Our Voluntourism programs in Himalayas for people who want to try something different and use their skills to improve. While Indian economy is growing rapidly at the moment there are still millions of underprivileged women and children who are yet to benefit from country’s recent economic boost. That is why we work hard to provide support and education to some of the most poverty-stricken people in the country.

 

You will have the opportunity to join hands with local Indian people and learn more about their way of life while teaching them new skills that could help to improve their prospects. 

 

BTA, we offer a profound and intensive opportunity to deepen outdoor, interpersonal and leadership skills, students will gain mastery in outdoor skills like backpacking, camping, mountaineering, rock climbing, white water rafting. Yoga scission and take a wilderness first responder crash course, meaningful service projects and improve essential and pragmatic, hands-on life skills.

 

BTA also emphasizes non-cognitive traits like, communication, collaboration and community-building-skills necessary to succeed in today’s world. These are woven naturally to the higher education experience.

 

Volunteering in Indian Himalayan villages is a fantastic way to see the world while giving something back to underprivileged communities in some of the most impoverished areas on the planet. BTA offers an opportunity to volunteer in India at affordable cost to suit every desire and requirement

 

Himalayan volunteering opportunities provides personalized and hand-picked volunteering program in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, North India. The objective is to provide first-hand experience to the outsiders about the local community, tradition and life perspectives. Through our program get informed about the local culture, custom, social structure, lifestyle, financial structure and festivals of the Himalayan people. If you are a person who travels for a cause then you are in right place.

 

VOLUNTOURISM- WHY US?

 

It’s vitally important that we can justify our right to offer a trip like this so that you can feel confident of our experience and knowledge. We ask a lot of participants who get involved with moving mountains, but equally so volunteers should ask a lot of us. This is a list some of our answers to the why us question, they represent our principles and ethics towards responsible volunteering.

 

• All our volunteering opportunities are driven by the needs of the host communities rather than the desires of the volunteer, the expectations of local communities are always what we consider first. We have worked with the villagers in this district for 6 years and have very good understanding term aims for the community.

 

• Volunteers are contributing to long term sustainable projects which are genuinely benefiting community needs and are supported directly by Moving Mountains in Indian Himalayas. 

 

• We have selection process in place to ensure the suitability of the potential volunteer and we provide lots of support and advice before, during and after all volunteering placement

 

• All the cost of volunteering is covered by the participant and placements are designed to benefit local communities financially rather than being an economic burden and participants work with local staff in local communities, rather than for a replacement for them

 

• We prefer skilled based volunteering, where individuals are matched to their skillset or particular interest, and where possible expertise to help solve a problem. 

 

• We do not allow untrained inexperienced participants to work with children unsupervised and without proper guidance beforehand on the issues surrounding child care education in the area they are visiting.

 

WHY TAKE A VOLUNTOURISM

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To be a well-rounded and happy individual, one must possess a wide variety of skills, habits and character traits. Formal collage education addresses many, but not all of these people need to be successful. We want to help young people build skills that lead to a more enriching life, and we believe Bike and Trek Adventure can provide a different yet equally learning adventure.

 

The voluntourism program offer a profound and intensive opportunity to deepen outdoor, interpersonal and leadership skill and the participants will continue to produce incredible, tangible benefits for young adults 

 

We will emphasize non-cognitive skills like leadership, communication, collaboration and community-building skills, necessary to succeed in today’s world. These will be woven naturally and intentionally in to the entire voluntourism as an excellent complement to the higher education experience.

 

As more and more studies show that today’s younger generation are experiencing higher than ever levels of pressure, depression and anxiety. Parents continually seek out programs that boost confidence, increase independence and leadership skills and offer inclusive communities so that their children can make genuine lifelong friendship.

