About i-to-i What i-to-i trips and TEFL are, how and why we do what we do!
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About i-to-i What i-to-i trips and TEFL are, how and why we do what we do!
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Jaipur is a riot of colour and design, dripping with the diversity that makes up modern India. To an extent though, its beauty is skin deep, with chronic poverty afflicting some of the worst slums in the country. This is a chance to make a real difference to people at the bottom of Indian society; people who could really do with a break. Given the scale of the problems here, the NGO you’ll be working with has an understandably broad focus, concentrating on improving levels of education, health, empowerment and training.
When you book this trip US$75 of your fee is used to purchase notebooks, extra resources for students or equivalent through our Big Giving programme.
Today you will be met at the airport and taken to your accommodation. It only takes around 30minutes to travel from the airport to your arrival point but your first journey in India will be one to remember!
The orientation will take place at your in country team’s residence and will take you through what it’s going to be like at your project, do’s and don’ts, how to stay safe and it’s your prime opportunity to ask any burning questions that you haven’t yet had answered. After the orientation you’ll have some time to relax and prepare before your first day at the project tomorrow.
If you aren’t able to arrange a flight to get you into Jaipur on the designated arrival day then we’d recommend you fly in a day early.
We can arrange an early airport pick-up for you including one night’s accommodation for an additional fee. Please call us for more information.
Today you’ll be introduced to the lively and spirited children along with the dedicated staff at your project. Please bear in mind that the project is based in the slum area of Jaipur so you should be prepared for levels of poverty that you might not have experienced before. Your challenge is to find one child without a smile on their face and we’ll bet that you find it a difficult challenge! Although the children don’t have much, they share what they do have and they are always so excited to see a new face!
Prepare to have children hanging off your every limb as you high five your way around the children and staff, shaking hands and maybe getting a hug here and there. You are welcome! Get stuck in and find out what works for you, group work, one to one work with the children or running around with everyone – it’s only by getting involved that you’ll know what you want to do during your stay.
The weekends are yours to do as you please! So you could either try to cram in as much sight seeing and souvenir shopping as you can or you can relax and find a slower pace of India off the beaten track. India has something for everyone.
Jaipur is very well placed for some fascinating weekends out of town. Although it is possible to visit some places for just a day by taking night trains or buses in both directions, much of the enjoyment is in finding a place to stay and of course the chance to see and photograph the beautiful architecture in the lovely light of early mornings and late afternoon.
It is worth staying the night in Agra to view the Taj Mahal at either sunrise or sunset rather than during the flat light of the middle of the day. There are many budget guesthouses in Agra, just don’t forget your camera.
The journey is approximately 5 hours from Jaipur by either train or bus. Along with a visit to the famous Taj Mahal, don’t forget to visit Agra Fort and, if time and energy permits, Fatehpur Sikri, an abandoned city, a bus journey away.
Settle in to life in India and live, eat, sleep and breathe India by taking public transport to your project, working with local staff, parents and children, eating local food (don’t worry about upset stomachs, it’s going to happen!) and staying in local accommodation. We can guarantee you that time will fly by so make the most of it and open your mind to all activities and possibilities. Before you know it, you’ll be back home or on your way to your next adventure so try keeping a journal and never be afraid to take lots of photographs.
If you have an interest and background in the fields of sports, art, music, dance and drama, your skills will be much appreciated and put to great use! Wednesdays are Activity Days so plan ahead for an activity if you have a specific skill – in the past there have been art sessions, candle making, knitting and making cards for special occasions – what will your activity be?
You should be proactive, flexible, want to use your own initiative, not forgetting to possess a genuine love for working with children.
Today is your final day in Jaipur but you won’t be expected to attend your project unless you have time to. Your last day is all about packing up, buying any last minute souvenirs and making your way back to the airport or to wherever you’re going for your next adventure.
If you’re heading to the airport, our in country team can help you to arrange transport depending on how many people are travelling together. The airport is approximately 30minutes away buy auto tuk-tuk and costs around 350 Rupees.
