unforgettable.
