Come and help us with Manjula’s projects in Mysore, India

Details

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  Description

  Help required. In April and May 2024 for 4-6 weeks. Looking after and providing activities for a nine year old girl that we sponsor, during the summer holiday. A single woman or couple to work with Stephen and be chaperone. Projects so far have included: a summer holiday scheme in 2023, helping at an alternative school, creativity days and rebuilding our cycles. Projects are usually a month or longer. We share our home with guests from India and abroad at our Bed and Breakfast and provide MYcycle guided cycle tours. Mysore is a wonderful city. We love our life here and meeting the rich mix of international guests from all sorts of backgrounds that come to share our home. It’s just ten minutes from the Palace at the centre and a short distance from gorgeous countryside. We now want to invite workawayers to also share our home. We are Stephen from the U.K. and our dog Lucie, Manjula who jointly founded the Bed and Breakfast unfortunately died and in line with her wishes and those of hundreds of guests who have become our extended family we continue to share our home. It’s a celebration and will change but still reflect Manjula’s creation as an open house that connects with people around the world.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Charity Work

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Teaching

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Hospitality/Tourism

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We hope to provide the opportunity to gain insights into India and life in and around Mysore. It’s an open house with guests from around the world. The experience and skills gained will depend on your interests but might also include developing a business, Local history, understanding more about India (ha ha) and relating to different people. A room is provided, breakfast every day and evening meals on some nights of the week. There are cycles for you to be able to use. Manjula’s assistant (me) from the UK can help you get to know the area really well and There are often wide reaching political and philosophical conversations! You’ll definitely have a laugh and fun! In another life I’m a consultant and trainer with experience in a wide range of organisations from charities to international corporations. We guarantee to talk about any subject under the sun including religion and politics. .also available: cycles to use, join me or more guided cycle tours, trips in Ambassador, maybe scooter to use.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  We invite those interested in helping with and teaching children at an alternative school. For each workawayet we’ve designed something specific. Anything’s possible. We created a project specifically for Willian (he’s from Brazil!) aka Spicy Bill. He was our very first workawayer. He stripped the cycles we use for our tours, we’ve then had them repainted, he then rebuilt and helped maintain them. On his last day he immersed our Ganesh in the holy river as part of an annual ceremony. Once he made initial contact we designed a project that responded to his interests and skills, that’s how we like to work. We’re flexible and up for a workawayer to suggest new things. Others did a spot of decorating and generally helped around the house. Most recently we jointly created a summer holiday camp for a nine year old that were sponsoring. We love having workawayers. We’re open and flexible but to be fair all round we don’t think it would be realistic for a workawayer to attend an extensive yoga programme and have enough time and energy to also be a workawayer.In our experience the programmes can be very demanding, leaving little time and energy for other things. Maybe, it might be possible before or after a programme, or if just attending individual classes.
  
  Stop Press;
  
  Looking for volunteers at an alternative school.
  Contact for more information.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  One of the bedrooms in our bed and breakfast. When we’re really busy it might be a room with two singles but otherwise it’s possible to have room with double bed. It’s sharing our home with two kitchens, two lounges, sun/roof terrace and outdoor sit out. Full breakfast is included only when we have guests and is usually mushrooms, toast, scrambled egg, etc. If there are no guests mainly muesli, fruit salad. Sometimes we’ll have Indian breakfast. Lunch not provided. Dinner is available some nights. We’re a vegetarian household.
  
  It’s different accommodation at the school.

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  What else ...

  Mysore is a city of a million people that still manages to feel like a town. It’s a popular tourist destination in itself for heritage with many many Palaces and temples and great instructional buildings, and yoga and much more. Further afield there’s tons to see and do: Srirangaptnam island, temple towns, Tibetan settlement, national parks, hill stations.... getting no around is easy. We have cycles available here or on the island, our own trusted drivers ( at a cost) with cars or auto rickshaws. International airport is 3-4 hours away at Bangalore.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  3-4 hours a day, five days a week

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