FAQs : Bridging Global Cultures

FAQs

How far in advance do I have to commit to the programme?

Ideally, we would like you to commit to the programme at least 3 weeks in advance. This helps us to get your skills and interest profile as well as your health status in time to match it with the need of the partner programme where you will get the best volunteer experience and benefit the community.

How will you decide where I should volunteer?

Every 3 months we get the partner programme to fill the need form which elucidate which area needs the support of our volunteers. Then we match the skills, interest and qualifications of the volunteers to help the partner programme.

Will I be able to talk to someone who has done the programme to decide and prepare better?

Once you show interest in the programme, we assign a peer counseling volunteer who will assist you in deciding if you should do this programme, how is this programme run, who we are and what all you should consider before committing to this programme. These peer volunteer counselors have done the programme and understand about all the details of the programme.

Who will be conducting the programme?

The staffs conducting the programme has more than 20 years of experience in the field of International Volunteering and are loved by the alumina to the extent that they give full credit to the staff for a very fulfilling and fruitful experience.

What kind of home base is there?

The home base is situated in south of Delhi in a gated community with friendly neighbors. It is comfortable, with modern amenities, green spaces, guards at the gates, quiet yet laughter of children playing in the evening, markets, sports complex and a park for strolls in the mornings and evenings.

In Dharamshala, the home base is in a quiet neighborhood with close proximity to markets, 17kms to McLeodganj – abode of Dalai Lama, temples, short trekking destinations, paragliding and a very scenic view. It has modern amenities and very politely friendly neighbors.

What about meals?

Three nutritive and tasty meals are provided which the Chef of BGC cooks. We make sure that the volunteers like pizza, burger, salads, soups etc.

If a volunteer has some kind of food allergy, the chef takes care of that too by cooking something different altogether and warning the volunteer about the allergic ingredient in the meal cooked for other volunteers.

Some of the dishes have been named here. But there is a whole lot of variety. We always keep in mind the dietary restrictions while planning the meal.

Breakfast

Eggs, Cornflakes, Muesli, Bread, Fruits, Oats, Milk, Jam, Peanut butter, butter – all available everyday

Extra – Indian breakfast

Lunch

It is mainly Indian fare for you to become familiar with what Indian families eat.

Lentils/pulses, vegetable curry, saag paneer,chapatti(Indian bread), rice, salad, yoghurt/ dosa,, idli,/ chana bhatura/ poorie bhaji/pav bhaji/ biryani

Dinner

Indian fare - Fish/chicken/mutton/pork, butter chicken, kadhai paneer, kathi roll, bread/naan/roomali roti/ tandoori roti, tandoori food like tikka, kebab, tandoori chicken

Continental – pizza, burger, musaka, pasta, sauté vegetables, lasagnia Indian sweets, rice pudding, ice cream

What does a day look like for me ?

Between 7.00am to 8.30am, you get up, get ready and have breakfast. While having breakfast, you can either read very informative newspaper or listen and watch local and world news.
Between 8.30am to 9am, you are driven to your place of work by our friendly, informative and expert drivers.
You stay at your placement until 12.45 pm.
You are driven back in comfort to the home base.
You are welcomed with sumptuous lunch prepared by our Chef keeping your taste buds in mind. The lunch is Indian to familiarize you with the famous Indian cuisine.
1.45pm to 2.45pm you can spend your time to either rest or prepare resource material in our well -stocked resource room to support your work for the next day.
It is time for cultural learning activities – 2.45pm to 6.00pm. For this, you will either hear a renowned speaker about culture, history, politics or women issues, or visit religious places to learn about how people from different religions pray, or witness a lecture-demonstration of Indian classical dance, or visit a monument along with a guide, or go shopping for souvenirs.
Personal time/ resource building/ shopping for snacks or other items of daily use from 6pm to 7pm – choice is yours.
Dinner is most often continental, prepared by our Chef and served hot at 7pm.
Then comes the time when you can read a book, watch a film, talk to family and friends, or go for a walk or sleep to bring the day to a satisfying end.

The programme provides cultural activities. What are they?

