Ever wanted to make a difference in the life of underprivileged rural children and finish the day with a cup of fresh chai while watching the water buffalo come home from the fields? Consider a hosted volunteer-ship with the Rural Development Foundation in India!
Volunteers are an integral part of the RDF community. Every volunteer brings with them a different background and skill set but they all share an enthusiasm for cultural immersion and exchange as well as a desire to effect a positive change on the RDF students, teachers, and local communities.
In the past, volunteers have been involved in a variety of activities at the RDF schools including teaching English, leading Youth Empowerment classes, updating teaching methods, demonstrating interactive science experiments, creating a student operated photoblog and many more. At the head office, RDF volunteers have helped with fundraising strategy, marketing and brand management, volunteer coordination, and general administration. RDF works with volunteers to identify strengths and passions that can be shared with the RDF community to create a volunteer-ship that will leave a lasting effect on the lives of everyone involved.
RDF welcomes the involvement of long term volunteers (1 year preferred) who would like to teach English and/or assist teachers at the RDF schools teach in English rather than Telugu.
Requirements:
- People who wish to volunteer in this capacity should be hard-working, flexible individuals who enjoy working with a variety of people.
- Volunteers should be prepared to work with students and teachers at various levels of proficiency in English.
- Previous teaching experience or a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification is an advantage, but may not be necessary depending on the individual’s past experiences and enthusiasm for RDF’s mission and goals.
- Most importantly, volunteers must be committed to RDF’s vision of developing rural areas through the education and empowerment of rural children. The desire to make a difference in the life of children is the most important quality for a volunteer to have
Curious about past volunteers? Learn more about their work here.
Want to become a part of the RDF story? Write to us at development@rdfindia.org once you have filled out your interest form.
Curious about volunteering with RDF?
Contact RDF Headoffice at development@rdfindia.org for more information about logistical issues of working with RDF: Visa questions, food and lodging, particulars about working in rural India, transportation, and the joys of working with rural students.
