The Rainbow Academyis a school for poor children set up by local Christians and is in need of volunteers to teach English and help with extra curricular activities.  ‘Shanti Kunj’ is a recently established small residential home for destitute old ladies in Siliguri, near Darjeeling. A female volunteer is needed to provide daily care for two ladies. For either project, one month would cost £1700, three months £2000. The total cost is made up of a return flight ticket, tourist visa, health and travel insurance, food and a donation towards the cost of Christians Abroad administration. Air fares vary according to season, however.

Set in the village of Gorubathan in the foothills of the Himalayas, The Rainbow Academy caters for about eighty children at present. Most of the children are from poor and needy families. Their parents are tea plantation labourers or agricultural field workers, mostly seasonal workers of the local area. The children are provided with uniforms and text books and tuition fees are paid for those students whose parents cannot afford them.

Accommodation is provided free of charge in a two storey house with a separate single bed room or a double bed room with ceiling fan, bedding materials (mattress, pillow with cover, bed sheet, mosquito net, quilt/blanket), electricity and running water in a separate bath room and toilet.

Three Indian meals a day are provided for a very reasonable charge of £70 a month. There is a Government Primary Health Care Centre 1km away and a proper hospital two hours drive away in Siliguri, a large town. Anti malarial protection is advised.

Shanti Kunj is located in a rented house in Salbari, Siliguri, near Darjeeling. It was established in June 2006, starting with one destitute old aged woman with locally raised limited funding and gradually increased to five. Of these, two died in 2007 and one has been taken back by her distant relatives, leaving two old aged women at present. There are seven more women waiting for sufficient funding to enable them to be provided for. The project director has provided the following information for potential volunteers:

Objectives:

1.      To rehabilitate up to ten of the poorest, most needy, neglected, abandoned and destitute old aged women in a safe, secure and homely sheltered environment.

2.      To provide three meals in a day and proper clothing.

3.      To provide  regular health check ups and medication where needed.

4.      To provide need-based education, counseling, vocational and skill training and recreation.

5. To lead them with spiritual activities.

Activities :

1.      Provision of nutritious food, clothing and shelter

2.      Monthly thorough health check up and regular medication

3.      Vocational and skills development training for income generation

4.      Chores – reading, cleaning, washing, gardening, cooking

5.      Recreation – celebrations, TV, video player, outing on festivals

6.      Spiritual development – daily devotion

Expectations from Volunteer:

We would invite committed volunteer (preferably woman) for:

1. Long or short term volunteering to nurse and manage old aged destitute women with her love, compassion, concern and patience with her homely attitude.
2. Contributing US $30 monthly per destitute woman for rehabilitating them.

Accommodation: There is a furnished single storey house available for the volunteer where destitute women are also accommodated with water, electricity, toilet and other required facilities.

Food: Indian normal food at local level is available three times a day – breakfast, lunch and dinner with the women. The volunteer would be encouraged to pay the minimum food expenses in the home.

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Please note: Christians Abroad has not yet sent any volunteers to this project, but we have a good reference from a local Christian minister. The project has not yet received any volunteers from the UK.

Country information: India High Commission in London - http://hcilondon.in/