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Itinerary - Africa and Asia Venture

Itinerary

ARRIVING IN INDIA AND THE LEPCHASPhotograph of AV volunteers with a family - Gap Year Projects & Volunteering in India

The group flight departs from London Heathrow and will be seen off by one of the AV team. You will fly into Calcutta (or Kolkata), where you will be met by Tendup Lama, AV’s representative based in Darjeeling.  Depending on flight times you may have a day in Calcutta where you can visit the Victoria Memorial, Mother Theresa’s ‘Mother House’ or perhaps the busiest bridge in the world (over the Hooghly River). That night, accompanied by Tendup, you will catch the overnight sleeper train to New Jalpaiguri, the station for Siliguri and the Himalayas, arriving in time for breakfast. Indian trains are an experience like no other and a great way to travel long distances across the country. They are very sociable and there is never a dull moment: you could find yourself holding the baby for the family next to you, listening to musicians, or watching the cobbler at work!

BRIEFING AND ORIENTATION

Photograph of an AV volunteer teaching in a classroom - Gap Year Projects & Volunteering Opportunities in India

From Siliguri you will all take a bus to the banks of the Teesta river and the Wayside Inn where we start the Orientation Course. This is a chance to settle in, unwind after the hectic few days leading up to your departure, long journey and an opportunity to get to know your AV group. The orientation course is important for making sure you’re fully prepared when you arrive in your school. It will be led by Tendup, giving you a chance to get to know him too. In a stunning steep-sided valley with the town of Kalimpong about 3000ft above you will cover:

  • Nepali (the standard language in these parts)
  • Indian and Nepali history, customs and culture
  • Safety, health and security
  • Techniques for teaching EnglishPhotograph of children wearing paper hats - Gap Year Projects & Volunteering Opportunities in India

During the course you will visit Kalimpong to buy traditional local clothing - Kurta Pajama – to wear when teaching.

After the course we will take you and your partner to your town/village home for the next three months. We are currently working with schools near Kalimpong and Mirik. To get there we go up through the tea plantations to about 7000ft before descending to around 6000ft for Mirik or 4000ft for Kalimpong. Here the AV representative will leave you to settle into your new home, but remember they’re never more than a phone call away if needed!

THE PROJECT

You will be assigned to a school with a fellow volunteer and will be working as teaching assistants for a full term or 12 weeks, with a long weekend break for half term. Most schools are primary, but may grow into middle schools with pupils up to 16 years old. They are a mix of small, old traditional schools, mostly in wooden buildings with quite small classes, and newer schools with concrete buildings and larger classes. Most classes are between 15 and 30. Children are taught in Nepali, but you will teach English, in English! For some older classes you may be asked to teach other subjects in English. We aim for you to teach up to four periods, 45 minutes long, each day - but you will often be in greater demand.

Photograph of an AV volunteer teaching in a classroom - Gap Year Projects & Volunteering Opportunities in IndiaThere are few sporting facilities in the area as the hills are too steep to carve out many football pitches. However there are often basketball-sized courts and you will find cricket or football being played in any open spaces that do exist. Organising extra football or cricket clubs after school is both rewarding and greatly appreciated. The towns have pitches for use at weekends and you will be very popular if you arrange inter-school matches. Most children return home at the end of school but you would be popular if you can help with some games or music, art and drama. The head teacher will be your main point of contact and will look after you but other members of staff will also have enough English to chat with and become friends.

Photograph of an AV volunteer at a tea factory - Gap Year Projects & Volunteering Opportunities in IndiaAt weekends you can stay at home or travel further afield. You may take part in school activities, organising sports or going on picnics. Alternatively you can head into town to shop, check emails, catch up on news from home, or meet up with other AVs, visit their schools and travel in the local area. The ‘Darjeeling District’ AVs sometimes head up to the Lepchas to visit the AVs up in the hills or entertain the Lepcha AVs in Kalimpong , particularly if there local festivals going on such as Holi, the Festival of Colour.

To find out what a typical day on project might be like take a look at our ‘Day in the life of an AV’ feature, written by AVs who have been there and done it themselves!

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