Volunteer Vacation in India
Giving Time & Gaining Friends in Dharamsala, India
Living among other cultures is one of the greatest privileges of traveling. By getting involved with the community, you'll find more than the average tourist.
"Travelers," not Tourists
It seems these days less people are "going on vacation," and more are "traveling," taking longer periods of time off from their day-to-day lives to venture out and explore the unknown. Many travelers journey to far off places, not only for the sights, climate, and activities, but also to experience and learn from other cultures. As tourism has continued to boom in the new millennium, however, many popular destinations have developed a tourist culture that is isolated from the local community. Travelers looking for authentic experiences end up at guesthouses run by westerners, eating from continental menus, and spending most of their time with other travelers and resident expatriates.
Time Well Spent: Volunteering in the Tibetan Community of Northern India
Volunteering while on vacation is a fun and rewarding way to bridge the culture gap. One community in the mountains of Northern India offers the perfect setting for meaningful exchange between world travelers and the local culture: MacLeod Ganj, a small village north of Dharamsala, home of the exiled Dalai Lama and an ever-growing population of Tibetan refugees. Many travelers here have found their niche by volunteering in the community.
Tibetan refugees travel months across the harsh terrain of the Himalayas at a rate of 3,000 per year, fleeing their oppressed homeland in search of opportunity in Dharamsala, seeking a better life through education and cultural preservation. Several local charitable organizations including Tibet Charity, The Hope Education Center, and Lha, conduct English schools and offer daily conversation classes between Tibetan students and English-speaking volunteers. Students are able to practice their skills while tourists gain real knowledge of a unique culture from hearing the stories of the Tibetan refugees and sharing their own. The rewarding feeling of time well spent also makes the hours of relaxing in cafes and hiking to scenic waterfalls and snow-capped vistas all that more enjoyable for travelers.
Volunteer Tibet, another local charity in MacLeod Ganj, offers a wide range of other short and long-term opportunities for volunteers such as teaching, writing, and assisting with small business development. It is a level of interaction beyond conventional tourism.
Tourists trekking across countries as vast as India often take a year or more to complete the journey. Month after month of sightseeing, relaxing, and being served in restaurants and guesthouses can leave one feeling idle and unproductive. By spending a little time serving the local community, travelers can learn much more about an area and head home with great stories and life-long friendships.
