RUCHI INDIA. STV Program 2019 WORKCAMPS. (June-December 2019)

Transcription

1 RUCHI INDIA STV Program 2019 WORKCAMPS (June-December 2019) Contact address: Village Bandh, Dist. Solan, H.P. Web: Tel:

2 RUCHI - ABOUT Rural Centre for Human Interests (RUCHI) is a community development organization with ever increasing focus on youth development and intercultural learning through voluntary service. RUCHI got registered in 1983, under Indian Societies Registration Act as a non-political, non-profit making voluntary organization. RUCHI was established keeping in mind the problems and restrictions that a remote community faces on day to day basis. These could be due to poverty, lack of knowledge, poor infrastructure or at times difficult terrain. As a result RUCHI has always implemented its project with people centered approach and gave priority to community development. With 35 years in this field, RUCHI has accumulated extensive knowledge in community development with project area ranging from semi-urban background to extremely remote communities requiring two days of walk certain time of the year. Over time RUCHI has also developed and successfully implemented many low cost technologies. We are now acting as a resource organization for Indian Government and other NGO s pursuing rural community development work. Our Aim Through Voluntary services, RUCHI aims to promote intercultural learning between individual, group and community, leading to better understanding and tolerance towards each-others culture. We believe achieving peace, harmony and working towards a world with fewer boundaries is a never ending process which can be achieved by increasing youth mobility through voluntary camps globally. Our Approach For the past 36 years RUCHI has committed its efforts and resources towards rural development. All our projects have a people centered approach and ongoing commitment with our projects and partners. Our workcamp offer a unique opportunity to gain global perspective for volunteer and local youth increasing their professional competencies. Voluntary service not only helps community projects but also provide a much needed overview and technical support. With work camp we provide a unique learning experience for volunteers. Network and collaboration RUCHI is affiliated with international and national voluntary service networks. Recently it got elected in Executive Committee of Network of Voluntary Development in Asia (NVDA), It is also member of Coordinating Committee of International Voluntary Service (CCIVS). RUCHI also partners with Alliance of European Voluntary service Organization (ALLIANCE). Our Program Short Term Workcamp, STW (13days) Very Short Term Workcmps (VSTW) of 7 days Long Medium Term Volunteer, LMTV (1-12months) Group Workcamp/Bilateral workcamps 10+ vols. (13days) Areas of Interests Renovation/ maintenance. Environment and conservation. Non formal education. Community development. Construction. International Youth exchange. Agriculture/organic farming. Technology promotion. Arts and Sports

