Why Should I Volunteer to Work for an NGO?

by Lakshyam NGO Hands to Hearts

When I tell you India, a lot of things come to your mind. Poverty will definitely be one of the first. I remember when I told my professor in university that I wanted to volunteer for an NGO in Delhi, the conversation immediately slipped into us discussing the severe levels of poverty in the nation. We discussed about how genuine the poverty was in the country, and how the poor in India really have nothing. I knew that volunteering for the LAKSHYAM NGO in Delhi Vasant Kunj would broaden my horizons on global affairs and allow me to develop myself as a person. Most importantly, I knew that I was very privileged to have been born and raised in England, this was definitely an opportunity for me to give.

I spent most of my first year in university worrying about how I will spend my first 4-month long summer break, I knew I had to be productive, it was essential that I was. I thought of all that ways I could keep myself busy; from finding an internship to taking an engineering-design software course, but they were either too expensive or simply impossible to secure for first year students such as myself. What I really looked for was an opportunity for me to expand my employment skills, and develop my independent living ability. As I sat discussing my plans with my professor, and many experienced adults that I knew, I felt deeply encouraged to go and experience something incredible in India, the land rich with culture and history, yet stricken with deprivation. However, with that in mind, there was still a great deal of doubts about me travelling to volunteer for an NGO in Delhi.

To be honest, I was quite hesitant when I booked my flights, I really did not know what to expect. I was definitely worried that I would be wasting my money. I was constantly warned about the crime, corruption and the unhygienic facilities in the country (even by British-Indians themselves). Despite that, I took a giant leap of faith and I decided to travel to India for the experience of a lifetime.

I understand that there are many British and European university students who are worried sick about unemployment, times are indeed difficult for us today. But really I tell you this, never miss an opportunity that appears to you, and don’t be afraid to take steps into the dark. Volunteering is the thing to do when you are at university, for even good or bad experiences are definitely going to teach you valuable life lessons, and you will find that you will be enhancing and adding things to your CV along the way in no time.

You may ask, why volunteer for an NGO in Delhi? What makes India so special when you have fancy tourist countries like Thailand and Brazil who also need volunteers? Well the truth is, India doesn’t have a famous tourist industry, and that is what makes it so exciting, special, unique…and beautiful. Volunteering for an NGO in Delhi will allow you to experience the true Indian lifestyle, you will immerse yourself in a truly different world and trust me…you will break a great many stereotypes about Indians when you arrive here. If you choose to volunteer work in India, I advise you to be careful and choose NGO’s here that are famous for offering high quality volunteer programs. An example would be LAKSHYAM, established in 2004, LAKSHYAM is a NGO that uplifts children and women in deprived communities through education and employment.