Quick Overview
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.
What’s 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 in 2020 by the Lonely Planet. Our women’s empowerment program focuses on English education as a form of empowerment. The women who you will meet are local women who are excited to learn English and any life 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 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 spoken English 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.
All The Details
Cochin, India
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For 2021 please select any Saturday start date of each month
NUMBER OF WEEKS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
Program Fee USD $ | $720.00 | $870.00 | $1,020.00 | $1,170.00 | $1,320.00 | $1,470.00 | $1,620.00 | $1,770.00 | $1,920.00 | $2,070.00 | $2,220.00 | $2,370.00 |
What’s Included?
Price Includes
- Pre-departure guide – to prepare you for your trip
- Pick-up and drop from the nearest airport or train station
- Shared Rooms
- Experienced bilingual local staff
- Breakfast and Lunch/dinner- home cooked Indian food
- Location /culture orientation
- Project introduction – most of your training is on the role itself.
- 24 hour support
- Project travel costs
- Guaranteed project placement
Whats Not Included in your program fee :
- Flights to the program destination
- Medical and travel insurance
- Visa costs
- Vaccinations
- Personal shopping and gratuities
- Local excursions
- Project materials that you personally need
Getting There
- For Kerala the nearest airport for this program is Cochin International Airport (COK)
- We recommend you apply for Tourist Visas before you arrive.
- Travel Insurance is compulsory on this program.
- We recommend you visit your local travel clinic to find out what vaccines you should take.
What Happens When I Arrive?

Arrangements for our volunteers
The volunteer house and where you will be living 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. We are surrounded by greenery filled lanes, beautiful colonial era mansions, artsy cafes, local shopping and lots of culture.
Your accommodation will be in our volunteer house. The house is a wonderful new built with a gorgeous rooftop, lounge area, dining area and ample space to relax and unwind. Our office is also on the ground floor so we are always around incase you need us.You will be given a room to share with other volunteers. If you need private rooms we can arrange this at an additional cost.
Your meals will be cooked by our chef who prepares this fresh everyday. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner are Keralan meals made with locally available ingredients. South Indian specialities like masala dosa, puttu, and idlis will certainly be on the menu as will rice or chappati and a curry for lunch /dinner. Western meals are not cooked at home by our chef but if you require this there are a lot of restaurants and cafes in the neighbourhood and within walking distance that serve this. Transport to the projects will be in tuktuks which is a great way to get around in Kochi. Your airport pick up and drop from the airport will be by AC car.

Weekends in Kerala:
If you’re volunteering in Kerala, we highly recommend you to explore Kerala on the weekend. You’ll love the famous backwaters experience where you can stay on a traditional houseboat and meander through waterways lined by coconut trees. Besides this you will also find the Munnar Tea Plantations, Varkala Beach and Marari Beach great to travel to. Our local team can help book your excursions in country or you can always get in touch with prior to arrival to book these experiences