3 RUCHI Short Term Work Camps-(Code: RC) (June-December 2019) Summary Month Code Project / Theme Location Theme Dates 2019 Max. Places June 2019 Aug Sept 2019 October 2019 RC-10/19 NFE for Balanced Growth Bandh-Bhaguri EDU 17/06 29/06 10 RC-11/19 Education & Sports Bandh-Bhaguri EDU/SPORT 24/06 06/07 10 RC-12/19 Tibetan-Indian culture & School Dharamshala - CULT/EDU/ 08/07 20/07 10 activity Mc Leodganj RENO RC-13/19 Tibetan-Indian culture & School activity Dharamshala - Mc Leodganj CULT/EDU/ RENO 15/07 27/07 10 RC-14/19 Education & Sports Solan-Bhaguri EDU/SPORT 15/07 27/07 10 RC-15/19 Back to Nature Bandh ENV 15/07 27/07 10 RC-16/19 Education & Sports Bandh-Bhaguri EDU/SPORT 22/07 03/08 10 RC-17/19 Digital Education for Development Patta EDU/SOC 29/07 10/08 10 RC-18/19 Let s us Go Creative! Art Camp Bandh ART 05/08 17/08 10 RC-19/19 Go Green: Waste Force Baddi/Bandh ENV 05/08 17/08 10 RC-20/19 Tibetan-Indian culture & School Dharamshala - CULT/EDU/ 05/18 17/08 10 activity Mc Leodganj RENO RC-21/19 Women Power Baddi-Bandh SOC 05/18 17/08 10 RC-22/19 Let s us Go Creative! Art Camp Bandh ART 12/08-24/08 10 RC-23/19 Tibetan-Indian culture & School Dharamshala - CULT/EDU/ 12/08 24/08 10 activity Mc Leodganj RENO RC-24/19 Tibetan-Indian culture & School Dharamshala - CULT/EDU/ 19/08 31/08 10 activity Mc Leodganj RENO RC-25/19 Digital Education for Development Patta EDU/SOC 19/08 31/08 10 RC-26/19 NFE for Balanced Growth Bandh-Bhaguri EDU 02/09-14/09 10 RC-27/19 Digital Education for Development Patta EDU/SOC 02/09 14/09 10 RC-28/19 Dam renovation for water Shili-RUCHI RENO/ENV 09/09 21/09 10 conservation RC-29/19 Dussehra Festival Baddi CUL 30/09 12/10 10 RC-30/19 Go Green: Waste Force Baddi/Bandh ENV 07/10-19/10 10 RC-31/19 City to Countryside Delhi & Bandh SOC/CD 07/10-19/10 10 RC-32/19 Diwali - Festival of Light Solan-RUCHI CUL 21/10 02/11 10 RC-33/19 Women Power Baddi-Bandh SOC 21/10 02/11 10 Nov RC-34/19 City to Countryside Delhi & Bandh SOC/CD 11/11-23/ RC-35/19 City to Countryside Delhi & Bandh SOC/CD 25/11 07/12 10 Dec 2019 RC-36/19 City to Countryside Delhi & Bandh SOC/CD 02/12-14/12 10

4 General Information: Why the extra fee? All Short Term Camps (STC) last two weeks with fixed dates and led by a RUCHI Team Leader. Every project has an extra fee to cover their living and working costs. Volunteers take care of their own travel costs and bear all personal expenses during free time and leisure visits. Volunteers have to be 18 years or older and be prepared to live under simple conditions. No special skills are required; one has to be open minded and willing to adapt to challenging conditions. Volunteers contribution is always recognized and appreciated but they will have to accept the fact that they cannot change the world in two weeks. Volunteers must be willing to understand and respect local as well each other s culture. Volunteers must be prepared to live in harmony with others and work as a team. Working hours will be 5-6 hours, 5 days a week. RUCHI with other NGO s in India is not financially supported by government to host projects related to IVS. Hence all projects are self funded with a participation fee. Given the remote location and various complexities we have tried our best to make it as affordable as possible for volunteers. Being a non-profit organization we emphasize on transparency, below is how we spend collected participation fee. Food, accommodation and logistics of volunteer during workcamp. Project setup costs. (material and logistics cost) Running the camp. (wages of professional skilled mason, carpenter, plumber etc and training local youth supported by us.) Office running/admin expenses. (Internet, photocopy, stationary, electricity, phone, salaries, office equipment, tools and rent etc.) Supporting small community project. International travel costs to global conferences and network membership fees.

5 Description of the Short Term Camps Themes: Sports/Education RC-11/19 Bandh/Bhaguri Education & Sports EDU/SPORT 10 Vols RC-14/19 Bandh/Bhaguri Education & Sports EDU/SPORT 10 Vols RC-16/19 Bandh/Bhaguri Education & Sports EDU/SPORT 10 Vols Location: The project site is Ruchi campus and nearby schools in Solan district. It is 30 km from Kalka and 60 km from Chandigarh. The village is small with 35 families. Work: Volunteers can assist in building the Eco Adventure Camp area on RUCHI campus where we are planning to install and construct different variety of sports like Rope Climbing, Tyre hurdle, tree house, net climbing, balancing Pole and other fun amenities. The aim is to build this space for school children and future volunteers where they can participate in sports, Summer and winter camps and recreational fitness activities on a regular basis. The volunteers may also encourage school children to participate in different sports activities, outdoor and indoor games, physical fitness and exercises, warm up and physical education for children of schools of Himachal Pradesh. Volunteers can teach different games and play sports in schools and organise a sports camp for the children. Also, volunteers will get an opportunity to learn traditional Indian games like Kho-Kho, Kabaddi, Cricket, Lagorcha, Langdi and others along with international games like Volleyball, Table Tennis and Badminton and other sports which are prominent in different countries. Leisure time: Self organized city tours and excursions. visited. Nearby Kasauli town is another hill station as a tourist attraction. A visit to Shimla will offer an opportunity to see high Himalayan Mountains. Requirements: Interest in physical activities, sports and art and learning ability, motivation and creative skills. Accommodation: Volunteers will live under simple conditions and share accommodation with other volunteers. English WC will be available. Vegetarian food will be served. Sleeping bags are also necessary. International Terminal: New Delhi (320 Kms); Domestic Terminal: Chandigarh (70 kms) Nearest railway station: Kalka (30 kms) Participation Fee: Euro 220.

