Try the flavors of India during your volunteer experience

If you’re considering volunteering, you’re passionate about gastronomy, and you enjoy new experiences, India offers exotic flavors that you probably haven’t tried before. The cuisine of this country is known worldwide, but there’s nothing like going to the place of origin to taste traditionally prepared dishes.

During your volunteer program, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy traditional Indian meals during lunch and dinner, as the volunteer menus consist of foods and dishes typical of the region, so you can fully experience the country’s cuisine and culture. Depending on the volunteer program you choose, you’ll interact and get to know the locals. Depending on the program, you might work with children or adults, and you may also have the opportunity to work in hospitals caring for patients or in a wildlife sanctuary caring for animals.

You’ll be able to try the most typical dishes of India and the region where you’ll be, which will be Jaipur. This city is located in the Rajasthani region, and the food in this area is based on locally grown ingredients, so the main ingredients will be those that thrive in a dry climate. The main ingredients are wheat and millet, as they require little water and tolerate high temperatures. Some of the typical dishes of the region that you shouldn’t miss if you’re doing this volunteer program include gatte ki sabzi, which is a dish made from small balls of flour cooked with spices such as turmeric powder, coriander, or red chili powder, and these balls are served with a spicy sauce. Another typical dish is papad ki sabzi, which is made with curry and fried papads, which are chips made from dried lentils with spices, and it’s served with a sauce made from yogurt and tomato.

The main ingredients of dishes in this country are rice, legumes, and atta, which is a type of whole wheat flour. Indian food is famous for its spicy flavors, vegetables, and spices.

Masala means a mixture of spices and is the term used to refer to the combination of spices used for seasoning. On the other hand, the word curry has various meanings, as it is a type of spice, although for Westerners, it is also a mixture of them, composed of coriander, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, tamarind, or saffron, among other ingredients. But originally, for Indians, curry means sauce; this word comes from Tamil “kari,” and for them, it is any dish that includes meat, fish, or vegetables accompanied by rice and a creamy sauce with spices.

Prueba los sabores de India durante tu voluntariado

Try the flavors of India during your volunteer experience.

As it is such a large country, the cuisine can be divided into two, the one predominant in the north characterized by its heavy use of dairy products like yogurt, milk, or paneer, and meals are usually accompanied by bread. In contrast, the southern part of the country primarily uses rice as an accompaniment, and they also use coconut oil extensively. The garam masala spice blend is also very typical of this region.

If you’re vegetarian or vegan, don’t worry; you can find many dishes that suit your dietary habits there, as many Indians do not eat meat or only eat it occasionally because they believe animals are sacred. For this reason, many dishes are vegetarian.

Traditionally, Indians ate with their hands, using the four fingers except for the index finger, but nowadays, the majority of the population eats with a spoon and fork. So if you want to feel integrated into their culture, you can try eating with your hands, using a banana leaf as a plate, as they did in ancient times.

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UNIVERSITY PRACTICES

Our volunteers will be able to validate university credits with the aim of traveling in a more responsible and economical way.

What does volunteering focused on university practices involve?

At Cooperating Volunteers, we make agreements with different universities to validate university credits with the aim of traveling in a more responsible and economical way.

The specialties we work with are extensive: medical volunteering, nursing, education, social work, psychology, physiotherapy, engineering, architecture…

The practices can be carried out in our designated destinations for this purpose, as well as in Spain.

If you choose an international destination, it’s a unique way to live an unforgettable and enriching experience, as you will have the opportunity to continue your education in another country, with a completely different culture.

Stepping out of our comfort zone and being part of the various projects at the destination will allow us to grow both personally and professionally, creating a more extensive curriculum.

And we are fully convinced that this experience will accompany you throughout your life.

You will be able to visit hospitals, schools, centers, orphanages, and participate directly and actively in the daily lives of all those people at the destination, always accompanied by other professionals willing to collaborate hand in hand with you and guide you in daily tasks.

If your university is not part of the agreement with Cooperating Volunteers, you can contact cristina@cooperatingvolunteers.com so that we can get in touch and make this experience a reality. 

CORPORATE VOLUNTEERING

Corporate volunteering consists of tailored programs for your company, designed to develop teamwork skills.