The Vihaan centre you’ll be assisting at has been working in these areas for at least a couple of years. It began with coaching children, vocational training and work with adolescents, but is constantly looking to increase its efforts and improve; for example, setting up a school for the local children. You're needed to help make this happen!
This project focuses on improving the quality of life of those living in the slums of Jaipur. The quality of life is low, education is almost non-existent and people do not know how to help themselves. Volunteers are needed to help the project in the work that they do and to provide a helping hand in all areas. Sound vague? Your day changes every day here so it’s essential to go with an open mind and get ready to be tired out by children who want to learn so much and change their world one day at a time.
This project is totally focused on improving the welfare of local children in the slums so an interest in this area is paramount.
The centre doesn’t have many resources but it is a very happy, upbeat and positive place for the children to visit and learn how to discover themselves to get the most out of life. There is fantastic work carried out here and the staff see improvements in the children every day.
Ever heard the saying ‘many hands make light work’? It is so true! Whilst the project has a small amount of permanent staff, what they really need is man power in the form of volunteers from all over the world to pass along ideas and suggestions to help them get even better at what they do. By having the chance to interact with Westerners, the children can improve their English and see that there is a world out there that extends beyond the one they know of.
Your participation would be required between Monday and Friday for around five hours a day; however, any extra time you can spare will be appreciated! If you have any skills or interests that you would like to share with the students and staff, don’t keep them a secret! They all love variety and a break from the routine.
During your time each day will be slightly different but will mainly revolve around activities such as working with children on a one to one basis or in small groups, teaching maths, playing games, singing songs and doing sporty activities. Your help is also appreciated in mealtimes (prepare to get messy!) and cleaning and basic maintenance of the centre.
The centre is under resourced and but it gets by on a daily basis with what it has. What it really needs is man power and someone to give lots of cuddles and support and help to the existing team. The staff love their job and are extremely dedicated but rely on volunteers who can give them some help to get even better at what they do.
If you do make the decision to give resources in any way to the project, we would encourage you to wait until you get to Jaipur before making your decision. Buying resources locally ensures sustainability rather than bringing toys from overseas that can’t be replaced as easily. It also helps the economy if you buy local!
It may seem like a strange concept to pay for your volunteer experience. You'd be right if you think you shouldn't and the truth is you actually don't! Your placement is free; it's the benefits around it that you pay for. It's important to note that i-to-i is a travel company and not a charity. We provide a professional travel service. We are responsible for finding and assessing worthwhile projects across the world, preparing you fora the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.
Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….
We work with hundreds of locally run partner projects around the world and are constantly sourcing new opportunities. We visit all projects to check that they are worthwhile and legitimate and we also conduct a thorough safety assessment before we'll send volunteers there. More
Almost everyone who works for i-to-i has traveled extensively or worked overseas. This means we're a goldmine of information; we're always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.
Once you book on to a project you'll receive a Welcome Pack that contains loads of general information about volunteering, about your chosen country and how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.
It can be pretty daunting arriving in a different country for the first time - especially after a long flight! If you arrive on your project start date, there'll be a welcoming face at the airport to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.
Soon after you arrive you will attend a thorough orientation with our in-country team. This is to cover important safety and security information. You'll also get some tips about sight-seeing options for your time off and maybe even learn some of the local lingo!
Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are even included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard. More
Your in-country team will arrange a pick-up for you at the airport and will conduct your orientation upon arrival. All coordination teams are English speaking and are locals of your destination country. They won't be at your project every day, but will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need them. More
Aside from the local support from your in-country team you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by our response team in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More
The safety and security of our volunteers is paramount. For this reason we provide ongoing crisis management and emergency response training to our local teams around the world. We also fly in our in-country coordinators to the UK regularly for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More
We don't fund our projects directly from the project fee that you pay us. Instead we choose to support a number of projects every year through a grant scheme for tangible long-term initiatives. In the last 3 years we have distributed over US$250,000 to our most needy projects to help them in the great work they do.
We make no secrets of the fact that part of your placement fee is reinvested in to recruiting volunteers just like you! The volunteers recruited in one week will typically deliver over 2000 man-days of service. The difference this makes to projects overseas is immeasurable. Many of our overseas projects rely on assistance from international volunteers, so it's necessary for us to put together brochures and websites to find the people who can support them. This recruitment process is vital to ensure programs have a constant stream of reliable volunteers.