6 Theme: Culture RC-12/19 Dharamshala Tibetan Culture Art/Culture 10 Vols RC-13/19 Dharamshala Tibetan Culture Art/Culture 10 Vols RC-20/19 Dharamshala Tibetan Culture Art/Culture 10 Vols RC-23/19 Dharamshala Tibetan Culture Art/Culture 10 Vols RC-24/19 Dharamshala Tibetan Culture Art/Culture 10 Vols Location: Dharamshala, is a small but internationally well known town in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. It is 70 km north of Pathankot city and 15kms from Kangra town. Dharamshala offers a number of treks to tourists and a good majestic view of great Dhauladhar range of mountains. Dharamshala is a district head quarter for Kangra district and also happens to be the Secretariat of Tibetan spiritual leader, The Dalai Lama. Dharamshala offers tourists culture of Tibet and a different experience. The economy of the Tibetans is on tourism whereas that of local villagers is purely dependent on agriculture. Project will be held in suburban area of Mcleodganj. Work: This project is a combination of tourism and inter-cultural learning and shall provide an exposure to local as well as Tibetan culture. The volunteers will come to know of the history of Tibet and how the Tibetans fled Tibet to live in exile at this place. Inter-cultural learning will broaden horizons of volunteers on issues concerning environment and livelihood. The volunteers will be able to visit Dalai Lama Monastery, Norbulinka Monestery, Tibetan museum, TIPA and some Tibetan Institutes and witness the similarities and differences of Hindu and Tibetan cultures. The volunteers will also work in a local school on educational activities with kids like English lessons, wall paintings, doing any community work together with the kids, extend support to teacher for improving their teaching methods, promoting basic hygiene awareness to children and create a more child friendly environment in the school. Trash collection and disposal work may also be taken up with our partner NGO and local people. Accommodation: Volunteers will live in a Guest House under simple conditions and share accommodation with other volunteers. English WC will be available. Vegetarian food will be served. Occasionally, non-veg meals may be served. A cook will be there but volunteers are expected to help him and occasionally cook their own meals and self-management is required. Sleeping bags are also necessary especially if you intend to go trekking.. Leisure time: The volunteers will have opportunity to visit the seat of spiritual leader, the Dalia Lama and other historical Hindu temples. Opportunities will be there for short and long treks in the mountains. After the camp volunteers, if they like, may visit Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab. International Terminal: New Delhi (520 Kms); Domestic Terminal: Dharamshala Nearest railway station: Pathankot (60 kms) from Dharamshala. Participation Fee: Euro 220.