 

BTA is one of those such programs! Our adventure and camps provide an array of lifelong benefits during formative younger years, including 

 

1, Break from technology

 

Studies have shown that ever-growing use of technology and digital media are related to an increase in physical, psychological and behavior disorders among young age. Now more than ever teenagers and young adults are reporting overwhelming anxiety and worry in their day-to-day life and they haven’t found effective ways to cope with the stress. It’s no secret that social media and smart phone use are linked to depression in adolescents and young adult. The question is How can we help them manage and decrease anxiety?

 

It’s simple! At BTA younger generation get a digital detox and are able to completely unplug from technology for 2 two weeks. Giving them a much-needed break and relieving the non-stop pressure they feel at schools and universities. Some participants initially resist the idea of giving up their phones, but while they are at our program, they realize that they can fully thrive without them

 

2. Valuable Learning Opportunities

 

Choosing to volunteer and travel will open up a new world. You will learn about the country and culture and interact with the local community. This will ensure a deeper understanding of the people and their situation. Depending on your volunteer activities, you will gain valuable insights in teaching and other activities. Learn some new skills and witness the opportunities that will unfold. Whether it's for valuable work experience or a way to spend your gap year. Meaningful travel opportunities await you.

 

3. Meet new people

 

You will meet other volunteers and travelers who share your taste in activities and interests. You’ll be connecting with like-minded fellow volunteers and of course locals. This will be a wonderful opportunity for meaningful relationships and cultural interchange. Meet other volunteering tourists that share your love for travel and value for giving back to the community.

 

4. New Experiences

 

This is a brilliant way to expand your perspective on life. Issues that seemed huge problems before, may seem trivial after your volunteer experience. New life experiences make you stronger and will empower you for the future. Voluntourism is a great way to experiment and see if volunteering is something you’d like to do more of in the future.

 

5. Health Improvements

 

Traveling and volunteering are two ingredients that practically guarantee happiness. Research has proven that traveling is beneficial as it puts people in a completely different environment allowing different parts of the brain to be used. Nature, which is usually a big part of going on a trip, is a wonderful healer for those under a lot of pressure and suffering from stress. On top of that, providing some kind of support, however small, will give you a sense a purpose which is a major happiness influencer. Happy people tend to be healthy people. Volunteer and travel and notice the effects it has on you!

 

6. Travel

 

This is your chance to explore and discover some of the most interesting places the world has to offer. You’ll be doing this while contributing to a meaningful cause. What are you waiting for? Get out your luggage and start packing for your adventure abroad as a volunteer tourist!

 

7, A new narrative

 

A major appeal of voluntourism programs is that participants are able to be who they truly want to be. Not who they feel pigeonholed in to being at school or university. They can break free of whatever personality they have taken on at home the athletic one, the quite one, the noisy one, the fidgety one, the social one. At BTA participants have the opportunity to rewrite their story in a supportive and judgement free community of people who accept them for who they are.

 

8, Comfort zones and personal growth

 

Many of us stay wrapped snugly in our comfort zone. We fear challenging ourselves because we don’t want to fail Today’s children are less-equipped to deal with challenging situation. Which leads to a fixed mindset of trying, falling and giving up. BTA program promote and provide endless opportunities for teenagers to develop and cultivate a growth mindset, allowing them to try new things, fail, rebound from failure and then ultimately succeed because they are working hard. What does this lead to? Think about when participants go outside their comfort zone (i.e. experiencing an optimal level of stress) they perform better their skills increase and they feel more comfortable about leaving their comfort zone again. Plus, new experiences and new skills open the door to continue trying new things. Which leads to the younger generation becoming more well-rounded and open to embracing challenge often. It’s us as parents who hold our children back from venturing out and learning to take risk on their own.

 

Children need risk for normal brain development. How do we detach from our children so they can venture out and learn how to take reasonable risks on their own?
 

