To give you an idea of how cold it can get in Ladakh in the winter: recently Leh recorded the lowest temperature of the season at minus 22.2 degrees Celsius. That’s bearable if you have central heating, and good insulation, but if you don’t, as you wouldn’t if you lived in Ladakh, then life gets very difficult. You have to wrap up indoors as if you were outdoors! Those that can leave and go south in the winter do.
Volunteering with HELP offers all the good things of working with a small, personal organisation: in-depth local knowledge from the HELP organisers, and the feeling that one is doing something for the first time.
I think HELP is the volunteer organization that I looked for for a long time. It is the most easily accessible and responsive organization I found on the web. I really like the self donation to the school and how independent it requires its volunteers to be, unlike many other organizations.
I think it’s a great organization. I’m really impressed with how small and focused on each project HELP is.
By becoming a HELP volunteer in India or Nepal you will be able to make a direct, personal contribution to the education of young Himalayan people. In so doing, you will be having an unforgettable experience in a new and fascinating world.
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’.
I want to let you know that I have looked at a lot of volunteer organizations since I did your program and you have (as far as I can tell) one of the best. I really like how much you personally care about each volunteer and each school.
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