Visiting India as a volunteer is better than visiting it as tourist.
On the world map, India is very strategic and significant country. It attracts thousands of tourists every month from all the corners of the world.
Everyone craves travelling and visiting the far off places, but financial constraints act as bar. One of the best ways to visit any country while cutting on the costs is to act as a volunteer.
Luckily, India’s social dynamics make it a perfect hub for volunteers. In order to explore this country the best way is to become an effective contributor to Indian society. In this way, visitors also feel a sense of fulfillment while working positively for betterment of a nation. Apart from this, getting exposure to vibrant and lively cultures is also a plus.
A foreigner is better off by visiting India as a volunteer than visiting the country as a tourist for following reasons.
- It is less costly.
Yes volunteers need to pay fewer costs for visiting India than tourists. There are many NGOs and programs that accommodate volunteers on limited funding. In many cases residential expenses, meals, local transport and other such fixed expenditures don’t cross few hundred dollars. Reason, is that many volunteers have to work with NGOs that only need services. Very often a bit of detailed search can also help a foreigner to land some paid volunteer work Travel programs in India.
- Experience is more immersive.
Interaction of tourists with locals is always very much limited. It is not possible for an ordinary tourist communicate with native people in a way as a volunteer can do. At most tourists just deal with hotel receptionists, managers, waiters, shopper or other such individuals.
While volunteers get to know the actual problems, people of any country usually face. They come in contact with men, women and children of under privileged communities. They don’t remain limited in the vicinity of their hotels, rather visit the slums.
They try to understand the way of their life and work for bringing more betterment.
- They have a sense of satisfaction.
A tourist only contributes in an economic way. He may be just buying products and giving a boost to the business of locals. The task of volunteers is not limited at all; they contribute more towards the betterment of society. In India, almost 70% of population lacks an access to the basic amenities of life. Women and children are oppressed and face malnourished. Patients don’t have access to health facilities.
Kids living in slums can’t afford the basic education. In fact India is an underdeveloped country with second largest population after China. Increased number of people with complex dynamics is something that readily paves way for problems and social issues.
Volunteers, who contribute to the Indian society by helping underprivileged people, achieve a sense of fulfillment.
- Volunteers gain an experience.
Nothing is more meaningful than travelling to other countries; it just makes people to explore the broader horizons. But a tourist who just has to visit places, monuments, markets and archaeological sites, just takes an overview of the place.
He doesn’t succeed in knowing much about the people. Getting to know the people from different culture is indeed a plus benefit of volunteer. The real advantage shows up in the form of an addition in CV.
Human resource which is more experienced in dealing with people from different cultures, readily qualifies for many jobs. In fact ability to deal with diversity is what makes an individual more competent in job market.
- Every tourist can’t be a volunteer.
Yes, this is true not all the tourists are volunteers. For instance, just take the example of an old age man who would visit the India only for a change of environment; the man is just a tourist and not a volunteer.
Real volunteers can be professionals, students, gapers, teenagers, under graduates and internship seekers. Yes, mostly youth which is builder of future qualifies to be a volunteer in India, which is undoubtedly the best place to explore.
