About the ProjectWater connects all life on the planet. Help us to nourish this connection
Historically a water-rich country, India is now facing a water crisis. With 16% of the world’s population, but only 4% of the world’s fresh water, India’s demand is outstripping its supply. Poor resource management and climate change have led to soil erosion, sediment build-up, and highly irregular and declining rainfall. The land is barren and life is difficult.
Water resources underpin economic growth, poverty reduction, and environmental sustainability.
DWC’s WATER FOR LIFE program successfully fulfills a communities’ water needs and helps farmers in India transform a desert into arable, productive farmland. Water For Life maps rivers and smaller waterways that develop during the annual monsoon. From this information, a containment structure to conserve the rainwater is constructed. These structures range from rock and cement walls to large dams and crop irrigation channels.
In India
• Nearly half of India’s population earns their livelihood through agriculture and livestock rearing., and yet nearly two thirds of all fields lack any type of irrigation system.
• Northwestern India is one of the driest places on earth.
Volunteer to provide water to a village in needA Typical Workday in India
By volunteering in India, you are going to make life better for subsistence farmers, their families and their communities by building a structure that will hold back monsoon water long enough for it to seep into the groundwater system and recharge wells in the area. That might not seem like much, but for these people, it will mean bigger crop yields or even the ability to grow more than one crop per year. That will make a big difference to them.
You will be on a team of volunteers who are like-minded and passionate about giving others a hand up, not a hand out. And you will leave behind a solid structure that will serve the community for decades to come.
As someone volunteering in India, you’ll be working with our in-country partner, Sahyog Sansthan, a non-profit that deals with rural villages to make improvements that empower these communities and help them move forward through sustainable projects.
This is a two-week trip. As a Developing World Connections volunteer in India, you will work as part of a volunteer team alongside local people. You can also extend your stay if you wish to do additional travelling after the volunteer portion is completed.
It's Not All WorkVisit the cultural mecca of Udaipur
Bhinder is close to the village where you’ll be working alongside local people to build a water-retention structure that will help change their lives. It’s also a short drive from the cultural and tourist centre of Udaipur, a city that offers spectacular views, palaces and other historic sites that are a photographer’s dream. A sunset dinner on the rooftop restaurant of the Jaiwana Haveli hotel in Udaipur is a must.
If you’re sticking around India afterward, you might want to add a trip north of Bhinder to the Thar Desert or take a side trip from Delhi to Agra to see the stunning Taj Mahal.
Trip Details
Each trip is coordinated by DWC with the help of a Team Leader, who has travelled with DWC previously, is First Aid Certified, and has completed a Criminal Record Check. Your Team Leader will liaise with DWC and ensure all your questions are answered. Your Team Leader will handle all team finances through the trip and travel with you to ensure the best possible travel and volunteer experience for their team! They also facilitate fun, cultural experiences where possible, ensuring group cohesion. See your Team Leader Biography here:
Marcia Julian
DWC has been a huge part of my life since the day of its inception
nearly 20 years ago. The thought of travelling to a developing
country to work alongside the local people seemed romantic and
thrilling. Little did I know what a difference it would make in my life
and that six countries later, I would still be learning about myself
and gaining friendships that will last for many years!
I have been on the Board of Directors with DWC since the
beginning and was seven years as its first Chair. In 2005 I had
the amazing opportunity of travelling on the first DWC trip to Sri
Lanka, within weeks of the devastating Tsunami, to build homes for
those who were left homeless. I will never forget that experience…
Following that trip there were trips as a team leader to Guatemala,
Peru, Cambodia (x2), India (x2), Kenya, Philippines (x2), Sri Lanka,
and Costa Rica. Each country so different and each project so
meaningful!
I’m a social worker by vocation and community development is my
passion. I’m always impressed by the projects that are developed
by the in-country host partners in conjunction with DWC. They are
always done with the input and empowerment of the people who
live there. We come as volunteers to work alongside with them and
leave much richer and more compassionate for the experience. It is
an action of service and an act of global caring.
I’m delighted to have the opportunity to travel with you and to
experience the beautiful, emotional, fun-filled….life changing…
world of international volunteering.
Travel Light Offset Your Carbon Footprint
Carbon offsets are used to compensate for the greenhouse gasses that we create through certain activities, such as flying. For every tonne of carbon released into the atmosphere, an ‘offset’ is a carefully designed project that absorbs or stores the equivalent CO2 emissions. You can choose to offset your own flight, your whole family’s, or do this as a gift for a friend.
Offset Your Carbon Footprint
Joy
Volunteer Program Manager