Volunteering through a company like i-to-i has a lot of intangible benefits to developing overseas communities and the individual projects that we work with. To find out more about our placements. click here
The following information details what will happen during the first few days of your arrival. We aim to provide you with a safe and soft landing into your destination by picking you up from the airport, giving you an orientation that aims to settle you into the country as quickly as possible. It's also the best time to ask any questions you have about your time in India.
You will arrive on the Arrival date - Sunday and will be met at the airport on that day and will be taken to your permanent accommodation, in a shared room at a guesthouse, where you will have the first day/night to recover from your flight. You will be shown your project the next day and will settle into your volunteer schedule. In the first few days a meeting will be arranged to have your orientation where you will be advised about the area.
It's important that you get adequate travel insurance for your i-to-i experience and as many of you will be working this often means standard policies won’t work. The good news is that no matter where your coming from we have already found a policy to suit you.
The best time to get your insurance is when you book your project as this means you can get a fully tailored policy exclusive to i-to-i, just ask your consultant for further details at the time of booking.
EU Customers – find out more here >>
Australian customers - find out more here >>
All other customers - find out more here >>
As with insurance we advise you get these booked as early as possible to avoid high prices and to make sure you arrive on the right day. The i-to-i team is right up to date with the best deals no matter where you’re flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.
If you are arriving before your designated arrival date, we can arrange for an extra meet and greet service for you. For an extra supplement we will be there to meet you at the airport and take you to your orientation accommodation. One additional night a
The cost of this Early Pick-up service is US$ 57.00
You will be living in a local guesthouse run by a local Indian family and may share your room with other volunteers, giving you the perfect chance to absorb the local culture and make friends with other volunteers.
During your stay in Jaipur, you will have some form of interaction with local families by living in a home stay alongside one or possibly more generations of a family! All of our home stays are on a shared basis with at least two people to a room with a lockable cupboard. All meals are included and they’ll be typical Indian cuisine to give you a real insight into another culture and life as a local in Jaipur. Vegetarians are welcome and easily catered for.
The home stays are basic but clean and functional and will give you a real insight in to life in India as a local. Not everyone who visits India can say that! We’ll always do our best to place you with someone else so that you’re not alone but we can’t always guarantee this will be the case.
The accommodation has electricity, a Western style toilet and running water but hot water is in short supply. We recommend that you boil water for a hot wash and a bucket bath – you’ll be surprised at how good it feels to be getting back to basics. You’ll also have access to a small kitchenette, living area and garden to socialise with the other volunteers and family members.
During your stay in Jaipur with us, bedding is provided for you but we recommend that you bring a basic mosquito net in case you want to take extra precaution
We would recommend that you bring plenty of books or activities to keep yourself entertained in the evenings for those evenings where the children have tired you out too much to go out!
The accommodation is in a town called Kisan Marg on the outskirts of Jaipur. There are several shops and an internet café nearby. There are several banks and hospitals within a 10 minute taxi ride away. The area is easy to navigate and you have the bonus of having local experts living with you who can point you in the right direction if you need them.
Your project is on average around thirty minutes away from your accommodation by auto rickshaw – now there’s a journey to write home about! Ladies, tie your hair back because auto rickshaws are pretty much open air so forget all about hair without tangles! Please budget around US$20 per week.
For over 5000 years the subcontinent of India, has seen the rise and fall of a succession of great empires, regional states and colonial powers. The first great Indian empire-builders were the Harrapans (The Indus Valley Civilisation) who flourished across parts of modern-day India and Pakistan from around 3500BC. The Harrapans opened up trade routes with Mesopotamia, built carefully planned cities and developed a pantheon of deities that over the years morphed into the Hindu deities Shiva and Kali. After the Harrapans came the Aryans who developed the caste system and wrote the sacred Vedas (including the Upanishads and the Brahamanas). These philosophical teachings were instrumental in the development of Buddhism and Hinduism – the religious foundation stones of the Indian cultural psyche.
