Women Empowerment Volunteer in India

My friend and I were doing the woman empowerment program for ten days and we had a great time staying with Manu and her family. We were taken care of and had a nice place to stay. We were picked up by Sukret who told us a lot about our stay and showed us where we could go in our free time. Our guide Pradeep was so welcoming and funny and he knew a lot about Jaipur and Rajasthan in general. The volunteering was not exactly what we thought it would be, as we found out that they had their own beauty class and we were there as support and motivation, and not as teachers. They taught us more about henna. But overall the experience was amazing. We were welcomed by everyone and felt very safe with everyone. It will be something we never forget.

I had the most amazing 2 weeks volunteering at a women's centre in Jaipur. Stayed at a guest house close to the city centre. Volunteering was from 12-4pm each day and Rohit the coordinator would come with me each day. I felt incredibly safe and supported. Often after volunteering we would stop for chai or other indian treats on the way back to the guest house. The women at the centre were welcoming and as a volunteer you can incorporate your own skills. I work in a school in Australia so I ran some different art/self identity activities. On arrival to the centre the women would be practicing Mehendi (henna). The guest house rooftop spot was my favourite, Jaipur is a special place. Hope I can return one day soon!

I chose the women's empowerment programme because I wanted to come into contact with Indian girls and women - especially from the slums of Jaipur - and understand more about their world, their lives, their expectations, their difficulties and their dreams. The two weeks I worked in the programme were very enriching for me. The girls who attend the six-month course at the NGO Veeneta Society are trained to become dress makers and/or beauticians. I attended their practical lessons, helping where needed, and I was their teacher in the English lessons. With a great dedication the girls made me the beauty treatments they had learnt in their course. Despite the language barriers between us (there was always a Hindi-English language mediator with me, to help in case of any misunderstanding) we shared bits and pieces of our lives. I also had the honour of handing diplomas to the girls who had completed the six-month course. The festive moments were unforgettable for me, the girls performed traditional Rajasthan dances. All in all, I highly recommend this experience.