Women’s empowerment in India

Gender inequality is one of the biggest problems that continues to haunt, hinder and disable modern society across all parts of India today. Although gender inequality is a key issue in a number of countries, it is especially prominent in India where women have a disadvantage in many areas of life from education and employment to healthcare and social status. It is quite common in poor and disadvantaged communities to be forced into early marriages, and domestic abuse and violence are accepted due to lack of support available.

Our women’s empowerment volunteer program is focused on skill building, women’s education and confidence building. Through the skills they learn, women will develop confidence, a new identity, ability to get jobs or earn higher income, and secure a better future for themselves. Many of the women who attend our program are housewives who did not get a chance to complete their education due to early marriage and conservative families. Some have been drop outs after primary education and are hugely dependant on their families. Most of the women want to learn English to be able to get jobs or just connect with those outside their community or even be able to teach their children English.

Women's Empowerment Volunteer Gallery

What is involved

Our women’s empowerment program in India is based in Kochi (or Cochin), Kerala, South India which has been voted in top 10 cities to visit by the Lonely Planet. Our women’s empowerment program focuses on skill development as a form of empowerment. The women who you will meet are local women who are excited to learn English and skills such as embroidery or computer skills. By learning English they can engage in helping their children with school homework, communicate better with those outside their community, feel more confident and with computer and embroidery skills they can secure better paid jobs.

Our women’s empowerment coordinator will be there to guide and assist you with planning and preparing your sessions daily which are usually three to four hours long. We do not impose a strong structure/curriculum to your daily work and encourage flexibility in contemporary topics being taught. Whilst you do not need any specific skills (other than English skills) to join this program, we welcome anyone with a teaching background, those who can assist in creating curriculums or can enhance any skill building for our ladies groups. Through this program we want to you the opportunity to deepen connections with local communities and also to enrich the community through the exchange of cultures.

Some UN objectives met on this program include the below

Some details

Start Dates are suggested below. We advise you to check with us about public holidays and festivals during which projects will run with limited capacity and at times closed.

2024	2025
Jan 20,27	Jan 4,11, 18, 25
Feb 3,10,17,24	Feb 1, 8, 15, 22
Mar 2,9, 16, 23, 30	Mar 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Apr 6,13, 20, 27	Apr 5, 12, 19, 26
May 4,11,18, 25	May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Jun 1, 8, 15, 22, 29	Jun 7, 14, 21, 28
Jul 6,13, 20, 27	Jul 5, 12, 19, 26
Aug 3,10, 17, 24	Aug 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Sep 21, 28	Sep 6, 13, 20, 27
Oct 5,12,19,26	Oct 4, 11, 18, 25
Nov 2, 9, 16, 23, 30	Nov 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Dec 7, 14	Dec 6, 13, 20

Program Fee Includes:

Pre-departure guide to Kerala/India
Airport Pick-up and drop from Cochin airport on arrival and departure dates
Non Ac Shared Room in volunteer house (for a private room with AC there are additional charges. Inform us prior to arrival if you want to upgrade.
Home-cooked meals - B, L and D
Location orientation
Project training
Project Placement
Weekly group meetings
24/7 Daily ground support as required

PROGRAM 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.

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.

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What your first week looks like

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.

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.

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.

Weekend activities

Backwaters of Kerala

Be sure to visit the famous backwaters of Allepey and stay overnight on a traditional houseboat

Munnar Tea Plantations

Green tea plantations. Munnar, Kerala, India

For a adventure hike with incredible panoramic views, the Munnar Tea Plantations are not to be missed.

Varkala Beach

We also recommend taking a trip to Varkala Beach, which is a couple of hours from Kochi but absolutely stunning.

Taj Mahal

Visit the Taj Mahal with our 3 day Delhi and Taj Mahal Weekend Experience. Email us for details.

Testimonial Videos

Family Volunteering

India

Michael & Darla Stoddart family from Canada on the India Family Volunteer Program, November 2019.

With children aged 10 and 7 we curated a program for the family where they participated on our kindergarten teaching program for 2 weeks with lots of staff support and also got ample time to explore India with their children.
Medical Volunteering

Nepal

Meet our medical students from the University of Newcastle, Australia, May 2019.

This group of students signed up to join the medical electives placement in Nepal for 4 weeks where we gave them a rotation in various departments of the hospital. Their medical placement allowed them to earn credits on their medical degree and learn from patient cases they would not normally see back home and
Women’s Empowerment

India

Isis Barei & Caitlin Neil from the UK join our Women’s Empowerment program in June 2019

These two friends came to India to participate on our empowerment program with women where they taught English and life skills to a group of women in Fort Kochi, Kerala. Living and working like locals gave them a chance to really learn about life in India, explore the area and give back to the community.
Engineering Internship

Nepal

Camilla Børsand and Baptiste Menaspa from Norway joined the Engineering Placement in January 2018.
Living in a remote part of Nepal and assisting with structural design work with local engineers and the community was an experience of a lifetime for these two students. Not only could they add this experience to their resume but they also got to learn from the challenges of working with limited resources.
Dog Care Program

Sri Lanka

Jack Tysowski from Canada joined us in August 2018 assisting at a dog shelter in Galle, Sri Lanka.