7 Theme: Environment RC-15/19 Bandh Back to Nature ENV 10 Vols Location: Shili foreast area, near Ruchi campus which is located near Bandh village. It is 30 km from Kalka and 60 km from Chandigarh. Bandh village is small located in interior mountainous area and the volunteers will have a unique opportunity to live with nature in a peaceful environment. RUCHI campus is one km. from the village. Work: Volunteers are expected to better understand flora and fauna in this forest area and how the nature plays an important role in influencing the lives of local people. The volunteers may be involved in actual plantation of trees on waste land near Ruchi campus or tend to the already planted trees. Work would be preparing holes, clear weeds and plant trees to rejuvenate forests. Besides tree plantation, volunteers will educate people how the trees are linked to life and survival of human beings. Tree nursery may also be developed for future plantation. Volunteer will get orientation before starting project. Additional activities will include learning of various developmental issues and solutions. They will visit various humanitarian projects and interact with the villagers. Requirements: Interest in environment and climate change and learning ability, High motivation. Accommodation: Volunteers will live in the RUCHI campus. All basic amenities will be available with library facilities. Asian squat type toilet and English WC will be available. Vegetarian food will be served. A cook will be there but volunteers are expected to help him and occasionally cook their own meals and self-management is required. Sleeping bags are also necessary. Leisure time: Self organized city tours and excursions. visited. Nearby Kasauli town is another hill station as a tourist attraction. A visit to Shimla will offer an opportunity to see high Himalayan Mountains. International Terminal: New Delhi (320 Kms); Domestic Terminal: Chandigarh (70 kms) Nearest railway station: Kalka (30 kms) Participation Fee: Euro 220

8 RC-19/19 Baddi/Bandh Go Green: Waste FORCE ENV 10 Vols RC-30/19 Baddi/Bandh Go Green: Waste FORCE ENV 10 Vols Location: Villages and Schools around Patta township. Ruchi campus is located near Bandh village within a radius of 5 kms. It is 30 km from Kalka and 60 km from Chandigarh. It is 30 km from Kalka and 60 km from Chandigarh. Work: This project requires volunteers to work with school children and villagers to initiate waste management through our Waste Force Campaign. Volunteers will be part of a cleanliness drive where they will visit schools and villages to conduct a cleanliness campaign. During this drive, volunteers can inform students, youth, women and villagers about the importance of segregation of waste, reducing use of plastic and proper disposal of waste. Volunteers can use creative mediums like charts, slogans, posters, banners, t-shirts, quotes, videos, films, photographs and discussions to educate villagers about different methods of waste management. Requirements: Interest in keeping the environment clean and green, ability to work with individuals and keen on being a part of a campaign. Accommodation: Volunteers will live in the RUCHI campus in shared accommodation. All basic amenities will be available with library facilities. Asian squat type toilet and English WC will be available. Vegetarian food will be served. A cook will be there but volunteers are expected to help him and occasionally cook their own meals and selfmanagement is required. Sleeping bags are also necessary. Leisure Time: Self organized city tours and excursions. visited. Nearby Kasauli town is another hill station as a tourist attraction. A visit to Shimla will offer an opportunity to see high Himalayan Mountains. International Terminal: New Delhi (320 Kms); Domestic Terminal: Chandigarh (70 kms) Nearest railway station: Kalka (30 kms) Participation Fee: Euro 220

9 RC-28/19 Shili-RUCHI Dam Renovation for water conservation ENV/CONST 09/09-21/09 Location: Shili stream near Bandh village. Ruchi campus is located near Bandh village. It is 30 km from Kalka and 60 km from Chandigarh. Bandh village is small and hilly located in interior mountainous area and the volunteers will have an unique opportunity to live with nature in a peaceful environment. Work: There is a small Dam on Shili stream which conserves water and recharges a natural spring underneath. This natural spring is a source of drinking water for Bandh village and RUCHI campus. Inhills, the water run off is very high especially during monsoon season. With harsh rains soil comes flowing down and silts this dam every 4-5 years thereby reducing its catchment and water seepage capacity. Volunteers will work on renovation of this dam and removing silt from it and maintain the water body. It involves 3 hours hard physical work every day. Requirements: Physical fitness, willingness to do hard manual work for a cause. Accommodation: Volunteers will live in the Guest House or Host Family. Simple basic amenities will be available. Asian squat type toilet or English WC will be available. Vegetarian food will be served. A cook will be there but volunteers are expected to help him and occasionally cook their own meals and maintain cleanliness. Sleeping bag is desirable. Leisure time: Self organized city tours and excursions. visited. Nearby Chandigarh city with internationally known Rock Garden is a tourist attraction. A visit to Shimla will offer an opportunity to see high Himalayan Mountains. International Terminal: New Delhi (320 Kms); Domestic Terminal: Chandigarh (35 kms) Nearest railway station: Chandigarh (30 kms) Participation Fee: Euro 220

