Volunteer Locations: Sikar

The Jaipur region of Rajasthan lies on the fringes of the Thar desert. It is a semi-arid landscape studded with hilltop forts. This country was once the domain of Rajputh princes and their castles and palaces are renowned architectual fossils of the regions feudal past.

Travel to Teach's project in Rajasthan will work with local partners in order to focus its efforts on the development of the lower caste community. Specifically we work and place volunteers in a small village just outside of Sikar, a town about 115 km north of Jaipur. The volunteer house is located on a farm, and provides accomodation for 8 – 10 volunteers. Madan, the owner of the farm, is also the local coordinator. He learned to speak English fluently while working in the Indian Air Force and In many years he has been working with about 300 international volunteers from different nationalities at various project locations in Rajasthan and Himachal.

Our local partners can also coordinate excursions and cultural workshops in order to enrich the volunteering experience. T2T volunteers are offered a variety of cultural lessons on the region's history, culture and language in order to better familiarize the volunteer with the surrounding environment. From a secure and supportive environment each volunteer will contribute using their unique characteristics, the goal being that over the course of their program they will effect change by becoming an active part of the community rather than a distant observer.

India has three seasons, hot and wet, hot and dry and cold (but still relatively hot). The most comfortable months are from October to March (shown as November to February);

The Himachal program will begin in the spring of 2009.

Volunteer Programs in Rahjastan

Teaching English in a Village School
Due to poor economic conditions the majority of children from impoverished housholds are often discouraged from attending schools inorder to seek work and support their family. When children are able to go to study they attend local government schools that are often under-funded and poorly managed. In light of the circumstances, it is not surprising that many poor students do not regularly attend school

Volunteers in Rajasthan enhance the learning environment by assisting the teachers and participating in educational activities for children between 6-11 years of age. Specifically, volunteers teach in the areas of basic English and mathematics while also diffusely contributing to children's creativity by offering perspectives that are 'outside the box' of the rural Indian mindset.

Volunteer’s activities include:

• Regularly teaching the children English and Mathematics in the schools.
• Creating a playful environment and enhance the creativity of the children through painting, playing games, singing etc.
• Working with teachers in creating low cost teaching material and train them in making education more fun for the children.

Afternoon Activities:

• Additionaly, T2T offers a number of optional activities to our volunteers that have a wider impact on the community and create a better environment for cross cultural exchange:
• Conversational English teaching to adolescent girls and adult women.
• Basic computer teaching to adolescent girls and adult women.
• Volunteers can take up restoration, renovation and decoration of the various work places.
• Local workshops on Indian cooking, Indian dress, yoga and meditation, henna art, and Hindi language classes are organized at T2T camp.

Community Development
A large number of people in India are not in a position to finance construction of a permenant residence. Instead, they manage to make temporary shelters to safeguard themselves from the cold, rain and extreme summer heat. Most families sleep in open areas, several generations of an extended family share the same roof.

The condition of government buildings such as primary schools, day care centers, primary health centers and community centers especially in the rural areas is quite poor. Also, they limited resources they have are often poorly managed.

Due to this, the community especially the younger generations loose interest in using these public places meant for providing basic education, health care and communal gathering areas.

Past volunteers working within the community have shown great initiative an endeavored to improve the condition of many of these communal areas. Renovations have included repairing and beautifying the village day care centers and primary schools by white washing the walls, drawing educational posters and paintings that help the children and the community learn in a way that has a residual positive impact long after the volunteer has returned home.

Volunteers help in renovating and constructing playgrounds and sports facilities, making much needed repairs to benches and tables. Moreover, volunteers with an affinity for carpentry have had a lasting impact in many residences by constructing stable ceilings and walls. T2T volunteer will also contribute to improving the natural environment in the village through community awareness initiatives to clean littered garbage, place dustbins and plant trees in and around the villages.

Not only do these activities improve the quality of life in the village, they serve as a source of inspiration for residents who are grateful for the help volunteers provide. The school and the day care center become infinately more fun and worth attending when the intriguiing volunteer from abroad is helping out.

