Volunteer for the children of Delhi

Kia ora!

My name is Sarah Brandt and I am reaching out to you because I am hoping you are able to help me.

On May the 15th I leave New Zealand and travel to Delhi on a volunteer programme through https://www.volunteerhq.org/

I will be participating in the "Teaching English to the children living in the slums" programme, this will take place in make shift class rooms in the slums of Delhi.

During my stay there I will be staying with a host family who will look after me for the duration of the programme.

In order for me to get there I am trying to fundraise to cover some of my costs which include flights, visa, insurances, vaccinations and the programme fees. I am also taking leave without pay from work.

Some people ask how this is going to make a difference? the volunteer organisation have people located worldwide every day of the year providing assistance in many areas including, teaching, childcare, orphanage work and medical, so without the volunteers the programme simply would not exist.

I am a Social Worker here in NZ and I work with Children in the local hospital in Auckland and have also spent a lot of time doing Care and Protection. I have a true passion for helping those who are vulnerable and I cannot express how important this visit to India is for not only for me but for the children living in the slums.

It has always been a passion of mine to travel to India, however for reasons different to most! I would like to experience India not through the lens of "commercialism". I would like to experience and gain knowledge about poverty in India and how their "system" works and how they live. Delhi has such a large population with an estimated population of 18 million people packed into a land size approximately the same as Auckland! There are approximately 50,000 children living on the streets in Delhi and has the second largest slum population next to Mumbai. 31% of children aged 5-14 have never attended school in Delhi. I absolutely love children and being a mother myself, I have a true desire to reach out to those less fortunate and give what I can, in the hope that I leave India feeling touched and inspired alongside a feeling that I have contributed to helping these children.

The programme I would like to attend is the Slum Teaching programme, teaching children how to develop their English skills, I would also like to give my time to an orphanage, and this will be based in Delhi. I have been accepted onto the volunteer programme through International Volunteer HQ and I am looking at travelling for 3 weeks in May 2015. What do I hope to achieve?

>I want to be a part of the bigger picture!

>I want to give something back

>It is a unique opportunity

>I want to use my skills to benefit others

>Know that I have contributed to making a difference

>Do something out of my comfort zone

>To see the world differently

About the Programme: For many children in India, school is simply not an option, as they work in the streets with their parents selling goods, foraging and performing to make a living. There are estimated to be over 100 million street children living in India. The Slum Teaching project focuses on providing these children with a basic education and new opportunities that they would otherwise be deprived of. This project is very popular among the street children and their families, who are grateful for the new perspectives and lessons learned from volunteers. Volunteer work consists of taking basic lessons in make-shift classrooms within the slums, playing games with the children after class, providing one-on-one support, and introducing the children to activities, such as painting, that are not possible outside of school.

Thank you,

Sarah Brandt.