It is proven that teamwork directly impacts productivity. 

Collective effort surpasses individual capabilities, promotes diversity of skills, stimulates creativity, and facilitates problem-solving in the face of various challenges.

Therefore, it not only maximizes efficiency but also enriches the work environment.

We conduct corporate volunteering programs that consist of customized programs for your company, designed to develop teamwork skills, improve performance, and foster unity among employees.

We tailor projects to the corporate identity and size of the company, and we can adjust them to any destination and time of the year.

The advantages of corporate volunteering include:

  • Improving communication.
  • Group unity.
  • Cultural integration in different situations.
  • Employee training.
  • Increased Corporate Social Responsibility.

The future is aligned with a more responsible society, and participating in social projects positions our company among the list of revolutionary businesses that want to be part of the change.

If you resonate with this message, corporate volunteering is a unique experience both individually and collectively, and at Cooperating Volunteers, we accompany you throughout the process to make it a unique journey.

FAMILY VOLUNTEERING

Quality time spent with family strengthens emotional bonds, promotes communication, and contributes to the emotional well-being of its members. 

Spending quality time with family and being able to disconnect from our hectic routines is not only enriching but also necessary.

Sometimes we forget to communicate, connect, and dedicate time to each other. Each one of us lives focused on our jobs, schools… And it’s necessary to find the opportunity to pause and take care of ourselves.

Quality time spent with family strengthens emotional bonds, promotes communication, and contributes to the emotional well-being of its members. And of course, it creates lifelong positive memories.

At Cooperating Volunteers, we suggest moving away from those ‘more superficial’ trips (which can also be fantastic), but we invite you to live this experience to bring out our most empathetic and humanitarian side.

Family volunteering gives us the opportunity to be part of a positive impact, promoting values of solidarity and social responsibility.

There are many families who choose to experience these trips focused on cooperation and direct involvement with different communities around the world, where living conditions are very different and sometimes entirely precarious.

Projects are tailored to different ages, allowing us to work together.

An incredible way to fill our suitcase with memories, learning, and knowledge.

And although stepping out of our comfort zone often feels daunting, we assure you firsthand that it’s worth it.

At Cooperating Volunteers, we accompany you throughout the entire experience, from start to finish, to make it unforgettable.

SENIOR VOLUNTEERING

At Cooperating Volunteers, we believe it’s never too late for anything, especially for volunteering and living a unique and unforgettable experience.

There are many people, increasingly so, who opt for responsible travel that involves social work.

Accustomed to organized and mostly touristic trips, at Cooperating Volunteers, we want to advocate for a more enriching experience, one that transforms us from within and allows us to be part of the change the world needs to see.

We can adapt both the destination and the duration of our projects to fit your needs.

It’s an opportunity full of emotions that allows us to significantly contribute to different communities and their evolution. And you can participate in different areas such as education, social support, or assistance in different centers.

Some of the benefits include:

  • Sense of purpose: Provides a sense of purpose by contributing your skills and experiences to meaningful causes.
  • Emotional well-being: Reduces feelings of isolation and establishes social connections.
  • Personal development: It’s continuous learning, skill development, and discovering new activities while keeping the mind-body active.
  • Physical health: Keeping active.
  • Stress reduction: The act of helping others reduces stress and contributes to mental health.

Living this experience will undoubtedly be a before and after. 

SOCIAL VOLUNTEERING

A volunteering initiative with leadership and impact through the educational action program.

When we talk about social volunteering, we refer to all those actions and activities carried out altruistically, selflessly, and with the aim of addressing multiple problems and needs of different communities, always focused on education and self-sufficiency.

Education is essential because it provides the tools and knowledge necessary for personal, social, and economic development.

Our goal is to create self-sufficient communities and provide opportunities for the future personal development of each member. The message is not to ‘give’, but to accompany in the process of training for self-managed provision.

At Cooperating Volunteers, many of our destinations and projects embrace this type of volunteering. Some of our projects include: community programs, education, women’s empowerment…

And although they are completely different from each other, they share a single objective: progress towards a society that can embrace us all in the same way.

If you are someone who is restless, who needs to see a change in the future, volunteering is an experience tailor-made for you.