A volunteer in the orphanage can do many things. Your major focus will be to take for the children in many different aspect. For instance, you’ll teach the children English and other subjects and help them understand and finish their homework. If the children are really young, you’ll teach them nursery rhymes and play games with them. You’ll also make sure they eat properly, shower and wash properly and change into clean clothes. You can help with the kitchen chores and learn to cook Indian food and clean the orphanage also.

You do not need any skills or qualifications to volunteer in an orphanage. You should however have passionate about helping the children. If you are flexible and patient you’ll cope better and successfully complete your project as working conditions and the mentality of the people will be very different from what you’re used to back home.

Rustic Volunteer Travel arranges volunteer meals, accommodations and strong field supervision for the duration of projects and optional travel packages. In India, most volunteers stay in our homebase, a permanent home established for our international volunteers . Our homebase in India is located in a pretty community, in a very safe and clean neighborhood. There are internet cafés, restaurants, local bus stations, a police station and supermarkets near our homebase. The homebase provides is a comfortable place to relax after a long day. There are several bedrooms (which may be shared with a same-gender volunteer) and community areas. There is a shared kitchen, television and shared bathrooms, which have running water and “western-style” toilets. Orphanage volunteers may stay at their project as many orphanages have special rooms set aside for international and these a ccommodations are normally shared with a same-gender volunteer.

Depending on the influx of volunteers, accommodations could be with a host family. Host family accommodations are simple and clean homes in safe neighborhoods. Volunteers usually have a private bedroom, but occasionally rooms will be shared with a same-gender volunteer. Our host families are well screened and are respected members of their communities who live in affluent neighborhoods. Most of our host families have experience with hosting international volunteers. Host family stays are a great chance for cultural immersion and exchange.

Volunteers receive three local meals per day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). We can provide vegetarian meal options, but needs must be detailed in a volunteer's application. Snacks and beverages outside of mealtimes are not provided; however, there are local restaurants and grocery stores near the residences in which we place volunteers.

Rustic offers unparalleled field support to volunteers to ensure a safe and rewarding experience. There are many layers of support for you. The most important support comes from our country coordinator/field staff. The secondary support comes from the host project staff and members of host families and/or a homebase staff. Volunteers will have access to our country coordinator's mobile number and they are available 24/7. Throughout the volunteer project, our local staff stays in contact with volunteers either with face-to-face visits or via email/telephone. Our field staff will visit regularly (every 2-4 weeks) to make sure things are going well and as planned. However, if placement is far from our local offices, staff members will stay in touch via email/ phone. Volunteers are also welcome to stop in the offices at any time.

Specific details regarding accommodations, food and contact details for our local coordinator will be provided in personalized volunteer placement documentation prior to arrival.

Orphanage projects are available in Delhi (capital city of India and home to Red Fort, Lotus Temple , Qutab Minar, Lodhi Gardens) , with shops, banks & internet cafes nearby. India is the seventh largest country by geographical area, the second most populous country Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism arrived in the first millennium CE and shaped the region's diverse culture. A pluralistic, multi-lingual, and multi-ethnic society, India is also home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats. It has managed to preserve established traditions while absorbing new customs, traditions, and ideas from invaders and immigrants.