• Help them learn how learn how to interact with people from different backgrounds

• Increase their maturity and academic motivation

• Improve self confidence 

• Give competitive advantage when applying for jobs

• Help them develop as a person 

• Allow time for personal reflection

• Help to develop communication skills and greater understanding for other cultures

• Help to acquire skills to be successful in their careers

• A much-needed break from technology and digital media

• Chance to do voluntary work in a mountain society

• A chance to “rewrite” one’s story

• Multiple opportunities to step outside one’s comfort zone and experience personal growth

• Connecting to and developing an appreciation of nature

• Building lifelong friendship in a supportive, welcoming community

• Developing skills to thrive in the zest 21st century Gain mastery in outdoor skills like backpacking, trekking, rock climbing, rafting

• Participate in local and meaningful service projects

• Improve essential and pragmatic, hands-on life skills

• To offer fun and exciting outdoor adventures that help young people gain life skills and a greater sense of self.

• To inspire young people to develop a lifelong love of the outdoors and a conservation ethic.

• To empower young people to create an inclusive and reflective community that maintains a culture of kindness, sense of humor and spirit of cooperation and voluntourism.

 

OUTCOME

 

Adding to an incredibly fun adventure, we strive to learned through stepping outside one’s comfort zone. Immersion in an outdoor environment and interaction with great role models.

Our emphasis on using close-knit community and fun and challenging outdoor activities makes Bike and Trek Adventure perfect place to improve the non-cognitive young adults need to thrive in the 21st century.

There are endless opportunities inherent in the Bike and Trek Adventure to practice and improve these skills, from making new friends on day one, to trying an outdoor activity for the first time, to helping orchestrate and execute an entirely student-led expedition at the end of the program.

 

Leadership: We solve problems in groups. These groups need leaders with heart that bring out the best in its members, Bike and Trek Adventure provides numerous opportunities to lead and follow.

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Self-Management : Joining a Voluntourism program develops personal organization timeliness, responsibility and self-care skills.

 

Resilience : Everyone encounters challenges and failures. Those who rebound from failure and see problems as opportunities will succeed when others give up.

 

Communication: Few ideas are the product of a single mind and being able to effectively communicate in a constantly changing world is a much- appreciated skill. Team mates need to be able to share and articulate ideas, build trust and understand each other.

 

Optimism: Optimist are people who believe that problems are temporary and that they have the ability through effort and persuasion to effect change.

 

Creativity : The ability to generate multiple ideas and think out of the box is engendered by supportive free-thinking peers.

 

Collaboration & Social Achievement : Because working in teams is essential to success, the ability to work well with others is vital-even when your team is not of your choosing, creating and maintaining fun, substantive social connections is a hallmark of success.

 

Critical Thinking: The world’s problems don’t has simple answers. These challenges require the ability to critically analyze a situation and formulate potential solutions that are not often obvious.
 

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS: Volunteers must be at least 15 years old at the time of joining the project. You need to have an open mind and flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment. The volunteer should bring energy and enthusiasm to make a difference. Participants must be fit and healthy at the time of joining the programme. Participants should have no criminal convictions and should provide a clean criminal background check report. A parental consent form shall be required for under 18 years old participating in the program.

 

WHERE ARE OUR PROJECTS LOCATED? : Lying in the northern part of India amidst the magnificent Himalayas and dense forests, Uttarakhand (until recently known as Uttaranchal) was formed on 9th Nov 2000 as India’s 27th state. The state borders Himachal Pradesh in the north-west and Uttar Pradesh in the South, and has international borders with western Nepal and China.

 

The city of Dehradun, has been declared as the interim capital of the new state. Dehradun is situated at the Himalayan foothills in the fertile Doon Valley, which is well known for its pleasant climate and natural beauty.

 

The population of the state is around 7 million. The State, which covers 55,845 sq. km, is mostly hilly (approx. 88 percent) and the remaining 12 percent falls in the plains. It is rich in natural resources with many glaciers, rivers, forests, and well-known mountain peaks including Nanda Devi, Kedarnath, Trishul, Bandarpunch and Mt Kamet.