10 Theme: Education RC-10/19 Bandh-Bhaguri NFE for Balanced Growth EDU RC-26/19 Bandh-Bhaguri NFE for Balanced Growth EDU Location: Ruchi campus which is located near Bandh village. It is 30 km from Kalka and 60 km from Chandigarh. Work: This project will help volunteers to meet, interact, learn and teach students who are in their adolescence (8-16 years of age) in different schools. Volunteers can impart information and share their views and experiences about various issues like growing up, biological changes during adolescence, drug abuse, violence, vices, social media, freedom of speech and expression, career guidance, social norms like Living Alone, Relationships, Independence, social life, personality development, communication skills, talent and creative interests. Since these children will become adults soon volunteers can discuss and educate about different aspects through creative ways like using charts, games, outdoor activities, speech, debates, Group discussion, drama, plays, theatre acts, films, videos, advertisements, books, poetry, literature and other methods in schools. Volunteers can help Young minds be aware about globalisation, technology and help open their minds to new ideas and thoughts. Requirements: Interest in sharing knowledge, discussing issues and open to understanding and learning new ideas. Accommodation: Volunteers will live in the Home Stay or Host Family. All basic amenities will be available. Asian squat type toilet and English WC will be available. Vegetarian food will be served. A cook will be there but volunteers are expected to help him and occasionally cook their own meals and self-management is required. Sleeping bags are also necessary. Leisure time: Self organized city tours and excursions. visited. Nearby Kasauli town is another hill station as a tourist attraction. A visit to Shimla will offer an opportunity to see high Himalayan Mountains. International Terminal: New Delhi Domestic airport: Chandigarh Nearest railway station: New Delhi Participation Fee: Euro 220

11 RC-17/19 Patta Digital Education for development SOC/EDU 10 Vols RC-25/19 Patta Digital Education for development SOC/EDU 10 Vols RC-27/19 Patta Digital Education for development SOC/EDU 10 Vols Location: Ruchi campus, which is located near Bandh village. It is 30 km from Kalka and 60 km from Chandigarh. Bandh village is small located in interior mountainous area and the volunteers will have a unique opportunity to live with nature in a peaceful environment. RUCHI campus is one km. from the village. occasionally cook their own meals and self-management is required. Sleeping bags are also necessary. Work: India is committed to digitalization and access to most of the services is available online. Smart mobile phones with internet packs have replaced traditional analogue cellular phones even in the remotest of villages. However, they are mostly used for voice calls and selfies. 90% of the smart phone users have no knowledge of all available features and hence they are not optimally used to increase their working efficiency and overall benefits. The volunteers are required to educate these countryside people on several features and how they can be used to increase their efficiency and make life simple. Requirements: Interest in information technology and knowledge of features of smart phones. Accommodation: Volunteers will live in the RUCHI campus. All basic amenities will be available with library facilities. Asian squat type toilet and English WC will be available. Vegetarian food will be served. A cook will be there but volunteers are expected to help him and Leisure time: Self organized city tours and excursions. visited. Nearby Kasauli town is another hill station as a tourist attraction. A visit to Shimla will offer an opportunity to see high Himalayan Mountains. International Terminal: New Delhi (320 Kms); Domestic Terminal: Chandigarh (70 kms) Nearest railway station: New Delhi Participation Fee: Euro 220

