I did the Street Kids Education volunteer program through the 2014 Summer Program. My experience with Sankalp was extraordinary! You get to work hands on with the children and develop your own lesson plans which was really neat. I wish we had more time with the kids, but I will never forget the time that I did get to spend with them. I worked with them about 4 hours a day for 2 weeks. Pranay and Amita, the program directors, took extremely good care of all of us during our stay in India. I never felt unsafe or uncomfortable during the entire program! Transportation was always reliable and everything addressed on their website page and itinerary was followed and legitimate. The volunteer house we stayed at was lovely and well set up. We always had fresh food cooked for us for lunch and dinner by their amazing cook, Puni. I have Type 1 Diabetes and had a hypoglycemic attack during my program and Pranay and Amita both made sure I made it to the hospital safe and that I was taken care of. The program was well organized and the last week of travel went smooth. The various hotels we stayed at throughout our travels were high class and of very nice condition. This program has a lot of flexibility which I thoroughly enjoyed. After you complete your volunteer project, you have the rest of the day to do what you want. This gives you the opportunity to explore India at your own pace/leisure and with your fellow volunteers. There is a security guard at the volunteer house as well as a sign in/sign out sheet to ensure your safety at all times. We also had a brief educational session in the beginning of our program to inform us of the culture, religion, and societal norms of India to help ease the culture shock. Pranay and Amita were always available for questions if you needed anything or had any concerns. I would recommend this program to anyone! I had an amazing experience and built strong friendships with the other volunteers. Most of the money spent on your volunteer program of choice through Sankalp goes directly to the cause you are volunteering for which in my opinion, is pretty cool :).
Sankalp Volunteer Society India
I've read about many volunteer programs featured in my university newsletters and they all sounded amazing. However, after spending quite a bit of time researching I decided that Sankalp Volunteer suited me best in terms of my budget, program dates and location. I was a little bit nervous travelling to India on my own so the Summer Program sounded perfect! I did the street kids teaching program and I would highly recommend it if you're great with kids. If I had stayed for longer I think I would have asked to try the women's empowerment program, as we were told by previous volunteers that it was a very rewarding experience. If you like to keep busy, we were told you can choose commit to two programs if you don't mind spending your time volunteering twice a day. Again, that is something I would have liked to experience had I stayed in there for longer. For those of us who did the street kids program, we were done by midday which gave us the freedom to explore the many beautiful places in Jaipur. After merely two weeks there, I was in love with the city and all the people watching. Even simple things like catching the local bus into town or riding in the back compartment of the rickshaw, watching life go by in this magical place. Amber Fort is a wonderful to get lost in and the basecamp for trekking pushed us out of our comfort zones and into this amazing zen-like place - I really don't think my words could do that place justice. Just going to wrap it up here - it was a wonderful experience and we had a very informative briefing session upon our arrival. I would definitely recommend Sankalp Volunteer for the comforts, the location, the work itself and most importantly, the selfless people behind it all - Pranay and Amita, thank you for an incredible three weeks. I will never forget my first trip to India.
I found Sankalp right here on abroadreviews.com and I am so glad that I did. I recently spent 5 weeks in Jaipur volunteering with the Sankalp street children program, and I can honestly say it was a life changing experience.
To all the parents out there reading this: I promise you this program is as safe as you can get for volunteering in India. I spent months convincing my own parents that Sankalp is a legitimate and safe organization. As it was my first time traveling alone (and as a female), I was pretty nervous too. Arriving at the airport and transferring to the house is definitely the most nerve-wracking portion of the trip, but when I got to the house and met the other volunteers, all my worries melted away, and yours will too. There are many house rules put in place by Amita and Pranay that are for your protection, there is always a security guard at the house, and if you need to talk to a local, Puni (the cook/best person I know) is always around.
As for the volunteering itself, I signed up for the summer program for the week of travel, but I added two extra weeks of volunteering because I felt that two weeks wasn't enough with the kids. I would absolutely recommend doing this if you're considering the summer program. Most people I traveled with were disappointed that they only had two weeks with the kids and wish they could have stayed longer.
The street children program is fairly well organized and the bonds you form with the kids is incredible. I miss them and think about them everyday. The language barrier is tough, especially with the younger kids, but it is definitely workable. You need to like kids though, and you need to be someone who does not get frustrated easily.
The week of travel at the end of the summer program is absolutely incredible. You can read about it in detail in other reviews or on the website, but the one thing you should be warned about is that you really should get in shape before the trek. Trust me on this one!
One of my favorite parts of this program is that it allows for so much exploration. The entire afternoon (and part of the evening) is open to go into the old city, spend lots of rupees at the bazaars (don't forget to haggle!), see the beautiful forts and temples, and interact with locals. It really is the trip of a lifetime.
If you want to hear more, feel free to email me (curlicarly@gmail.com). I'd love to give you more details or calm your parents fears. :)
I was in Jaipur, India with Sankalp Volunteer Society for 3 weeks working in a local orphanage doing the summer program. First of all, you get a lot for your money. From transportation to and from volunteering, lunch and dinner everyday, tickets and hotel accommodation, etc, the program was worth the price. After arriving in Delhi, there was a driver holding my name card and waiting to drive me and the other volunteers to Jaipur. The summer program consists of 2 weeks of volunteering and 1 week of travel. Most of the volunteer programs are in the morning, so you are able to explore the city in the afternoon with others. There is a security guard living within the volunteer house as well as Puni, the cook. Everytime you would leave you would sign out, saying the time where you are going and who you are with, making sure Pranay and Amita (the directors) know where you are. The volunteer house itself is in a very convenient place.. just down the street from a grocery store and within a residential area in Jaipur and is very nice! The bottom level of the house consists of their office and the kitchen, the second level is for the girls with 3 rooms and 4 beds in each room for a total of 12 beds on that level, and also the eating area/kitchen. The third level has a television and mats to lay on and thats usually for the boys. There is also a roof!! It is a decently tall house so it has good 360 degrees view of rural Jaipur. There are many things to do in Jaipur, such as visit the Bazaars, Sun "Monkey" temple, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, the ancient forts, Water temple, or ride elephants! Just warning, you can spend many, many Rupees at the Bapu Bazaar because of its amazing fabrics, trinkets, and clothing. Us volunteers had a lot of liberty and freedom to go where we want and explore the city, but with a curfew and being safe, which was awesome because we got to explore India and do things we wanted. The 3rd week of traveling was tiring but amazing! We visited Agra, Amritsar, and Dharamsala. Pranay was with us in Agra and Amritsar, where we went to the Golden Temple and the Taj Mahal, and then we drove to Dharamsala to start our trek up the mountains with our guide, Daya. On the trek all food was provided, rain protection (it rains constantly) and shelter on the top! Everything was organized in advance, and after the trek we took a overnight bus back to Delhi where a driver was there to take us to the airport. Overall, the experience was spectacular, and I was able to see so much of India in a very short time, so this program is very worth it. Pranay and Amita will take care of whatever you need and you will have the most fabulous time! Other than being careful what you eat and drink, I have nothing bad to say because my experience in India was so fabulous because of Sankalp! I strongly recommend this program, youll have so much fun! :)
Summer street kids project was worthwhile Amita and pranay really look after their volunteers. The kids are adorable and the accommodation and food provided is great. The travel week after is a great way to end the summer if you only have a short time to explore all the major attractions of india.