After a brief incursion by Alexander the Great in 326BC, the Mauryan Empire gained control of much of central, eastern and western India. The first Indian empire to embrace Buddhism, the Mauryan civilisation reached it’s peak under the guidance of Emperor Ashoka and a long period of political stability enabled the caste system to flourish and allowed many cultural and technological advancements to be made. During this time envoys were sent to Sri Lanka and Nepal to spread the word of Buddhism.
Over the next 1000 years many empires gained control of regions of India – the Gupta’s in central India, the Chola’s and The Vijayanagar Empire in the south – but it wasn’t until the emergence of the Islamic empire of the Mughals that the whole of India came under the control of one power.
The Mughals ushered in a golden age of art and architecture, and have left us with many of the most recognisable symbols of Indian grandeur and architectural excellence – Shah Jahan’s Taj Mahal, Agra’s Red Fort and Hamuyan’s Tomb in Delhi. They ruled from the early 16th century until the rise of the British East India Company and the advent of European control of the Indian subcontinent.
After much jostling for position, the British emerged as the dominant colonial force in India. While Portugal held sway over parts of Goa and Kerala and the French had small colonies such as Pondicherry, British influence spread from the verdant valleys of Kashmir to southern shores of Tamil Nadu. India was now under British rule and would stay that way for over 150 years – the British Raj had been born.
The European colonisers exploited the many natural resources found in India and the excesses of the Raj were many and spectacular. Every summer, as the heat in the central plains grew unbearable and the streets of Delhi shimmered in the heat haze, the entire apparatus of government was moved more than 300km north to Shimla in Himachal Pradesh. To this day Shimla - a strange little town perched high in the foothills of the Himalaya - resembles nothing quite so much as a Victorian English village - complete with parish church and fun fair!
The excesses of British rule created widespread resentment across India and a succession of uprisings and civil disputes lead to independence from British rule in 1947 and the partition of India and Pakistan. Following independence much blood was spilled as Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims tried to ensure their place in the uncertain future of the subcontinent. Many wars have since been fought between Pakistan and India and to this day the Kashmiri borders are still disputed and fought over. The pristine valleys and glacial lakes still reverberate to the sound of gunfire and army convoys ply their trade across the mountain passes of the Jammu and Kashmir.
India’s recent history has seen relative peace and since the recent earthquake that hit Pakistan and Indian Kashmir, relations between the two countries have greatly improved. Although poverty and deprivation are still endemic in India, economic strides are being made and India now has a reputation as one of the world’s leading e-business nations.
Due to the sheer size and the complex geography of the subcontinent, Indian weather is as complex as Indian history. While the people of the central plains are searching for shade and respite from the heat, the inhabitants of the Jammu and Kashmir are waiting for the last snows of winter to recede.
From as early as February the whole continent gradually begins to heat up and by May temperatures of 45C are commonplace. As the hot season drags on the country takes a collective deep breath and waits in anticipation of the south-west monsoon. When the monsoon finally hits, the hot, dry and dusty conditions are gradually replaced by intermittent heavy downfalls. It doesn’t rain all the time during monsoon, but it rains every day – heavy tropical showers are punctuated by warm sunshine that turns the parched subcontinent into something of a mudbath.
When the rains have finally cleared the country experiences a brief but beautiful spell of warm sunny weather. The period from October until around early February sees much of the country experiencing comfortable conditions that are ideal travelling weather for foreign visitors. That being said, in the far north (Kashmir, Ladakh and parts of Himachal Pradesh) winter has taken hold, snow covers the mountains and passes up into the Himalayan Plateau shut down as early as September 16th.
Travel in India is unlike anywhere else on the planet, the distances are huge, booking tickets can be tricky and comfort is often at a premium. If you are short on time or just don’t want the many hassles of travelling through India, flying can be a good option. Local airlines such as Deccan, Kingfisher, Jet Airways and Indian Airlines offer services to destinations across the country.
India is home to the world’s largest railway system and offers the resilient traveller some of the greatest rail journeys known to man. Journeys can be long - Delhi to Chennai comes in at around 30 hours – but when you travel by train in India you get to see the vast complexity and natural beauty of the subcontinent roll past in all its glory.
