Volunteer Programs in Asia

My name is Harry and I am a digital marketing executive and copywriter from Birmingham, UK. My girlfriend works in the charity sector and as such, wanted to incorporate a week’s volunteering into our three month travels around Asia. This has suited me from the perspective of my skill set, as Jeevan needed help in marketing and promoting his NGO across various platforms and putting ROSE in front of other organizations overseas. I feel proud to say that the work my girlfriend and I have done will help this charity, even if our work has just a minor impact. Kanda is a stunning little village. This trip constitutes not only my first trip to the bewildering subcontinent of India, but also my first time embarking on a season-long trip around the world. I didn’t know India could look so green or so beautiful before I saw Kanda; the views are simply matchless. We both love our room. However, we both felt a little detached from the family, only really interacting with them over meals – and even then, the language barrier (and perhaps a difference in custom) prohibited any real social engagement. I would like to have been invited to get more involved with the family on a day-to-day basis. I feel that nonetheless, it has been wonderful seeing and experiencing India with an authentic, rural, hard-working family. If I may make one suggestion to Jeevan, it would be to prepare, and stick to, a pre-planned itinerary with a day to day layout of activities for the volunteers to get involved with. I believe this is strongly needed as we felt a bit lost, or useless, in some hours of the day. A side note on the host Jeevan Verma – you could not ask for a friendlier and welcoming host. He is a dedicated guy who has committed himself to his community. Jeevan – it has been a pleasure to contribute to your cause. I wish you all the success with your goat breeding expansion plan. Sincerely, Harry.

Volunteering in Bali with the turtle conservation project was such a special experience. The local team is incredibly helpful, always happy, and eager to teach you new things. They do everything they can to make sure you have a great time while also learning and contributing. Another amazing part is meeting people from all over the world—it’s so nice to share the experience with such a diverse group of new friends.