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Join our Sports and Community Project in the Himachal Province of India to help develop the physical wellbeing of underprivileged children. Help to coach sports in the beautiful regions of Himachal Pradesh and become involved with other important projects, making a valuable contribution as a key member of the local community. You end your stay with a week of adventure, to experience some of India’s real travel highlights.
Like many developing countries, schools in India do not have the financial resources to teach or develop sports. Most children therefore do not have any form of physical education, which has led to many people lacking vital coordination skills and an appreciation of the importance of exercise.
This programme is looking to address this by giving you the opportunity to coach a specific or range of sports at some of our schools. Your help will give a lot of the school children a platform to not only improve their fitness and health, but to also enjoy more play time with their friends. As a result, you will become a member of the local community and experience the interesting and amazing culture of one of these unique corners of India.
Project Requirement
No specific skills or qualification requirements
The Sports Programme
On this programme you will work with communities from the Himachal region. This is a developing area and in desperate need for volunteer assistance in teaching, community work and sports. With the Himalayas as your backdrop, Himachal is a really beautiful place to volunteer.
Your time on the programme will be divided amongst sports coaching and other valuable community work. There is a high demand for all types of volunteers in both areas, which means your time and efforts are warmly received and the impact you have is invaluable.
Sports Coaching and Development Work
The most popular sports are volleyball, football and cricket, but other sports and games are welcome.
Cricket
India is synonymous with cricket and is by far the most popular sport. It is played by both boys and girls alike and is something that you will have no problems in getting the children to join in with. However, this enthusiasm is matched by a serious approach to cricket, with every child wanting to be the next Sachin Tendulkar! If you have coaching experience or qualifications, then coaching cricket will be the ideal sport for you. The picture to the right shows children playing in really basic conditions.
Volleyball
Volleyball is a growing sport in India and is played in both the cities and the rural areas. However, it’s predominantly considered to be a participant sport and not one where India has excelled.
Football
Football is growing in popularity all of the time and is one of the largest team sports played all over India. Because of its simplicity, children only need a ball to play, which makes it popular in the poorer areas of the country, including Himachal and Rajasthan, where children have limited access to sporting facilities/equipment.
Facilities
The schools have fairly limited facilities in which to conduct sports training and playing games, as sports had previously been given no priority in the children’s education. This gives you the opportunity to put your building skills into practise and develop areas with other volunteers! This may involve clearing fields and putting up football goals or even building a makeshift netball post! Throughout, you will have the support and guidance of the schoolteachers and our local coordinator, giving you access to resources and materials necessary for your project.
Community Work
There are 3 main options for your volunteer work, these include:
1. Education
2. Childcare
3. Care and education for mentally challenged children
Wherever your volunteer placement occurs, the general pattern is to work five days a week for approximately three to five hours per day. However, because your sports coaching will largely take place in the afternoons (with some morning sessions in allotted classes), most work occurs in the morning before lunch. Your coordinator will arrange a placement that suits your daily itinerary.
Education
Class sizes in India can be extremely large, leading teachers to become little more than traffic police attempting to keep order. Volunteers can be of key assistance to teachers. Activities Include:
- Teaching children English and Maths in schools
- Creating a playful environment through painting, playing games, singing etc
- Working with local teachers in creating low cost teaching material
- Take responsibility for everyday attendance of a few children to the school
- Ensuring regular health check ups of the children in each school through co-operating with the local doctors and hospital staff.
- Creating basic hygiene awareness amongst children on a regular basis for healthier living.
Childcare
Child-care volunteers assist in local childcare centres, known as Aanganbari. The concept of `preschool' childcare is a new one in India. This is where the joint family system has long provided ample child-care providers. Unlike Western countries, where child-care facilities exist primarily to free women to work, the Aanganbari's main purpose is to provide a safe, healthy and hygienic space to young children who would not be able to receive proper care at home. Activities Include:
- Ensuring maximum attendance by the children of the area to these centres.
