want to volunteer? read this!

monkgonemad

be VERY, VERY careful which organization you volunteer for. i met a guy running a really dodgy operation that was nothing more than a business. even after the BUSINESS went down due to his charas head bungling, he did not bother to inform and still half dozen people trickled in by the time i left.

did they sod him off and leave for far flung parts of india? no, they did reiki ( i think this is mainly a woman thing) -and were duly charged as well $$$.

volunteer only for those with ngo status -check with the govt
get photos and program
what will you be doing
will they pay for your room and board
do they have downtime activities

Nick-H

There are people in India who run charities ---orphanages, etc, just for the moneythe government gives them.

Yes, one should take care...

__________________
.


Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

sirensongs

There are also all kinds of "programs" that charge you to arrange a volunteer position you could get yourself for free. (You know lots of those ads that say "Volunteer with Tibetan refugees," etc? No need to pay them to arrange it, they are just middlemen.) It's best to come to the place first, check out a few volunteer situations and get a firsthand feel for them.

Correct me if I'm wrong (I am sure someone will) but I don't think any legit org. charges you money to come volunteer. Yes, in some of them you pay your own room/board/transport, but you should not pay a Fee for the privilege of volunteering. In fact, some of the volunteer progs., esp. English teaching, pay you a small stipend, or at least cover your room and board in a hostel situation.

One of the elephant programs in Sri Lanka charges foreign kids money to come work with the elephants. In effect this is just the elephant farm taking money and getting foreign volunteers to PAY for doing their grunt work (there's lots of it with elephants!). There is nothing particularly animal-rights or wildlife-protection oriented about this program - it's otherwise just a tourist attraction. Beware this type of thing. That's why it's best to go in person before committing.

Mi do paise

__________________
"Why do people go to India to find themselves? India is where you go to lose yourself."
Feringhee: The India Diaries

navinkurian2002

I think the elephant farm charges as thats a source to fund the food (elephants eat tons of grass etc) and also keep the elephant farm running. It costs a lot to run farms and without a source of income theses farms would close in a day .

__________________
It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare dream of meeting your heart's longing. Budget Hotels ]

sirensongs

Yes, they also charge admission to tourists, that is their source of income. What they are doing with "volunteers" is charging people for the privilege of working there, and masquerading as a not-for-profit, save the animals org. when in fact they are a tourist attraction. That is my understanding from some acquaintances who worked in the area at another NGO. It's also a way around paying some local people an honest wage.

LindaK

There are some legit organizations that charge money, Global Volunteers being one of them. I had a very good experience with them teaching English in Hungary for 2 weeks, though their fee is high and because of that, I don't think I will volunteer with them again.

I found a great site yesterday giving advice on how to find a legit teaching position in China and not get scammed. Most of the advice in the site would be applicable for any volunteer situation you might apply for. Here it is:
www.bearcanada.com/eslmain.html

jivan

in india some of the ngo's will charge while others will not. I know of one in pune which works for the right of the prostitutes (the woman who's leading the whole thing is a good friend of mine for years), anyway the way I've seen it the police, the mafia & everybody wants to use these women any way they can. More often than not, she even doesn't get her salary on time. Although the woman is quite over-qualified for the position but she feels for it. Anyway the point here being she charges students from overseas to come, learn, study & help out. Now is she scamming or doing something right? Everybody welcome to post their views.

jivan

I would just karma bad or good isn't for me to decide. Although would be interested what the whole thing was about. Might be a learning experience for all of us here.

monkgonemad: First of all do really like u'r nick. It's twisted. Anyway, back to the topic. As far as Reiki is concerned yes it has to do with lot of the women energy but then so many dances, singing & martial arts are to do with women energy so that I guess is unfair. Even biologicially each man has lot of women qualities in him. It's just whether he can express them or not. I'm not trying to offend u in anyway it's just how I feel.

larki55

I am getting ready to volunteer this summer. I found several sites that listed NGO's you can work with. I also looked at commerical organizations that required money, that covered your room and board, transportation and bottle water. Yes, it was more than you would pay if you did it yourself. But everything is taken care of for you. Sort of like going first class on a trip verse backpacking. Some volunteers might find that better. The point is, there is work being done, people being helped, and hopefuly the world is being healed.
As for me I chose an NGO that I need to find my own place. But that is me, I want the most experiences I can get. Plus I like to cook.
Just remember to check out the organization first. Then go for it. Lets start healing the world.
peace,
larki