 

We are currently supporting a very remote village in Uttarkashi District Natin. This village having a very proud history. Agriculture is the main profession of this village. Still the village is waiting for education, drinking water facility, Road and electricity are the main concern of this village. This assignment is best suited to students, couples or a very self-sufficient individual.

 

Help raise awareness among Indian Himalayan villagers on important issues such as environmental care, climate, recycling and sustainability.

 

Join us for 18 days of special volunteering and trekking in the Himalayas program and volunteer as a climate Ambassador.

 

As a volunteer you will give workshops at villages, youth clubs talk with villagers and set up awareness and cleanup events in the area, help constructing or renovating houses for villagers and teaching English in village schools. Do you want to make the planet a better place? Then this will be an incredible experience for you.

 

WHAT IS THE ENVIRONMENT IN UTTARAKHAND HIMALAYAS LIKE?

 

Urbanization, development and tourism increases the production of waste in Uttarakhand Himalayan region. Unfortunately, Uttarakhand does not yet have all the systems in place to cope with this increase. Waste is either burnt, leading to bad air quality or dumped haphazardly. This is having a serious effect on the health of local people on its land and water resources. There has been little education among the village people about the influences of climate change, waste, littering and effects of burning of plastics. Therefore, in many neighborhoods. You see people littering and throwing garbage on the streets. However nowadays, you see among the youth that there is a will to change things, but they don’t know where to start.

 

WHAT DOES A CLIMATE AMBASSADOR DO?

 

“Bike and Trek Adventure” is looking for people who want to share their knowledge about climate change with our projects in Uttarakhand. BTA started a project to educate and work together with youth clubs and schools in one area of Uttarakhand Himalayan region. The Goal is to create awareness among youth and villagers to teach them about the influence of climate change, littering, plastic etc.… And of course, to make them ACT upon this!

 

As a Volunteer you will:

 

1. Work with local villagers to build up or renovate their houses

2. Work with the local community and schools to plan, coordinate and manage the litter-free neighborhood

3. Assist the schools and community with waste collection drives and trash tag challenges

4. Assist in developing and carrying out various waste management training and programs for community

5. Build network and strengthen relations with community members

6. Work with local schools, develop and give workshops on climate change

7. Make Pictures, posters and promote small events on Facebook and Instagram

8. Be a part of the Green Trial project of BTA, Trekking and camping for a week in Himalayan mountains and collecting garbage and delivering to recycle units.

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DO I NEED ANY SPECIFIC SKILLS OR QUALIFICATION FOR THIS PLACEMENT?

 

You just need to bring your skills and knowledge of the environment that you have learned since you were a kid. You need to be a proactive person with lots of good ideas to get a community and or group of youth interested in a common goal. Of course, the BTA volunteer team will help you with this.

And last but not the least, you will need to be culturally sensitive with strong interpersonal and communication skills and the confidence to create positive relationships in very diverse working environments.

 

ORIENTATION

 

Once you arrive, we organize an introduction for you. We deem this to be highly valuable and it’s a program valued by many volunteers in the past. By means of an introduction, you can acclimatize and prepare for your volunteering. You can begin your project rested and prepared. In this way you can be really effective.

 

Arriving to work in a foreign country can be a nerve-wracking experience, this is why we provide a friendly and in depth welcome. The in-depth welcome encompasses basic language training. Cultural training and sight-seeing through Rishikesh and surrounding. This is what we can expect from the moment when you touch down at Dehradun airport. The programme may vary depending on your time of arrival. We will manage to include all below mentioned activities in your introduction program.

 

ACCOMODATION

 

While you volunteer with BTA you will be staying with BTA guest house, Home stay, Camping and local host family. By living with a local family, they gain a greater insight and understanding of Garhwali culture. You will be a part of a local family, eat together with the family and play with the children. 

