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Fantastic 4.54rating (29)
  • Sustainable Cities And Communities

Renovate & Brighten Under-Funded Schools

location
1 - 12 weeks  ·  Age 17 - 50+
Verified

Highlights

  • Work on a different building every time - once a school, centre or clinic is finished the team moves to the next one, so projects are almost never repeated.
  • Paint murals, alphabets and numbers onto classroom walls, turning a bare room into somewhere children actually want to spend the day.
  • See the reasoning: drop-out rates fall when a school feels child-oriented and welcoming, which is the whole premise of the project.

Highlights

  • Work on a different building every time - once a school, centre or clinic is finished the team moves to the next one, so projects are almost never repeated.
  • Paint murals, alphabets and numbers onto classroom walls, turning a bare room into somewhere children actually want to spend the day.
  • See the reasoning: drop-out rates fall when a school feels child-oriented and welcoming, which is the whole premise of the project.
  • Come as a group and take on more - toilets for girls, classrooms, shelters and playgrounds are all built with larger teams.
  • Live on three meals a day with a volunteer house or host family, and spend weekends on the Taj Mahal, Pushkar or the rest of Rajasthan.
    • You don't have to pay anything yet

    Especially good for

    Age 17+
    Singles
    Couples
    Groups
    50+

    About the program

    Repaint, repair and mural under-funded schools and clinics in Jaipur - a different building every time, chosen because nobody else will pay for the work.

    The idea behind it

    A good education system needs teachers, but it also needs buildings children are willing to walk into. Drop-out rates fall measurably when a school feels positive, engaging and built for young people rather than merely functional – and that is something a volunteer with a ...

    About the program

    The idea behind it

    A good education system needs teachers, but it also needs buildings children are willing to walk into. Drop-out rates fall measurably when a school feels positive, engaging and built for young people rather than merely functional – and that is something a volunteer with a paintbrush can genuinely affect in a fortnight.

    How the projects are chosen

    The team selects vulnerable schools, community centres and clinics in Jaipur that do not have the money for renovation, and sends volunteers in to do the work. Once a building is finished, they move to the next one that needs it. Projects are almost never repeated, so what you work on depends entirely on when you come – you are not repainting the same wall a previous group painted six months ago.

    What you will be doing

    • Painting and repainting classrooms and communal spaces
    • Creating murals – alphabets, numbers, maps, animals – that double as teaching material
    • General renovation and repair work on the building
    • Beautification of the grounds and shared areas

    You do not need building experience. Most of the work is painting and preparation, and the local team supervises throughout. If you can draw, that is genuinely useful – the murals are what the children notice.

    Coming as a group

    For larger groups and teams there is a full construction option: building toilets for girls, classrooms, shelters and playgrounds. Girls' toilets in particular matter more than they might sound – their absence is one of the reasons adolescent girls stop attending school. If you are organising a school, university or corporate group, say so on your application and the team will scope a build to match your numbers and dates.

    Practicalities

    The project runs year-round. Volunteer work is five days a week, leaving weekends free. Minimum age 17.

    Typical day

    Morning

    Breakfast at the volunteer house or with your host family, then out to the site with the team. Work starts reasonably early to get the cooler part of the day – Jaipur is hot for much of the year.

    On site

    Preparation is most of the job: cleaning walls, filling and sanding, taping edges, mixing ...

    Typical day

    Morning

    Breakfast at the volunteer house or with your host family, then out to the site with the team. Work starts reasonably early to get the cooler part of the day – Jaipur is hot for much of the year.

    On site

    Preparation is most of the job: cleaning walls, filling and sanding, taping edges, mixing paint. Then the painting itself, and once the base coats are on, the murals. The local coordinator sets the plan for each day and works alongside you.

    If children are present – and in a working school they usually are – expect an audience, and expect to be handed a brush by a seven-year-old at some point.

    Afternoon

    Work continues through the afternoon with a break for lunch. Five days a week, so you finish with your weekends genuinely free.

    Evenings

    Back at the accommodation with the other volunteers. Jaipur's old city, the bazaars and the rooftop restaurants around the Hawa Mahal are all easy evenings out.

    Weekends

    Free. The Taj Mahal at Agra, Pushkar, Delhi and the rest of Rajasthan - Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer - are all reachable, and the local team will help you plan.

    Free-time activities

    You work five days a week, so every weekend is free - and Jaipur is one of the best-placed bases in India for using them.

    Jaipur itself

    The Pink City is a UNESCO World Heritage site and you are living in it. The Amber Fort above the city is the essential half-day. The City Palace, Hawa Mahal (the ...

    Free-time activities

    You work five days a week, so every weekend is free - and Jaipur is one of the best-placed bases in India for using them.

    Jaipur itself

    The Pink City is a UNESCO World Heritage site and you are living in it. The Amber Fort above the city is the essential half-day. The City Palace, Hawa Mahal (the honeycomb "palace of winds") and the Jantar Mantar observatory are all in the old city within walking distance of each other. Nahargarh Fort at sunset, looking back over the whole city, is the one most volunteers remember.

    The bazaars - Johari for jewellery, Bapu for textiles and slippers - are excellent, and haggling is expected. Rooftop restaurants around the old city do very good Rajasthani thali.

    Weekend trips

    The Taj Mahal at Agra is about four to five hours away and entirely doable as an overnight - most volunteers go at least once. Pushkar, a small lakeside pilgrimage town three hours away, is the calmer option and a favourite. Delhi is a comfortable train ride.

