Volunteer in Goa!
The state of Goa is India’s most well known beach destination. This former Portuguese colony with its many fabulous beaches offers a distinct cultural experience with its music, food and climate. Our Partner's home base in Goa is situated on the Colva beach in southern Goa. The 30 km long beach is known for its palm trees and silvery sand and is one of the best yet less explored regions.
Colva is the oldest, largest and the most spectacular of south Goa beaches. It lies about 6 Kms to the west of Margao. The beach consists of about 25kms of the finest powder white sand and is lined along its shore by coconut palms extending to Bogmalo in the north and Cabo de Rama in the south along south Goa's coastline.
In Goa we offer 4 or 8 week pre-scheduled and planned volunteer programs for under 30s. You will be working and staying with people from all over the world in a volunteer camp run by our local partner organization. Besides of volunteer work, you will also be participating in interesting cultural activities and excursions.
Project Information :
The activities in Goa primarily relate to education and childcare in various institutions that our partner organization in India has identified as appropriate for volunteering and the NGO’s intervention. Please see the bottom of the page for Goa start dates.
Please note: We cannot guarantee your placement at a specific activity. We can make recommendations to the NGO we work with but your volunteer work will depend upon the current needs of the community. Please be flexible and open to helping in any of the areas listed below.
Education
Assisting local teachers in rural schools has been one of the most successful interventions and the most popular activity. Volunteers participate in educational enhancement for students of class 1 till class 5. The volunteer activities in the field include teaching children English and Mathematics, creating a playful environment and enhancing the creativity of the children, working with local teachers in creating low cost teaching materials and training them in making education more fun for the children, ensuring regular health check ups of the children, and creating basic hygiene awareness amongst the children on a regular basis.
Childcare
Volunteers also can take up the responsibility of maintenance and care of local childcare centers. Also called “Anganwari”, these centers carry out holistic childcare in the area. In line with the expected activities of such institutions, the volunteer activities include awareness building in the community, personal attention and care to the children coming to the center everyday, assistance for record maintenance for each child, developing the motor skills of young children through games, feeding the children with the help of a local worker, continuous survey of all pregnant women and new born babies and creating a colorful and enjoyable environment for the children.
HIV/AIDS Community Care and Support Center (Open to volunteers staying for 8 weeks)
As a transitional shelter for HIV/AIDS patients, the acts as a bridge between health care institutions and patients’ families to create awareness in the community. Volunteers at the institution help care for patients who have often been left out of the social circle due to their condition. Activities will include everyday care for the patients and assisting nurses in the center, maintenance of the facilities for the patients, improving the look and feel of the center through decorations & to make the center more patient friendly by giving company to often lonesome patients.
Home for the elderly
The home for the elderly is operated by the Goa government. The home houses 51 residents that are in need of care and assistance due to a variety of social and personal reasons. Volunteers’ support is required by the Home’s administration due to a chronic shortage of staff and poor maintenance of the place.
Additionally, depending the needs of the community, volunteers might work on other community development activities, including health checkup camps for the children and their families, tree plantation in the school and village, skill enhancement and practical training for teenage girls and other such need-based activities.
Start Dates for Goa 2008
| 4 Week Program | 8 Week Program | |||
| Start | Finish | Start | Finish | |
| June 30th | July 27th | June 30th | August 24th | |
| July 28th | August 24th | July 28th | September 21st | |
| August 25th | September 21st | August 25th | October 19th | |
| September 22nd | October 19th | September 22nd | November 16th | |
| October 20th | November 16th | October 20th | December 14th | |
| November 17th | December 14th | November 17th | January 11th 2009 | |
| December 15th | January 11th 2009 | December 15th | February 8th 2009 |
Click here for Goa 2009 start dates!
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