 

The standard of lodging will depend on whether you are in a rural or urban area. In a rural area the facilities will be basic with minimal running water and squat toilets. In an urban placement you will have a flushing western style toilet and a shower. All of your food will be provided for your home stay and you will be close to your accommodation.

 

All our host families have conducted training regarding hosting volunteers adequately. They know how to ensure hygiene and provide security. They will treat you as a member of the family.

 

When you arrive on placement you will be introduced to your host family by the BTA representative and given a full tour of premises. Many of our host families have children and many of our volunteers help them with their English, learn to cook Indian food and mix in with their life. The other way around, we experience volunteers learning a lot from the host and children regarding life in the Himalayas.

 

COMFORT

 

You should not expect luxury on your stay in Himalayan village. These mountain foothills are a developing region and may well be different from what you are used to at home. However, your accommodation will be comfortable. 

 

ELECTRICITY

 

The electricity supply in all areas is good. But sometimes there is a power cut which can last a few hours. Some places have backup batteries that will run low power bulbs in key rooms, but in the rural areas you can expect to use candles. A hand-torch is a useful thing to bring.

 

FOOD

 

On placement you will eat with the family and share the same food as them. All three meals a day are provided for you while volunteering. The usual meal times are 8am – 10 am, 1 pm 2 pm and 6 and 8 pm. You will usually be served the national local cuisine which is a tasty and filling plate of rice vegetable curry, lentils, egg and pickles. It may occasionally have meat such as chicken or lamb in it, although if you are vegetarian this can easily be explained. This may be supplemented occasionally by noodles, eggs and other snacks depending on your host family.

 

WATER

 

Your host family will provide you with clean drinking water
 

LOCATION

Base Village – Natin Village

Facts about Natin Village

 

Natin village is situated in Teshil Bhatwari, District Uttarkashi and in state of UTTARAKHAND, India. Total geographical area of Natin Village is 85.73 Hectares. Natin is a paradise with big peaks and infinite mountain ranges decoder everywhere - for a peaceful life experience while staying in this beautiful village. 

 

♣ Altitude - 7400 ft 

♣ Nearest Railway Station - Kathgodam Railway Station or Haridwar Railway Junction 

♣ Nearest Airport – Jolly Grant or Dehradun Airport 

♣ Nearest Market – Bhatwari has a small market 

♣ Mobile networks – Airtel, BSNL 

♣ Temperature - 24-16 degrees in the day and 9 to 2 degrees in the night 

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Basic Gear

• Back pack & Rain cover (50-60 liter) comfortable shoulder strap

• Day Pack + Rain cover (20-30 liter) 

• Walking Stick -Advisable (At least one)

• Water bottle: 2 bottles of one liter each, people who use hydration pack and 1 bottle of one liter, carry at least one thermos flask

• Personal Medical kit: Consult your Doctor

• Snacks: Energy bars, Dry fruits, electoral / ORS

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CLOTHES

• T- Shirt: Full Sleeves and half sleeves

• Fleece T-Shirt

• Fleece Jacket (Alternative – a woolen sweater)

• Down feather / Halopfil Jacket

• Wind & waterproof (Jacket & Pants)

• Thermal Inners (Upper and lower)

• Trek Pants: Synthetic 

• Shorts

• Windproof pants

• Water proof Gloves

• Fleece / woolen Gloves

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PERSONAL UTILITIES

• Sunscreen Cream

• Moisturizer

• Toilet paper & wet wipes

• Lip balm

• Hand sanitizer

• Tooth paste & Tooth brush

• Quick dry towel

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HEAD GEARS

• Head torch

• Woolen cap

• Balaclava

• Neck- gaiters

• Sun Glasses: Dark with side cover, it should be U/V protected, people who wear spectacles (a) Use contact lenses, (b) Photo chromatic glasses

 

FOOT GEARS

 

• Trekking shoes: 1 pair (water proof, high ankle with good grip)

• Floaters / flip-flops

• Cotton socks

• Woolen socks

• Gaiters (BTA will provide)