12 Art Camp Theme: Arts RC-18/19 Bandh Let s us Go Creative! ART Camp ART/DEV 10 Vols RC-22/19 Bandh Let s us Go Creative! Art Camp ART/DEV. 10 Vols Location: Ruchi campus which is located near Bandh village. It is 30 km from Kalka and 60 km from Chandigarh. Work: This project will involve Volunteers to learn, teach and share skills of various creative art forms like Origami (art of making creative stuff by folding paper), newspaper bags to help reduce use of plastic, best out of waste, cloth bags, handmade baskets, traditional Indian leaf plates made by women and pottery. Volunteers can learn these creative techniques and will get an opportunity to teach children of schools of Himachal Pradesh. Also, volunteers will interact with villagers of different rural settlements and share and learn different innovative art forms. In addition, volunteers can paint, draw, sketch, make charts, banners, posters and billboards to give a social and cultural message. Volunteers can create various art work in terms of Wall Painting, Roof Painting, Traditional Warli Painting, Caricatures, Cartoons, Anime, Figures, Sketches or basic simple drawings on RUCHI campus. Volunteers can also help in designing and creating a Cafe (which is our ongoing project) through simple creative ideas as this Cafe is being developed for volunteers as a permanent recreational space. Creative Freedom is given to volunteers to explore and create something beautiful. Requirements: Interest in creative activities, art and willingness to create something innovative and unique. Accommodation: Volunteers will live in the Home Stay or Host Family. All basic amenities will be available. Asian squat type toilet and English WC will be available. Vegetarian food will be served. A cook will be there but volunteers are expected to help him and occasionally cook their own meals and self-management is required. Sleeping bags are also necessary. Leisure time: Self organized city tours and excursions. visited. Nearby Kasauli town is another hill station as a tourist attraction. A visit to Shimla will offer an opportunity to see high Himalayan Mountains. International Terminal: New Delhi Domestic airport: Chandigarh Nearest railway station: New Delhi Participation Fee: Euro 220

13 Theme: SOCIAL RC-21/19 Baddi/Bandh Women Power SOC/EDU 10 Vols RC-33/19 Baddi/Bandh Women Power SOC/EDU 10 Vols Location: Baddi area. Baddi is an industrialized town with the presence of many slums. Baddi area faces severe sanitation problem. Work: This projects aims to empower women by helping them to gain confidence, recognize and demand their rights and most importantly start being an earning member of family. Information on available options for small enterprises can be shared and marketing skills can be developed. Working closely with local communities we have identified and assisted rural women to start micro initiatives to economically support their families. The volunteer is expected to better understand the role a typical woman has in our society and join them in their economic activity. They will also be attending meetings of Self-help Groups (SHGs) and interact with women to better understand their plight and assist them to be economically independent. Additional activities will include learning of various developmental issues and solutions. They will visit various humanitarian projects and interact with the villagers. Requirements: Interest in gender related work and issues with a sharing and learning ability, High motivation. Accommodation: Volunteers will live in the RUCHI campus in shared accommodation. All basic amenities will be available with library facilities. Asian squat type toilet and English WC will be available. Vegetarian food will be served. A cook will be there but volunteers are expected to help him and occasionally cook their own meals and self-management is required. Sleeping bags are also necessary. Leisure time: Self organized city tours and excursions. visited. Nearby Kasauli town is another hill station as a tourist attraction. A visit to Shimla will offer an opportunity to see high Himalayan Mountains. International Terminal: New Delhi (320 Kms); Domestic Terminal: Chandigarh (70 kms) Nearest railway station: Kalka (30 kms) Participation Fee: Euro 220