    Deeper into Rajasthan: Udaipur and its lake palaces, Jodhpur the blue city, and Jaisalmer for the desert and camel treks in the Thar. Ranthambore National Park, one of the better places in India to see wild tiger, is around four hours from Jaipur.

    Day to day

    Chai on every corner, kite flying, and if you are here in October or November, Diwali in Jaipur is genuinely extraordinary - the whole old city is lit.

    Requirements

    Requirements

    Minimum Age: 17 years

    In order to join the program you need to be at least 17 years old on the program start date.

    Criminal Background Check

    required

    Required Documents

    Criminal background check

    Nationality Restrictions

    No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

    Other Skills

    No building experience is required - most of the work is preparation and painting, supervised by the local team. If you can draw, letter or design, say so on your application: the murals are what the children actually notice, and good artists are in short supply. Bring your own brushes if you have them. Being comfortable working in heat matters more than any qualification.

    Time Commitment

    Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

    What's Included

    What's Included

    On-site Services

    Included

    • Transfers from the airport or the railway station in Jaipur – so arriving overland from Delhi or Agra by train is covered too
    • Accommodation in a volunteer house or with a host family
    • Three meals a day
    • Orientation on arrival and your placement on the project
    • 24-hour assistance and support from the in-country team
    • Comprehensive pre-departure information
    • Certificate of participation, on request

    Not included

    • Airfare
    • Visa fees – India requires a visa arranged in advance, there is no visa on arrival
    • Travel and medical insurance – mandatory, and available through us at extra cost
    • Vaccinations
    • Local transport, a local SIM card, and personal spending

    The price shown already includes your application fee – there is nothing further to pay us on arrival. Programme fees can be paid in interest-free instalments, with the balance due 45 days before departure.

    Airport Pickup at Jaipur Airport

    Transfers from Jaipur airport are included – and unusually, so are transfers from the railway station. A lot of volunteers arrive into Delhi and take the train to Jaipur, which is comfortable, cheap and scenic, and you will still be met.

    Fly into Jaipur International Airport (JAI) if you can, or into Delhi (DEL) and travel on by train – roughly five hours. Send your arrival details in advance so the team knows which to meet.

    Before you fly: India requires a visa arranged in advance for almost all nationalities. The e-Visa is applied for online and is straightforward, but there is no visa on arrival, so do not leave it late. Visa fees are not included.

    Accommodation

    You stay either in the volunteer house or with an Indian host family in Jaipur – the local team assigns based on availability and what suits you. Both are shared, simple and clean, with the basic amenities you need.

    The volunteer house puts you with other volunteers from around the world, which most people find is half the experience – you arrive alone and end up with a group to see Rajasthan with. A host family gives you a closer view of Indian daily life and much faster progress with Hindi.

    A local coordinator is based in Jaipur and available throughout your stay.

    Jaipur is a large, busy city and the accommodation is within reach of the projects, with the old city and bazaars easy to get to in the evenings.

    Food & Beverages

    Three meals a day are included. Expect North Indian home cooking – dal, sabzi, rice, roti or chapati fresh off the tawa, and Rajasthani specialities like dal baati churma if you are lucky.

    Food is generally mild by Indian standards for volunteers but say so if you cannot manage chilli, and equally say so if you want it properly spiced. Vegetarians are extremely well catered for; Rajasthan is one of the most vegetarian regions in India and the food is better for it.

    Note any dietary requirements on your application form. Drink bottled or filtered water rather than tap water, and be sensible about street food in your first week while your stomach adjusts.

    Internet Access

    Good access at the project site
    You don't have to pay anything yet

    What's NOT included?

    What's NOT included?

    Flight Tickets

    The nearest airport is Jaipur Airport (JAI) in Jaipur. We assist you to find cheap flights to India. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

    Travel Insurance

    Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for India provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

    Vaccines

    If you are intending to volunteer in India you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for India. VACCINE CHECKER

    Details on arrival

    Start dates: weekly, year-round. The project runs all year – when one building is finished the team moves to the next.

    Airport: Jaipur International Airport (JAI). Transfers from the airport or the railway station in Jaipur are included, so if you are arriving overland from Delhi or Agra by train, you will still be met.

    Visa: India requires a visa in advance for almost all nationalities. The e-Visa is applied for online and is straightforward, but do it well before you fly – you cannot get one on arrival. Visa fees are not included.

    Health: check recommended vaccinations with a travel clinic before departure. Vaccinations are not included in the fee.

    What to bring: clothes you do not mind ruining, and a hat. If you can draw or letter well, bring your own brushes – good ones are hard to come by locally and you will use them daily.

    Climate: Jaipur is very hot from April to June and wet in the monsoon from July to September. October to March is the comfortable window for outdoor painting work, and worth aiming for if your dates are flexible.

    Availability
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

    Program Fees

    $393 per week 1 - 12 weeks Age 17 - 50+

    Payment methods

    Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

    NO CREDIT CARD FEES

    Duration

    1 - 12 weeks

    Deposit

    Reserve your spot with just a few clicks and a small, secure deposit. You can pay by credit card, PayPal, or other convenient methods.

    Final Payment

    You’ll agree on the final payment method with your local organization during the application process. This final payment is only due closer to the start of your trip.

    You don't have to pay anything yet
    4.5
    Top Pick
    One of the top picks on Volunteer World, according to travelers

    Location

    Asia > Southern Asia > India > Jaipur

    Meet your project coordinator

    Sahil
    29
    reviews
    4.54
    Fantastic
    2007
    Founded

    Verified

      Below average response rate
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    Volunteer Abroad  >  Community  >  Construction in India
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    Travel dates

    1. - 1. Jan 1

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