India

We all know - in theory - that food comes from the farm, not the supermarket. But it can be an enlightening and rewarding personal journey to make that connection real. When considering volunteer opportunities as part of a trip, travelers tend to take a look at their values. If your values include a passion for organic food and sustainable farming, you may want to consider volunteering on an organic farm as part of your trip. Organic farms in New Zealand, India, the United States, and many other countries have vibrant organic farming movements where select farms open the doors to volunteers. While this isn’t for everyone – farm work can require physical exercise and exposure to sun – it is an excellent way to get to know your food firsthand. In the process, you are supporting an organic business in exchange for learning more about organic food.

RealTraveler Adrian B writes this about his stay on an organic farm in India:

“My original intentions were to do volunteer work 3-4 hours a day on an organic farm here. I found the perfect farm, Solitude, and so far have worked two days 9-12:30pm planting lettuce & watermelon. Afterwards they treated us with an amazing meal that was 90% from their farm…now that’s eating locally.. .literally footsteps away! No potatoes shipped from Idaho, no rice flown over from Japan. This kind of local eating… can do wonders for the world by saving tremendous fuel and carbon burning.” (…read more)

There are many organizations to help you select a farm abroad. Some farms offer living facilities and food in exchange for your labor, while others do not. It pays off to do research in advance to make sure that the volunteer work expected of guests is in line with what you are capable of doing, and that the comfort level of the living spaces is compatible with what you require.

Resources:

India Travel Guide
New Zealand Travel Guide
United States Travel Guide
India Hotels
New Zealand Hotels
United States Hotels

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Whether an avid globetrotter or a simple vacationer, for many travelers the country of India is a mysterious place, a virtual unknown quantity, despite the fact it occupies the vast majority of southern Asia, enough so to be considered a subcontinent. As a result of its sheer size, India is hardly what one could consider homogenous. Rather, the country is made of many distinct regions, some of which do embrace shared beliefs, cultural practices and values, but many of which reflect regionally specific characteristics. And along with this individual character, come unique local concerns. As such, the need for volunteers in many regions and across many causes is high.

With over 25% of the countries 1.12 billion people living below the poverty line, according to a 2004-2005 estimate by India’s Planning Commission, there is no shortage of places where you can commit your time and energy to assisting any of the thousands of charitable organizations at work across the country. Whether donating your travel time to huge organizations like the Red Cross, or any of the many placement organizations that can assign you to anything from a small town school to a local hospital, the personal payoff can be huge.

Even volunteering for the short-term can have a powerful impact on a small community, a fact that RealTraveler Alex Marples found to be true during his recent time spent volunteering in Deoghar, Jharkhand as part of Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO). Here’s what he had to say about his experience:

“Everyone says that it takes a while to get into the groove of a VSO assignment. Long-term volunteers on two-year placements talk in terms of months or even spending the first year just getting to the point where they really feel like they are making an impact. Short-term volunteers, like myself, work with organizations that are in a probably in a greater state of readiness. But even so, it takes a while to get the ball rolling. My ball has started rolling. In fact, it’s not so much rolling as bouncing down a hill, gathering up people as it goes and I’m desperately running behind it trying to keep up.” (more…)

Read Alex Marple’s other blog entries about his time volunteering in India here.

Rich in culture and history, India can be one of the most stunning places in the world to visit, but try volunteering as part of your travels and you may just find that the most remarkable part of your trip is the change your help can bring about. Check out these resources to help you plan, and get out there and make an impact!

India Travel Guide
India Volunteering Blogs
Asia Travel Forum
India Travel Blogs
Editor’s Pick: Volunteering in West Bengal, India

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