14 RC-31/19 Delhi & Solan City to Countryside SOC/CD 10 Vols RC-34/19 Delhi & Solan City to Countryside SOC/CD 10 Vols RC-35/19 Delhi & Solan City to Countryside SOC/CD 10 Vols RC-36/19 Delhi & Solan City to Countryside SOC/CD 10 Vols Location: This project will start in New Delhi (flat land area) and then bring you to Bandh Village (mountainous area) and experience rural community life of Solan district in hilly state of Himachal Pradesh. Nangloi a suburb on outskirts of New Delhi was an area where all migratory labour used to reside who came to New Delhi looking for work as our capital city was rapidly expanding. In 1972 a medical camp was established here to serve marginalized J.J. colony/slum residents free of costs.. Over time this medical camp has transformed into a learning centre aiming to improve employability skills of youth living in these establishment. This centre runs on cooperative basis where learners pay a small amount to cover basic cost of teacher. Work: This projects aims to expose volunteers to urban and rural community service initiatives. With assistance of grass root NGO s you will participate in their daily activities and contribute towards a better tomorrow. In Delhi city, you will spend first week with our partner who operates a learning centre for migrants/street kids and hosts capacity building classes along with other health services for them. Whereas in the second week you will move to small village Bandh in district Solan and participate in our community development projects/initiatives in rural set up. The volunteer is expected to better understand the complex situation in two setups and understand the urban-rural divide. Additional activities will include learning of various developmental issues and solutions. They will visit various humanitarian projects and interact with the villagers. Requirements: Interest in understanding different life styles and issues with a sharing and learning ability, High motivation. Accommodation: Volunteers will live in Learning Centre of our partner or a host family. They will shift to RUCHI and stay at RUCHI hostel in the second week. Simple basic amenities will be available. Asian squat type toilet and English WC will be available. Vegetarian cooked food will be served but volunteers are expected to help in the kitchen and occasionally cook their own meals and self-management is required. Sleeping bags are also necessary. Leisure time: Many competitive Self organized city tours and excursions are available in Delhi, the capital of India. Heritage sites of Humanyu Tomb, Red Fort, India Gate, Lotus Temple are a few worthwhile sites to visit. Delhi is a nice place for those interested in shopping. Taj Mahal in Agra is only about 200 kms and it can be visited during a day. In the second week, Nearby Kasauli town is a small hill station as a tourist attraction. A visit to Shimla will offer an opportunity to see high Himalayan Mountains. International Terminal: New Delhi; Nearest railway station: New Delhi Participation Fee: Euro 250

15 Theme: National Festivals RC-29/19 Baddi Dussehra Festival with School Activity FEST/CUL 10 vol 30/09-12/10 RC-32/19 Solan-RUCHI Festival of Lights with Local Culture FEST/CUL 10 vol 21/10-02/11 Location: Baddi is a fast growing largest industrial hub in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh. It is 30 km north of Chandigarh city and 100 kms from Shimla town. Baddi offers a number of treks to tourists and a good majestic view of Kasauli range of mountains. The economy of the area depends on agriculture and industries. Work: Months of October and November host two prominent Indian festivals of national importance. The dates are decided on yearly basis as per Hindu calendar. These camps are specially organized for those who are interested in Indian history and culture. This period is also supposed to be auspicious for marriages. Besides local festivals, volunteers will have an opportunity to learn of Hindu traditions. Dussera: Dussehra (Vijaya Dashami, Dasara, or Dashain) is a Hindu festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil. It is a gazetted holiday in India, which is marked on the 10th day of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) of the month of Ashvin (Ashwayuja), according to the Hindu calendar. During 2019, the main festival falls on 7 th October and followed by 4-day long local fair. The festivities of Dussehra are celebrated for ten days. The preceding nine days to Dussehra are collectively known as 'Navratri' and are dedicated to the worship of Mother Goddess, Shakti. Dussehra is the culmination of the Navaratri festival. A short version of the epic Ramayana in the form of Raamlila is also performed for 9 days before this festival in Northern India. Diwali: Festival of Lights is a national festival celebrated throughout the country with lot of zeal for 5 days. This main festival, falling on 27 th October, 2019, is celebrated with a great fervor just like Christmas and goes on for 5 days. Diwali is followed by other local events like Budi Diwali, viswakarma puja, Bhaiya Dooj etc. In North India, as it is believed that it was on Diwali that Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshmana returned to Ayodhya after killing the Demon king Ravana in Lanka. Accommodation: Volunteers will live in guest house with simple conditions and share accommodation with other volunteers. All meals will be cooked and served in guest house. A cook will be there but volunteers are expected to help him and occasionally cook their own meals. Sleeping bag is required. Leisure time: The volunteers will have opportunity to visit Hanuman Temple in Shimla, the Naldehra Golf Club and a local zoo or the Rock Garden in Chandigarh. International Terminal: New Delhi (340 Kms); Domestic Terminal: Chandigarh (80 kms) Nearest railway station: Kalka (50 kms) Participation Fee: Euro 220.