AIM Abroad

volunteering experience for a lifetime

1. Who is a Volunteer ?
2. Why volunteer ?
3. What do I need to qualify for a volunteer program ?
4. What kind of volunteer work is available ?
5. What is the duration of the volunteer program ?
6. What do I do in the free time ?
7. I cannot speak English. Can I become a volunteer ?
8. What are the living arrangements at the time of volunteering ?
9. Can I come with friends or with my spouse ?
10. What is included in the program fee ?
11. What happens if I get sick during the volunteer program ?

1. Who is a Volunteer ?

Any individual who is sympathetic and kind enough to work for the benefit of the people around us without expecting any material reward is rightly called a volunteer. Every person has been a volunteer once in a while in his/her daily life. You certainly are a volunteer when you help some old women cross the busy road or when you try to save a drowning person. Now, when you participate in the program of Aim abroad, you are going to do the same with a wider purview and with a more meaningful purpose.

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2. Why volunteer ?

Different people give different reasons for voluntary work. For some the desire to serve fellow human beings is the main reason. Some other do it to get more adventure and excitement in their lives. For others it is a good way of learning new skills. The fact is, almost any reason that motivates you to work as a volunteer is worthwhile. You don’t even have to have a definite reason as voluntary work can give people the chance to travel, meet new people, interact with new culture and face some never before experiences that enhance your life and career.

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3. What do I need to qualify for a volunteer program ?

No particular educational qualification or skill is necessary to work as a volunteer. All you required to have are the enthusiasm to work for your fellow human beings, a child’s curiosity to learn new skills, keenness to learn from new society and culture. However, you should have normal health and energy. Aim abroad, nevertheless, looks your resume for your skills, volunteer experiences, travel experiences, your interests and preferences. This information makes our decision easy to suggest you a particular program that suits you the best.

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4. What kind of volunteer work is available ?

You can choose from the different options depending on your taste and preference. However, volunteer programs are generally designed to bring about awareness in rural people and to conserve environment. Hence all works are closely related with nature, environment and people, especially children. Teaching English in a village school, Working in an orphanage, promoting Health and Environment Education, Home stay / Cultural Exchange are some of our regular programs.

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5. What is the duration of the volunteer program ?

The normal duration of the volunteer program would be around 3 weeks. However, if you are interested to stay for more time, Aim abroad would make necessary arrangements to extend the duration up to SIX months. Home stay / Cultural exchange is suitable for those who want to stay for a longer period of time.

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6. What do I do in the free time ?

You have a plenty of things that you could do in your free time. You can visit temples and forts in and around Delhi. You can also interact with local people and learn about their arts and crafts. Our local staff will give you suggestions about the places to visit. On the other hand, some volunteers would prefer not to travel and stay within the village to know the people and their lifestyle more intimately. However, it all depends on your personal taste.

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7. I cannot speak English. Can I become a volunteer ?

Of course! Certainly. Speaking English or any foreign language is not necessarily important. While in your work as a volunteer you are supposed to speak Hindi with the local people. Aim abroad gives you proper training about Hindi speaking to the minimum level of daily communication. This is enough to get through your regular transactions. You will also be given enough guidance about the local lifestyle, tradition and culture. However, A minimum understanding level of English language is required to communicate with the staff of Aim abroad and with your team mates.

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8. What are the living arrangements at the time of volunteering?

You will be given the accommodation that is covered by the program fee. During the training before program, you will be accommodated with your fellow volunteers. This accommodation is provided by our partner organization in India. You would also spend some time in a village as a part of this training program. At that time you will be accommodated with local people. During the volunteer program you are generally put to live with a host family in the area you are going to work as a volunteer. Sometimes you will be living at the area of work depending on the availability of facility. Meals will be provided twice a day during training and volunteer program.

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9. Can I come with friends or with my spouse ?

Yes, Couples and groups are invited. But it should be noted that Aim abroad does not give any guarantee to provide private accommodation for couples in rural areas. Elder children who are independent will be considered on a case by case basis.

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10. What is included in the program fee ?

When you register yourself for volunteer program, you would be entitled to get the following.

• Food: All meals are provided to you. The major part of the food will be the local Indian cuisine.
• Accommodation: All the volunteers will be provided with a neat, comfortable and hygienic accommodation.
Though it is not possible to provide luxurious facilities in rural India, the atmosphere would be friendly and enjoyable.
• Transportation: All the transportation during the volunteer program would be surface transportation, especially buses and light utility vehicles.
• Guidance by Team Leaders: During the program you will be given complete guidance and support by our own staff. These staff will supervise and guide the team of volunteers you work with.
• Program Co-ordination: The whole volunteer program follows a well planned itinerary. Special care would be taken to ensure everything go smooth and perfect. The costs for project start-up, site visits, volunteer orientation material, individual emergency evacuation, medical aid are included in the program fee.

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11. What happens if I get sick during the volunteer program ?

Aim abroad gives you every information about what precautionary measures to be taken about your health. However, in case of any requirement, medical care is available in all the villages recently. The rural people in India are very caring about foreign visitors and the host family feels a strong responsibility about your health. However, Volunteers with serious and chronicle health disorders should bring along with you necessary medicine keeping in view your long term health condition. It should be noted here that health care in rural India is not what you would expect comparing the medical standards in western countries. Further, we recommend you purchasing an international health insurance policy before you come to India.

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