Volunteering - Basics

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For those who are considering a volunteer stint in an orphanage overseas, here are some tips to consider BEFORE you depart. I am writing this assuming you are volunteering with Child Haven International at wonderful NGO out of Canada, but even if your not, you will find some of the info useful.

BEFORE YOU COME:

In addition to the information provided in the Child Haven International guidelines, I found the following useful.

• You can fly direct to Hyderabad from Frankfurt, Germany via Lufthansa Airlines. There is no need to route through Delhi and overnight if you don’t need too.
• In order to become oriented with your location, I recommend that you print and bring maps detailing the Kismatpur Village and surrounding area– Google maps was great. The village is a simple bus ride to two main Hyderabad suburbs (Langlar House and Mendiputnam) and I found bringing detailed maps of the areas heading north east towards Hyderabad convenient.
• Some interns opt to purchase a SIM card or an Indian mobile cell phone + prepaid SIM card on arrival in India. You will need formal proof of residency (part of the Visa process once you arrive), copies of an recent electrical bill from the NGO )Child Haven) and you might need proof of your address in Canada -an electrical bill should be sufficient. Bring a scanned copy. I did not opt for a mobile as I set up an international text plan before I left Canada that I renewed monthly (had to be done from Canada.) The plan allowed for unlimited incoming text messages and a set number of outgoing texts internationally from India. I found this an excellent way to stay connected and not that expensive. Calling home from a public phone is very difficult from India, generally incoming is no problem. I arranged for one call per week from Canada to the orphanage.
• Bring a good small flashlight with rechargeable batteries. The batteries in India are inexpensive but they don’t generate a powerful wattage (plus rechargeable is environmentally friendly).
• I used a SteriPen UV purifier to ensure safe drinking water. Available at Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) for ~$100CDN – expensive but worth it. Large water bottles are provided but I still purified. Bring the model that runs of 4 AA batteries (most have a small square battery that would be impossible to buy in India). I made sure that my flashlight and SteriPen ran on the same AA battery to keep the recharging simple. I brought a one litre Nagele brand wide mouth plastic bottle and a good day use drinking bottle. You purify into the Nagele bottle and fill your drinking bottle. An easy process and keeps you hydrated and healthy!
• Bring a small leather man tool with various tools make sure you get collapsible scissors. You can buy one at any good camping supply store like Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC). I used mine daily as it is small enough to wear around your neck on a lanyard or string. A bigger pocket knife was also handy to cut fruits and vegetables.
• Don’t bring a combination style lock for your door – bring a lock with a key. There are frequent power outages and you would not be able to see to open a combo lock. Keep the key safe. I attached mine to my leather man tool.
• I brought a travel size surge protector (Belkin brand from the Apple store). This was a great as I plugged all my Canadian “appliances” in to it along with the India 2 prong adaptor direct to the wall. I did not worry about frying my appliances with the frequent power surges and outages here. I also travelled with an Apple iphone loaded with games and applications that did not rely on wireless internet access. The Belkin has a direct connect USB connection to recharge my phone. With the iPhone, you have the option to select the phone carrier in India to run your texting (no 3G at time of writing). I used Reliance as this was the only carrier that would send and receive text messages. The default carrier was Idea and it would not allow me to send outgoing msgs. Great thing about Apple is you can flip flop through the various signals to find the carrier that works best.
• I took good quality vitamins daily including a heat resistant probiotic. I believe this helped me to stay healthy throughout my stay.
• I did not bring a mosquito net – there is an inexpensive one available in the Intern room that I used to cover the window as there are no screens. Bring lots of good mosquito repellant with DEET-you will need it in the mornings and evenings. I could not find a good quality repellant locally. Same for sunscreen – bring it from home.
• You can buy virtually everything you need at the local supermarkets - all brands we are familiar with. Bring small bottles from home to get you started but items like small packages of Tide laundry soap, Pantene shampoo and conditioner, Vaseline hand lotion, Colgate toothpaste, Listerine mouth wash, and Dove hand soap are easily purchased at a fraction of the cost. You must travel outside of the Village to buy them.
• I was not able to change cash or travelers checks at the local banks without going right into Hyderabad proper to a Thomas Cook agent, major hotel or big bank. Bring your ATM card and notify your bank and credit card companies that you will be out of country. There are banks available that you can use. I did not find anywhere that took a credit card.
• Bring two pairs of flip flop type rubber sandals. While they are inexpensive in India, it was a couple of weeks until I found a market to purchase a good comfortable pair in a small size.
• There are some novels available in the Intern room, but books are cheap and available in the bazaars in Hyderabad. Himalayan Book stores is wonderful and so is Crossroads. All the newest paperback releases and lots of games for the kids too.
• For woman – bring a couple of good bras and lots of cotton panties. The quality available locally is not great and I found I sweat a lot.
• You can find inexpensive tunic style tops (make sure they have cap sleeves as sleeveless is a NO-NO here). I paid less than $5CDN. I brought a few pairs of ¾ pants from home to pair them with. In India I purchased material to make the local style dress – Salwar Kameez – a tunic style top with pants and shawl. Pack dark colours as you sit on the ground or floor for virtually everything.
• Items for the children – The children don’t really have any toys that are their own. With 150+ children and nowhere to keep items except their assigned box, I understand why. I brought good quality markers, pencil crayons, crayons and a couple rolls of Ikea white drawing paper ($5CDN per roll) which I kept in my room for them to play with. I spent most mornings drawing with the children before school. A ½ dozen good colouring books would have been a great item to bring – ripping the pages out so everyone can colour. You can buy this stuff locally for less money but the quality is suspect.
• There are some children’s books available in the nurse room a few more Dr. Suess books would be appreciated. Most of the children attend English school and love to read and write in their spare time.

Have fun. Volunteering overseas was an amazing experience. Make the most of it.

Cultural Observation: There are so many stray dogs in India with tons of mange, that spit our pups at lightening speed. In the villages they are a huge nuisance. Keep yourself safe by staying your distance - even if your a dog lover like me. While the pups are adorable, they are full of germs and maybe rabies.

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