- Personal attention and care to the children coming to the centre everyday
- Assistance to the local worker for record maintenance for each child based on health, vaccination, growth and nutritional condition.
- Making and feeding the children a specially prepared nutritious meal every day with the heap of a local worker
- Continuous survey of all pregnant women and newborn babies in the area for regular health check ups and vaccination.
- Creating a colourful and enjoyable environment for the children with games, stories and other creative activities (all material support and training for such activities is provided to you)
Care and education for mentally challenged children:
Special school for mentally challenged children. Severely understaffed, the two teachers in the school are often struggling to give adequate attention to each of the approximately 20-odd students enrolled in the school. Activities Include:
- Assisting teachers in completing assignments for the students.
- Organising education and fun activities for the children
- Visiting students’ homes for sensitisation of the family towards their children
Adventure Week
To top off your India sport experience, we include a week of travel at the end of your programme. This is a reward for all of your coaching efforts of the past 3 or 7 weeks and gives you the chance to enjoy your final moments with your fellow volunteers. Please note that your adventure week is always in your final week, regardless of your programme length.
Due to the weather and time of year conditions, there are 3 different adventure itineraries:
1) Trekking and Rafting Expedition
Chandrashilla Summit Trek and Ganges River Rafting
This expedition takes you even further into the heart of the Himalayan region! Here you will experience the lush greens and pure white colours of the beautiful Himalayan Mountains, but more up-close and personal than you previously saw them. With gentle, yet rewarding treks, you will take in the panoramic views of this impregnable mountain range and see for yourself why so many people wish to climb and conquer this region.
With a couple of days rafting on the Ganges River too, you are sure to experience an adrenaline rush or two as you attempt a number of fast-flowing rapids!
2) Wildlife Safari and Rafting Expedition
This expedition takes in two of India’s finest attractions – Corbett Tiger Reserve and the Ganges River! Corbett Tiger Reserve is India’s oldest National Park and one of the premier tiger reserves anywhere in the world. It is rich in bio-diversity and is home to tigers, leopards, elephants, crocodiles and a number of other important species of birds and rare trees. Any trip here is worthwhile just for the serenity and natural beauty that the park is rich in and you never know, you may see an elusive tiger in the wild!
If a wildlife safari is not enough for you, then we also top this off with some trekking in the Himalayas and rafting down the Ganges River!
3) Cultural Tour of Rajasthan
This week of adventure offers you a truly different experience of India. After volunteering in the mountainous Himachal province, you will explore the vastly different Rajasthan region. Here you’ll witness the array of bright colours and the mysterious aura that makes this a baron, yet wonderful place. Activities include touring Delhi in depth; taking a camel safari; visiting the Ghandi Memorial and so much more. You’ll even go to watch a famous Bollywood movie to make sure you take away an important part of India home with you.
Project Age Limit
Minimum age 17, maximum dependent upon participant’s health
Accommodation & Meals
You will stay in a large stone house that overlooks a stunning landscape dominated by glaciers and peaks of the Himalayan mountain range. Most meals are included.
Project Support
Throughout your stay in India you will have the support and guidance of our local project coordinators. They will provide you with competent assistance and help you with any questions or advice you may need during your stay. The school staff will be on hand throughout the day and the sports coordinator will be with you to offer any other assistance.
In addition, we will provide you with a 24 hour emergency contact number before you depart, so that you can contact one of our UK staff at any time should you need to.
Project Orientation
On your first full day at the project location you will be given a comprehensive orientation by the project coordinators. The orientation will include:
- An introduction to India culture
- Basic language tips/lessons
- Health and Safety information
- Workplace ethics before starting your project
- An introduction to the area, school and staff that you will be working with
Visas
All volunteers are required to have a visa to enter India. You will need to arrange a standard 6-month tourist visa, which can be obtained from any Indian Embassy or Consulate. A Real Sport Experience Adviser will give you all the necessary advice and support required.
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