Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
17 Apr 2024
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 1 day
Feedback
28
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Details
Description
Hello!
We are a women-led non-profit organization based in Virudhunagar, a rural village located in Tamil Nadu, in the South of India. We started our work in 1993, committed to improving the welfare of society’s most marginalized groups, particularly women and children living with, or affected by HIV/AIDS and/or TB.
We have several projects, and Children’s Home is one of them. Home is located in Chittoor, a rural village in Tamil Nadu, and it is home to around 25 girl children between the age of 3 and 19 years old. We provide food, shelter, education, medical and social support to the children. To provide children from with a nutritious source of food, Trust established the Farm, maintained by our team, local farmers and volunteers with environmentally-friendly practices. The farm aims to be organic, instead of using only pesticides and chemical fertilizer, using three different kinds of local organic mixtures.
We are happy to welcome volunteers to support children in their daily activities and to help us with the maintenance of our sustainable and organic farm. At, you have the opportunity to take part in different types of activities depending on your interests and passions, and to bring your own ideas as well!
Children are always enthusiastic to welcome our volunteers and engage with them! We look forward to having you here!
Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions: we are here to help!
Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Babysitting and creative play
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
By staying at Home, you will have the opportunity to live in close contact with local communities of Tamil Nadu, interacting with our permanent staff, local farmers and other short-term volunteers coming from all over the world. In this way, you will be able to fully immerse yourself in Southern Indian culture and traditions! India has a vast amount of holidays and festivities which you will be able to celebrate authentically with us!
At, you will be free to get engaged in the activities that you are more interested and passionate about. We are also always very happy to welcome new ideas. So, you will receive our full support if you choose to create your own interesting and engaging projects!
During your free time, you will also have the opportunity to discover the beautiful Tamil Nadu and the many temples that this state is known for.
We can promise you a beautiful experience surrounded by nature and filled with authentic cultural exchanges and memories of India that you will never forget!
Help
1) Support children in their daily activities: helping with their homeworks (especially English and computer literacy), organizing fun creative and outdoor activities (such as dance parties, art projects, and games), supporting them in their daily tasks (cooking, maintenance of the farm…).
2) Maintain the grounds: General maintenance such as gardening, cleaning clutter and maintaining safety standards on the grounds. Maintaining the farm by cleaning facilities, and repairing walls, fences and roofs of the barn and chicken coops.
3) Farming and Animal husbandry: Helping on the farm with planting, nurturing and harvesting crops (depending on the season) and necessary labor implements such as building furrows, etc. Helping with the animal rearing and feeding, and collecting animal produce such as milk and egg production.
4) Administrative Work at the Office: Assisting our office in Virudhunagar with administrative tasks, social media, grant writing and fundraising.
We welcome new project suggestions, so don’t hesitate to contact us with your ideas !
Languages spoken
Tamil: Fluent
English: Intermediate
Accommodation
What we provide our volunteers:
Accommodation: Volunteers will stay in a simple shared or private room which includes western toilets, mosquito nets, and a bed (please bring your own sheets, a towel and toiletries). Access to free Wi-Fi is available in the office room, and there is a water purification system, so you will always have access to clean drinking water.
Food: Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided. Meals mainly consist of rice, vegetables and curry. For more variety, additional food options are available in Virudhunagar, which is around 20/30 minutes away by bus (meals are between Rs. 20-200). You are expected to pay for your bus ride to and from Virudhunagar (Rs. 10-11).
What else ...
Good to know:
People living and working at Home have a limited knowledge of English. However, they can all sustain basic conversations, and want to improve their English so you will still be able to interact with them! Moreover, support from our English-speaking staff is provided at all times: they visit from time to time and they are always reachable by phone.
The climate in Tamil Nadu is particularly dry and hot. Additionally, we want to advise that during April and May (school holidays) it is the hottest period of the year. This hot and dry climate is particularly favorable for dust and bugs (mosquitos!!).
Moreover, since Virudhunagar is a rural area in Tamil Nadu and people are quite conservative here, we recommend the following clothing guidelines:
- Modest loose and comfortable clothes which cover shoulders, higher neckline and knees for both men and women;
- Comfortable and airy shoes, for example a good pair of sandals;
- A hat or cap that can cover your head in the heat.