If you decide to travel by train, the complex issue of booking a ticket must be addressed. First you’ll need to decide what class you wish to travel in: this can be tricky. There are 6 classes: 1st Class air-con (1A), 2-tier air-con (2A), 3-tier air-con (3A), chair car (CC), Sleeper (SL) and Second (II). For short journeys second is adequate, unless it’s really hot then it’s well worth paying for chair car. For longer journeys sleeper offers a cheap option with the added bonus of being able to mingle with the Indian masses. When the majority of Indians travel long distances by train, sleeper is their class of choice. Much has been said and written about the pitfalls of travelling by sleeper, but in my experience, it is the best way to truly experience Indian rail travel. 1A, 2A and 3A are more comfortable, but significantly more expensive and you’re less likely to strike up conversation with ordinary Indians. Whatever class you decide to travel in, you will need to pop down to the train station and book yourself a ticket. I won’t go into to much detail, but suffice to say, it’s probably best to put half a day aside for this little errand. Ah, the many joys of India!
Travelling India by bus and coach can require an almost saintly forbearance and an extremely hard backside. Short journeys by bus are great (if a little hair-raising) but for longer distances I’d suggest you jump on a train or a plane. The journey from Leh to Manali will see you sat in a rickety old bus for 2 whole days negotiating some of the highest motorable passes in the world on roads that seem more suitable for mountain goats that mass transport. That being said it is a spectacular journey and is will leave you feeling that you have really travelled.
When travelling within a state, bus travel is fine. Buses serve all major cities and often stop off at small towns and villages (and at shops owned by friends of the driver) along the way. On long journeys you may well be charged around ten rupees for having your baggage stored inside the bus. Although this is a little cheeky and can be a little annoying (the charge seems to apply only to foreign travellers), it is important to remain polite and to remember that the baggage handlers on the buses have much less money than you do.
Many buses have a small shrine to their deity of choice perched precariously on the dashboard and often make stops at roadside temples to make offerings. If asked for a few rupees to help with the offering, my advice would be to dig deep and hand over a few coins; bus travel in India can be a dangerous business and it can’t hurt to have a little divine protection!
Travelling by tuk-tuks, cabs and rickshaws is a great way to travel around cities, although care must be taken. It is imperative that you agree on a price before you set off and don’t be afraid to haggle: if your driver says the price is 100 rupees, knock them down to about 70 and you’ll be getting a half decent foreigner-price. Travel by taxi is the most expensive, tuk-tuks are a little cheaper (but just as fast) and bicycle rickshaws are cheap and slow. Drivers will often try to take you to shops, hotels and restaurants where they receive a commission. Unless you really like the driver and don’t mind being over-charged, it’s best to refuse firmly but politely. When travelling in Mumbai, travel by taxi can be tricky. Taxi journeys are metered, but the meters are very out of date. Ensure that the meter is at zero when you start and make sure that the driver has an official tariff card in the car. When you arrive at your final destination, you’ll need to work out the price by comparing the price on the meter with the tariff card. It’s a pretty simple operation, but unscrupulous drivers often try to overcharge unsuspecting tourists and will insist that they don’t know what the tariff card is. As with all things in India, be polite and remain calm.
Lonely Planet are leaders in the travel guide sector and their website is a great source of travel information.
www.fco.gov.uk
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s website provides up-to-date political news, travel advice and information on visas.
State owned domestic airline which offers competitively priced flights to destinations across India.
300 daily flights to 44 destinations across the country. Also good for flights to Sri Lanka.
Good quality budget airline. Nice food on the flights too.
www.indianrail.gov.inTrain information, ticket reservation and general info for train travel in India. The reservation service saves a lot of time and hassle… when it works!
We work in partnership with hundreds of established projects that are run by local communities. The information on our website comes directly from the projects and we work with them to ensure this information is as accurate as possible. However, due to the very nature of the projects themselves the exact details of what happens on a daily basis can change with little or no notice. If you have travelled with us and have any updates to this information, please let us know.
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