Coaching Sports and Social Development
India, being one of the most populous countries of the world has an immense population of children. Due to lack of, dedicated and motivated sports staff, most of the children do not get an opportunity to participate in organized sports activities. One example of the lack of opportunities for young Indian athletes to compete is the fact that despite being home to 1/6th of world's population, with the exception of cricket, India does not compete in many international sporting events.

Volunteers can make a difference by providing a structured and fun environment for children to spend their free time.

Volunteers have designed, organized and participated in various sports activities including track and field meets, coaching volleyball, football and cricket, organizing sports tournaments among the local schools and sports clubs. The inevitable outcome of these sports activities are throngs of smiling, happy, healthy kids and their proud parents

Active participation of international volunteers in sports and social development activities plays a meaningful role in developing children's indivual confidence and faith in teamwork, while also demonstrating to children and their parents the importance of leading healthy, active lifeystyles. In turn, the volunteers are presented with an avenue that allows them to easily socialize and engage the locals of this cultural wonderland.

The Sport Coaching and Social Develpoment Program can be done in conjunction with other valuable community work based on the volunteer’s preference.

General Sikar Information

Accommodation
The program is located on a farm in a rural area outside of Sikar. The volunteers live in the upstairs of a large house, Mandan and his family live downstairs. The volunteer residences consist of four rooms that are modest but clean and comfortable. There are two western-style toilets and a cold water shower. A spacious courtyard surrounds the living area. The house also has a recreation room with TV and a DVD Player, a refrigerator to store perishables and two computers with internet access.

Food
Volunteers are provided with wholesome, tasty, locally produced meals while staying on the farm. Volunteers will receive 3 fresh homemade vegetarian meals per day, which they eat with the family. Meals typically consist of eggs (included for western palates), yogurt, tea, rice and two different seasoned vegetarian based dishes. There is also a small store next to the farm with sweets, chips, nuts, soft drinks and other practical items.

Weather
India has three seasons, hot and wet, hot and dry and cold (but still relatively hot). The most comfortable months are from November to February; although evenings can be cold. Summer can be extremely hot with monsoon rainfall between mid-June and mid-September. Lightweight cotton and linen clothes are required most of the year with warmer clothes for evenings in the cooler months and a waterproof slicker for the monsoons.

Activities
Volunteers are integrated into the daily lives of a sweet, pleasant Indian family typical of others living in the rural area. While staying on the farm, you are part of the household – not a tourist observing from a plastic distance. As a result, volunteers have a unique opportunity to absorb the essence of rural Rajasthan, a culture, a people and a way of life that have remained virtually unchanged for generations.

Markets, local fairs, festivals and celebrations
Rajasthani culture is ubiquitous but is perhaps the most vivid during social celebrations including religious holidays, weddings, birthdays and town fairs. The villagers are proud people and happy for an international visitor at any celebration. Volunteers will also get chances to browse through and purchase some of Rajasthan’s world renowned fabrics and jewelry at the fascinating textile and precious metal markets.

In addition, volunteers are offered a variety of professionally organized cultural workshops that include theory and practical activities relating to Yoga, meditation, language lessons, Indian cooking, Indian dress and henna painting. We can also arrange professional and reasonably priced excursions to Jaipur, Pushkar, Ranthambore and other places of interest.

Getting Around
The main form of transportation for volunteers on a day-to-day basis is the rickshaw. A rickshaw ride to to Sikar takes about 10 minutes and from Sikar there are buses to Jaipur, about 2.5 hours away. From Jaipur it is possible to travel by train to any major city in and around Rajahstan, including Jaisalmer at the Pakistani border, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Agra and Delhi.

How to get to our volunteer location
Volunteers arriving at the Delhi airport will get picked up by a staff member after receiving their baggage. Volunteers arriving by other means of transportation will get detailed instructions on how to travel to Sikar and the farm from their place of origin.

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