As a gap year student Jack would go everyday for about 4 hours to help the shelter that was devoted to the well-being of stray dogs in southern Sri Lanka. If your passionate about dogs and love to care for them this is the program for you!
Nursing Placement

Sri Lanka

Meet our group of final year French Nursing students who got to work in well known public hospitals in Southern Sri Lanka. They got to work in several departments of the hospital where they could practice basic procedures under the supervision of expert medical and nursing teams. On the side they also got to explore Sri Lanka and truly immerse themselves into island life.
Surf & Sports Volunteer

South Africa

This volunteer program in South Africa is a great way for volunteers to gain experience working with children and groups. Learning new outdoor activities such as swimming, boxing, spike ball surfing and skateboarding
Teaching & Family Volunteering

South Africa

The main objective of our family volunteering program in South Africa is the facilitation of poverty prevention programmes and upliftment in communities. This program is perfect for parents who want to get involved with a host of different activities with their children involving community development.
Teaching in Maldives

Maldives

Watch our over 50s volunteer Brenda reflecting on how life changing her experience has been as a volunteer teacher in Maldives.
Volunteer in Maldives

Maldives

Here is a little glimpse of Maldives and what your life will be during your free time as a volunteer in the Maldives!
Volunteer in India

India

If you are wondering what volunteering is about then watch this video about India and volunteering in this beautiful destination.
Medical Electives

India

Join our 4 week medical elective programs in India where you can gain insight into medical systems and network with professionals in field.

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The charming city of Phnom Penh is the capital and also serves as our base of volunteer operations. Volunteering Journeys Cambodia volunteer abroad projects include Teaching English, Working with NGO’s, helping Special Needs individuals, and Medical & Nursing Internships. Whether you are a gap year student, career breaker or a family or a mature volunteer, you can apply to any of our volunteer in Cambodia projects.

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Most of Volunteering Abroad in Costa Rica community deals development projects like Education, Women empowerment and Healthcare or Medicine are located in San Ramon de Alajuela and neighboring towns. Wildlife conservation volunteering programs like Sea Turtle Conservation and Environment based are located in the pacific coast and Fortuna Area. Our Volunteering Abroad in Costa Rica are suitable for all age groups and are open year round.

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Volunteering abroad in India is one of our top rated volunteer destinations. India has enchanted adventurers, mystics, and thrill seekers from the days of yore. It’s energy, bustle, colors, scenery, and its warm and welcoming people make it an irresistible travel destination.

Our volunteer programs in India are based in the tropical paradise Kerala, Southern India. Here you can join us for Women’s Empowerment, Teaching Children, Disabled Care, Yoga & Volunteering, and Medical or Healthcare Internships. We also offer an exclusive climate change related eco farming volunteer programs in Assam (East India) that is perfectly suited for eco-warriors and climate conscious volunteers.

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We offer volunteering programs in Maldive on the spellbinding island of Naifaru.
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You can volunteer in Nepal with us and assist with unique projects like Teaching Monk Children English, Women’s Empowerment, Disabled Care, Teaching English, Medical Internships and Dental Internships, Engineering Internships and NGO Placements for social development. We also have a family volunteering option in Nepal ideal for family vacations during the school holidays.

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Our volunteer abroad program in Peru are based in the vibrant and beautiful city of Cusco. Cusco is a city in the Peruvian Andes and was once the capital of the Inca Empire. When you join our volunteer programs you will find ample time to explore nearby attractions such as Lake Titicaca, Machu Picchu, and the Sacred valley of the Incas.

Our most popular volunteer programs in Peru include Teaching and Child Care Programs, Medical and Nursing Electives, Dog Shelter and Veterinary Programs with animals and internships for those seeking long term volunteering programs. Volunteering Aboad in Peru is suitable for gap year and solo travellers, family volunteering holidays as well as a career-break option.

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Our principal volunteering program in the Philippines is Medical and Nursing Internships. We are partnered with top-tier hospitals and clinics in the historic city of Tacloban which played a key role in the allied effort during World War II. Our nursing program is perfect for nursing students or people interested in learning the fundamentals of this age-old profession.

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When you Volunteer abroad in Sri Lanka you can be assured this will be a trip you will cherish for years to come. Miles of sandy white beaches, dense forests filled with wildlife, misty mountains and quaint colonial towns, Sri Lanka is a dream destination. The tiny island nation is known for its vibrant traditions and untamed natural beauty. It is a hot destination for surfing and boasts of some of the most spectacular beaches in Asia.

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Volunteering abroad in Vietnam is the perfect way to immerse in a new culture. This charming Southeast Asian country is renowned for its tropical beaches, ornate monuments, and its incredible cities. The cuisine of the Vietnamese people has tantalized people across the globe and continues to lure people with its range of delicacies and flavors.

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Price in USD $	$899	$999	$1,199	$1,299	$1,499	$1,699	$1,899	$2,099