Were delighted that youre interested in volunteering in Bhopal, India this year. Please read this information carefully and also read the FAQs on the website. If you have any other questions email us at [email protected] and if you decide to apply, please download the application form and the guidance notes from the website or email us so we can send them to you. Application deadline: Monday 3 February 2014, midday.
India: Bhopal project summary
There are opportunities for 12-14 volunteers to participate in a well-established volunteer programme and stay at an Ashram in Bhopal, India. The 2014 trip will continue to support non-profit organisations on social welfare projects. Activities are likely to include: group activities in a mental health setting, working with staff supporting survivors of domestic violence, English teaching, sport development and games, music and therapeutic arts and crafts with children and young people in a childrens home and a shelter for rescued railway platform boys. In between project work there will be some free time for local cultural activities and to experience real India. After project work, there is an organised tour to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal.
Volunteers will work alongside a group of Indian students who will provide support with language and enhance the overall cultural experience.
As soon as the team has been recruited, volunteers will be involved in various activities such as compulsory briefings, training and fundraising, so if you are interested you need to make sure you have time to commit to the project.
The Volunteering Team is offering Leeds Metropolitan students and staff the chance to take part in this project in 2014. The team will spend approximately three and a half weeks in India from around 20 August 12 September (exact dates will be confirmed once the team is recruited).
About Bhopal
Bhopal, the capital of the state of Madhya Pradesh, is a fascinating amalgam of scenic beauty, old historic city and modern urban planning. The 11th century city Bhopal, founded by Raja Bhoj, but the present city was established much later by an Afghan soldier, Dost Mohammed (1707-1740). His descendants built Bhopal into a beautiful city.
The two lakes of Bhopal dominate the city, and are its nucleus. Adding to Bhopals multi-faceted profile; the old city with its marketplaces and fine old mosques and palace still bears the aristocratic imprint of its former rulers, among them the succession of powerful begums who ruled Bhopal from 1819 to 1926. Equally impressive is the new city with its verdant, parks and gardens, broad avenues and streamlined modern edifices. It is greener and cleaner than most cities in India.
Few state capitals in India have a history as eventful as Bhopal which has witnessed many changes since it was found by the Afghan soldier Dost Mohammed in the year 1708. The city has been through many phases, gentle as well as turbulent, prosperous as well as disastrous and you can still find traces of many cultures as different as those of Buddhists, Hindus, Mughals and Afghans.
Bhopal is 741 Km from Delhi, 789 Km from Mumbai, and about 200 Km from Indore. Despite its industrial reputation in Europe, Bhopal is visited by tourists and is near to many major tourist attractions. Any keen volunteer should do some research into Bhopals culture and history to get a better picture of what to expect and recent events that have shaped the city.
Friendliness and hospitality to strangers is part of Bhopal, Indian culture, and you will meet magnificent people everywhere who are keen to welcome you to their country and share it with you.
Bhopal, India is a fascinating country with a unique and colourful culture and some volunteers may experience a certain amount of culture shock on arrival as the different, sights, sounds and smells overwhelm the senses. Volunteers have found many sights quite shocking. There are many social and religious customs different to Western society which should be respected at all times which will help volunteers adapt to their new surroundings. Volunteer pre-departure sessions will help prepare volunteers, however, they should also conduct their own research youll find some good links later on in this document.
About India
India is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. India is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal on the east. It is bordered by Pakistan to the west; People's Republic of China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Indonesia in the Indian Ocean.
Home to the Indus Valley Civilisation and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history. Four major religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism originated here, while Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam arrived in the first millennium CE and shaped the region's diverse culture. Gradually annexed by the British East India Company from the early eighteenth century and colonised by the United Kingdom from the mid-nineteenth century, India became an independent nation in 1947 after a struggle for independence that was marked by widespread non-violent resistance.
India is a republic consisting of 28 states and seven union territories with a parliamentary system of democracy. It has the world's twelfth largest economy at market exchange rates and the fourth largest in purchasing power. Economic reforms since 1991 have transformed it into one of the fastest growing economies; however, it still suffers from high levels of poverty, illiteracy, disease, and malnutrition. A pluralistic, multilingual, and multiethnic society, India is also home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats.
Volunteers will experience a certain amount of culture shock when in India. There are many social and religious customs different to Western society which must be respected at all times. In the past other volunteers have found many sights quite shocking. Volunteer pre-departure sessions will help prepare volunteers for this; however, volunteers must conduct their own research also.
About the organisations
All the projects chosen are in the main, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), which rely on grants and support from benefactors and volunteers. We have chosen NGOs which support some of the most vulnerable sections of the population.
Project Activities
The exact details of the project work will be confirmed prior to departure and will depend on the needs of the organisations at the time. Volunteers will work in small groups to lead or participate in activities with the organisations. Tasks will be allocated according to skills and experience and each volunteer might find themselves doing one or more of the activities. You will have a chance to choose at least one project that you prefer. However due to logistics and other factors you may find yourself working on a non-preferred project. Those with special skills and interests will be matched with projects accordingly.
We are looking for volunteers with an interest or experience in:
English teaching
Sports and organised games
Counselling & Therapeutic approaches
Music
Play work
Social work
Research/project work in mental health or domestic violence
Speech Therapy
Psychology
Occupational Therapy
Physiotherapy
Nursing
Working with mental health and autism
Our University encourages applications to volunteering roles from male students who are currently under represented in this area.
It is planned that the project volunteer work will take place in approximately two weeks. Volunteers will work on one of two main themes, mental health and children.
Childrens theme
Ekjut This is an independent orphanage for children of all ages. The orphanage hosts approximately 27 children of primary and secondary school ages. The children have been living on the streets, in slums or were the victims of abuse prior to rescue. The orphanage provides food, shelter and clothing and supports the education of the children. There are opportunities to take part and lead sessions in sport, games, play, English conversation, cooking, art, music and a range of other activities with the children. There will also be the opportunity to plan a day picnic. The children were delighted to work with us again this year. Through the funds raised we provided the children with education for one year, and medical treatment and various equipment.
Bachpan This Non Governmental Organisation operates a shelter for 35 boys rescued from Railway platforms (see the film Slumdog Millionaire). . The platform children have either run away or been abandoned. They are aged between 5 and 16. Many of them are addicted to Iodex or whitener both of which have narcotics in their composition. There are shelters which provide security whilst trying to rehabilitate them with their families. If this is not possible the children live in the shelter and are able to go to local schools. Some children are quickly rehabilitated others not so and others avoid help and live on the platforms for 2 or 3 years or more. These boys are offered basic accommodation and a chance to eat be clothed and attend school. This year the volunteers organized English conversation, play and sports activities with the boys. Again the contribution of the volunteers to the lives of these young boys in such a short s
