Family Volunteer Holiday In India

Volunteering abroad isn’t just limited to gap year students and career breakers. This life-changing experience is something that we encourage in everyone, no matter what walk of life. That’s why family volunteering is so important to us here at Volunteering Journeys. Because no matter what age, what background, what job, or what personal interests you have, there’s nothing more rewarding than travelling the world and helping others at the same time. And now you can do meaningful, responsible travel with the whole family. A step beyond the standard holiday, our family volunteering projects allow you to inspire adventure, exploration, compassion, generosity and the willingness to learn from a very young age. We find that our volunteering experiences are a great way of introducing young children and teens to different cultures and helping them form deeper connections with people from the other side of the globe. 

This is a major step in helping them become true citizens of the world and nurturing their want and desire to understand other people.

Tailor made to fit into your family holiday or travel plans, our volunteering programs will give you the freedom to explore philanthropy and a chance to embark on family bonding and teamwork, without tying you down or interfering with your summer plans. No matter what age groups or what group size, we can help you build the perfect family volunteering holiday so you can travel, sightsee and give back to others along the way.

Our family volunteering program in Kerala is suitable for families with children from as little as age five and upwards.

What is involved

When you join our family volunteering holidays you will be living in the laid back and tropical vibe of Fort Kochi in Kerala, Southern India. Voted in the top 10 cities to visit in 2024 by CNN Traveller, we can assure you that you will simply fall in love with the location as well the projects. We allocate our family volunteers to our teaching programs helping from Kindergarten to general teaching (6-12 year olds) or school renovations where you would be painting or fixing classrooms. Fort Kochi is an absolute gem of a destination in South India, popularly referred to as “God’s Own Country” due to its rustic colonial era charm, lush backwaters, gorgeous beaches, serene tea plantations, rich culture, and delightfully sumptuous cuisine. While other parts of India can be too large and overwhelming for some families, Kerala is an amazing sanctuary for those looking for a family friendly, scenic and safe environment.

Our teaching projects in Kerala are created in a way that allow families to interact with local children and teachers at an intimate level. We have a team of experienced bilingual staff members that help facilitate these interactions and provide local guidance throughout your time with us. No prior volunteer experience is necessary as we provide families with resources and support that can help you to volunteer. In short, we work hard to ensure all our families get the most of their experience and are able to contribute to the betterment of the children in a meaningful way.

Some details

1.Programs Dates

Start Dates are suggested below. We advise you to check with us about public holidays and festivals during

Days

2025

Days

2026

2.Programs Cost

Below you can find all the program fees in USD $ per person.

A $100 extra fee will be charged for out of date pickups. So please check the arrival dates and book to arrive on those dates.

3.Orientation

Pickups are available from 8am-10 pm on specified dates at designated airports or hotels near airports. Participants not arriving on these dates will have to meet with the local team independently or pay extra transportation fees.

  1. Pre-departure guide to Kerala/India
  2. Airport Pick-up and drop from Cochin airport on arrival and departure dates
  3. Non Ac Shared Room in volunteer house
  4. Home-cooked meals – B, L and D
  5. Location orientation
  6. Project training
  7. Project Placement
  8. Weekly group meetings
  9. 24/7 Daily ground support as required
  10. Local experience once a week
  1. Flights to the program destination
  2. Medical and travel insurance
  3. Visa costs
  4. Personal shopping and gratuities
  5. Local or weekend excursions
  6. Project materials
  7. Project travel costs
  8. Private or air-conditioned rooms

4. Location

This program is based in Fort Kochi, Cochin in Kerala

Kochi, Kerala (South India) has been voted in the TOP 10 cities to visit in 2020 by the Lonely Planet! The volunteer house and where you will be volunteering is in the area of Fort Kochi in Kochi (or Cochin as it called also) in the state of Kerala (Southern India). This is an idyllic, safe, and friendly location with a truly tropical and laid back vibe- a perfect place if you want to experience India for the first time. We are surrounded by greenery filled lanes,, beautiful colonial era mansions, artsy cafes, local shopping and lots of culture and history.

India

5.Nearest Airport

  1. The nearest airport for this program is Cochin International Airport (COK)
  2. All non-Indian nationalities must apply for E-Tourist Visas and select “unpaid volunteer work”
  3. Travel Insurance is compulsory on this program.Related links

5.Hospitality

You will be living in our volunteer house OR a home-stay in the heart of Fort Kochi, a quaint little town in Kochi (or Cochin) in Kerala.  You will be sharing your room with 2- 4  other volunteers. All rooms come with attached bathrooms. Your accommodation will have an area to relax in and you will also have a dining area where you can have meals. Access to a kitchen is available where you can make your own tea or coffee and keep basic snacks. Our team will be around from 8 am to 5 pm on weekdays. If you need a private room or air-conditioned rooms we can arrange this at an additional cost.

Tasty home-cooked meals will be provided at the accommodation. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner are Keralan style  dishes like masala dosa, puttu, and idlis, rice or chappati and a curry for lunch /dinner. Western meals are at local restaurants and cafes in the neighbourhood.

Transport to the volunteer projects will be in tuk tuks which is a great way to get around locally. Medical project volunteers can use ubers or a local bus. Your airport pick up and drop from the airport will be by car.

Days

2027

What your first week looks like

Volunteers in India orientation day

Arrival day

Your arrival weekend will be relaxed. We will pick you up from the airport and bring you to your accommodation. Depending on your time of arrival, our team will meet you and give you a local orientation so you can get to know the area you are living in. The next day you will be given health and safety briefing, culture orientation and project training before we take you in for your program.

Volunteers in India Teaching English

Weekdays

Your project coordinator or a member of the team will be taking you to the project and after introductions you can get started. All your meals breakfast, lunch and dinner will be the accommodation unless you are at the project site or outside. In the evenings most volunteers spend it either exploring local sights, relaxing at the accommodation or preparing for projects.

Kathakali show in Kerala

Weekend

Our local team will suggest many activities for you to do! Your weekends will be free for you to explore Kerala or India. We highly recommend you to utilise your time so you can get to see more of the country that you are visiting. We usually make recommendations based on past volunteer experiences. Its always better to book excursions in country with other volunteers.

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