Archive for the ‘Testimonials’ Category

First class. Professional guidance was provided in the early stages, the application process was straight forward, I was met at the airport, taken to my accommodation, introduced to the school and constant communication during my placement to check everything was ok and to provide a sounding board to bounce ideas off.

An ethical organisation that provides a great opportunity to get to the very heart of a community and to hopefully make an impact.

(Mark Coddington, Spituk Monastery School, Ladakh:2010)

Out of all the volunteer programs that I have seen, HELP is the cheapest and most hands-off.  As a college student, the only way I could have volunteered was with a program like HELP.

Jim is constantly supportive and insightful.  He runs a great program.

(Melissa Aaron and Kevin Trainer, Algarah Primary School, West Bengal: 2009)

I think you’re running an excellent program! I really admire the integrity and simplicity of the organization. I appreciate the interview and your dedication to really educating volunteers about the situation and what to expect. The family I stayed with was absolutely wonderful, and they are related to another school and family working with HELP and I had the opportunity to visit that facility as well. After searching for months online for a volunteering situation, I can say that this is truly a brilliant organization. Everything else I found was charging exorbitant prices to volunteer! And there was no disclosure about to whom and how that money was spent. Nothing came close to what I found with HELP, and I truly respect what this organization stands for, who they are supporting and how they are running the show!

(Heidi Erhardt, Vidya Sagar Gyanpeeth school, Sikkim, India: 2009)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HELP?: Super! A worthy organisation doing work where its
really needed!

(Luckbir Bring, Lamdon Model School, Tikse, Ladakh: 2009)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HELP?: Very good - doing a meaningful job in a small and personal way.
(Anne Summers, Nachyo Pauwa primary school, Nepal: 2009)

HELP has been great. Jim kept in contact with us while we were out in India and was also really helpful when my mother needed to get hold of us in an emergency. We just want to thank HELP really as without them it wouldn’t have been possible.

(Greg Pullum and Sarah Gant, Lily Garden School, West Bengal: 2009)

“The arrangements made for me worked perfectly, from meeting at the airport to the choice of host family, the organisation was  thoughtful and reliable. I also appreciated the HELP emails while I was there, which would have been a lifeline if I’d had problems. I think it has its heart in its work.”

(Anne Tracy, Spituk Monastery School, Ladakh: 2008)

“An incredibly well organized and benevolent organization.”

(Anjali de Quadros and Hugh van Cuylenburg, Lamdon Model School, Tikse: 2008)

I didn’t really appreciate how great HELP was until I got the chance to talk to some other teachers in Kalimpong. I met at least four or five others who were teaching and all of them seemed to say their placements were unorganized and boring. Some also paid as much as 6 times the amount I paid and they didn’t know where any of the money went. HELP gave me the opportunity to work very independently with the comfort of having a number of reliable contacts in and out of my placement. I can’t say enough how glad I am to have chosen this organization over some of the other available opportunities. (Justin Bradley, Bright Life Academy, July 2008)

HELP is rare for an organisation offering volunteer teaching in that it puts the needs of the local people before the desires of the western person wanting ‘the experience’. For example, insisting on a minimum of 8 weeks of teaching is an excellent policy (Alastair Skeffington, Saraswatimata Yumahangma English School, 2008)