Some of the cultural activities are: lectures/talks on topics related to diversity of India, religions, relations with other countries, economic development of India, Health policies, women related issues, etc.

: Lecture demonstration on Indian classical dances
: Visits to monuments with guides, museums, and religious places
: Participating in celebrations of festivals
: Interacting with different child-centered and women- centered groups

How should I enroll?

Following steps are needed to enroll:

Fill the registration form with your personal data
Pay the fee
Fill the skill and interest form

What happens next?

Once the staff receives the above information, the wheels start rolling and you get the information on how to prepare for your arrival, what steps you need to take to secure visa and airfare, what kind of vaccinations you need, what to pack etc.

If I have more questions?

The BGC staff is always ready to take your questions and feel happy in answering to the best of your satisfaction. Our phone numbers are: + 91 9810261505, 011 26561198, 011 26968425.

Who volunteers?

Any person who wants to give their time, energy, skills and money for the benefit of others and learn about a different culture, can volunteer. There are students who are on gap year or learning about a particular issue and want to have a practical experience, a family wanting to spend time together by volunteering, a group of friends, groups from corporate organization, groups coming from college or school. To sum it up, anyone can volunteer.

What about safety issues?

Safety of volunteers is paramount for BGC staff. Volunteers are oriented towards this issue before they come and after they arrive in the country. The home base is in a very safe, guarded and gated community. There are two phones in the home base in case of emergency. The staff lives 5 minutes away from the home base. There are written instructions in the home base about emergency protocols. All the staff members are trained in CPR. 2 of the staff are Psychologists to take care of any emotional or mental issues.

What happens if there is a health issue?

The volunteers are asked to fill a detailed health form that alerts the staff about what precautions we have to take. If there are food allergies, the chef is instructed accordingly. The staff also orients the volunteers about how to keep healthy and keeps reminding and checking on this issue. There are 2 specialty hospitals with in 15 minutes by car. Before volunteers come to the country, they are given a list of vaccinations that are suggested and encouraged to take it in consultation with their physician.

Do you offer travel/health insurance?

Unfortunately, we do not have a tie up with insurance agencies for International volunteers. This means that you have to secure your own insurance.

Why do I need to pay for volunteering?

Your fee covers your boarding and lodging, along with 24 hours staff support. There is only 13% administrative cost for your programme. The 87% fee, along with boarding, lodging and staff support, covers in-country transportation, cultural learning activities, fee of resource persons and materials.

What all does my fee include?

We are committed to our volunteers and it is evident from the moment you enter the home base. The home base is clean, well provided and with modern amenities with Indian flavor. The cook prepares healthy and sumptuous meals and makes sure that there is plenty of safe drinking water. The experienced drivers take you to and from your volunteer work. The staff is available to help and answer all your calls 24 hours X 7 days a week. In your free time, you can make use of our video and print library, cable TV with umpteen number of channels, suggestions for in-city activities etc.

We make sure that all your needs are taken care of so that you do not have to and you can concentrate on your volunteer work.

What is the age range of volunteers?

Any adult can participate in the programme. Below 18 years people can participate in the programme but they have to be accompanied by an adult responsible for them.

I may not have any skill and know the local language, then how can I participate?

Most people have skills that can be used for different goals. The staff gets the information from partner programmes about their need and then the skills are matched.

It is not necessary to know the local language. The staff gives you 3 language lessons in the beginning and then as many time as you need. In India, people learn useful words and phrases in English and combining body language, you can get by.

For how long should I volunteer? When should I volunteer?

We suggest minimum 2 weeks as adjustment into a vastly different culture takes a lot of time and to give to the community and achieve your goals, it is a comfortable time period. Rest depends on your goals.

The start dates are mentioned on the website and depending on your time frame, you can decide when and for how long you want to volunteer. In summer- May to July, we do not work in Delhi due to intense heat.

Will I get time to travel in my free time?

Free time is at the weekend. You are encouraged to travel to other nearby destinations. Most of the time, the volunteers plan to travel together to make their travel economical and safe. Staff can help you making these arrangements. BGC also conducts weekend travels about which you can learn from the website.