For your free time:
The local train station (Virudhunagar Junction) makes travel easy for daily or weekend excursions. The government and private bus system also make it easy to travel!
Our local and international staff love giving tips and ideas on the best ways to take advantage of your time here, where to go, and what to see!
If you are interested in our projects, check out our website: ask us for the link
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
3-5 hours a day, no more than 5 days a week.
This host charges a fee
read moreVolunteers will fund their selected project (Very small budgets – e.g. purchase paint for 500 rupees)
Feedback (22)
The kids and staff make you feel very welcome.
In the morning we mostly spend our time on helping out with some projects, farmwork or visiting Virudhunagar. In the afternoon the kids came back from school. They were very excited when we picked them… read more
thank you very much for your positive feedback on your stay here with the children and our farmer. The children also really appreciated your presence and we will remember your visit positively! Your help on the farm and with our social networks was very helpful and we wish you all the best for your future adventures.
the entire team thanks you for your feedback and for your commitment to the children and the farm. It was a real pleasure to welcome you and to share these moments with you. Your daily motivation is a real asset, and we hope to see you again!
I stayed in this nice place around two weeks, and I really enjoyed the time spent.
The place is very well run, the girls have the opportunity to stay in a healty and interesting place, and go to school on the nearby.
There are animals, farm work, good people to take care for them, and very nice dogs.
The directors are very kind and… read more
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Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
The kids and staff make you feel very welcome.
In the morning we mostly spend our time on helping out with some projects, farmwork or visiting Virudhunagar. In the afternoon the kids came back from school. They were very excited when we picked them… read more
thank you very much for your positive feedback on your stay here with the children and our farmer. The children also really appreciated your presence and we will remember your visit positively! Your help on the farm and with our social networks was very helpful and we wish you all the best for your future adventures.
the entire team thanks you for your feedback and for your commitment to the children and the farm. It was a real pleasure to welcome you and to share these moments with you. Your daily motivation is a real asset, and we hope to see you again!
I stayed in this nice place around two weeks, and I really enjoyed the time spent.
The place is very well run, the girls have the opportunity to stay in a healty and interesting place, and go to school on the nearby.
There are animals, farm work, good people to take care for them, and very nice dogs.
The directors are very kind and… read more
I would improve the organization, sometimes is a bit chaotic but there are some people working on it.
You can help with whatever you can do (helping the kids with their homework, peinting, fundraising, farming ...) in the office or in the village ! ... and the kids are wonderful !
Kind Regards,
Capucine
He worked hard alongside the other volunteers to organise a sports day and treasure hunt and painted the front gate and the kitchen when the kids were at school during the day. The place looks great and the kids loved the fun activities! We'd love to have him back!
They worked hard to organise a sports day and treasure hunt and painted the front gate and the kitchen when the kids were at school… read more
The children are all really lovely, always laughing, smiling, and wanting to play with you, and the staff members are also really nice and helpful everytime you need something.
Being there you forget it is a home,… read more
kiss the childs for us
Marjolaine and Vincent
Mercy is a wonderful… read more
You get up early in the morning, helping the kids with some farm work if you like. When you they go to school you can either stay at the farm to help out there, or go to the town Virudunangar to work at the office (which I did).… read more
The children were wonderful and always had a smile on their face. We played cricket, card games, dancing, singing, painted nails, a little English teaching, helped where we could with homework and… read more
The town close by is great to go and see for the day and do some office work. The markets are very colorful. I enjoyed spending two weeks in this… read more
It is a super organisation that supports so many people in Tamil Nadu.
It is near a village 30min away from the city, this is where you sleep.. they can host 4 people max
the kids are great and the people are wonderful.
if you stay a while they will show you all of their projects.
and there are a lot!!
You should… read more
In the area of Madurai, a traditional holy city of south India, is situated this place,
A lovely charity farm to provide food and work/activities for around 25 children, whoes parents are died/suffered by/of Aids, tuberculosis and other diseases,
So everybody think about the home is the only subject very… read more
