<p>Im a high school student - currently a junior and im really interested in going abroad for a rather short period of time to volunteer or study. Im specifically looking at India for volunteering as that was where I was born and I think it would be amazing to go back and reconnect with my roots. If I were to chose somewhere to study abroad, I would go somewhere in Europe as I've never been there before, but those are usually very expensive.</p>
<p>I came across this volunteer program for India:
India</a> Program Fee - IFRE</p>
<p>Is this legit? Anyone have any experience with this? Please Help!</p>
<p>I volunteered in India this past summer and I can tell you that the best would be to do it on your own. It was a lot easier for me because I had relatives to stay with and I knew the Bangalore metropolitan area fairly well. </p>
<p>It seems legit but I have never heard of it. There are many India based (as opposed to Dallas based) institutes with which you can get a good volunteering experience. If you PM me I can get you in touch with a few great institutes with whom I have worked. </p>
<p>The main problem with this is living, though they will be thrilled to take you in and live in their house.</p>
<p>Yes! Please help me! See, part of the problem also is, that I want to be with students my age as well because I think I would feel more comfortable...but idk, what do u think?</p>
<p>I am PM-ing you now, please help me!</p>
<p>I will send you some information as soon as I get back. I need to go do some pretty urgent errands at the moment, I'll send you some info... :)</p>
<p>Thanks so much! CC is a great site, I don't know where I'd be without this!</p>
<p>my daughter is currently in India, but she arranged through a facilitating program.</p>
<p>However, she has recently complained of a few things.
India was not in need as much as she believed, she has worked in Ghana which she felt was a country where she made more of a difference.
The organization supposedly used her funds to support the local works, however she says that the families she has been staying with, only get $90 a month for her expenses.
She has also been taking the weekend off and touring, and she said the hotels which the organization made arrangements had bugs and were more expensive than the ones she found on her own.
( She also has met lots of other volunteers through other organizations/on their own. One young man for example who is going to a local medical school in the fall, only lives a few blocks from us!)</p>
<p>However- while she can hardly afford to pay more than she has to, we are chalking it up to a * learning* experience. She does enjoy it- it just wasn't what she thought she was getting into.</p>