Tuesday for Tomorrow

~ People & Places ~ 

Responsible Ethical Volunteering

Chitardai primary school educates around 160 children between ages 6 and 14 in communities identified by the Indian Government as below the poverty line, and offers equal education for boys and girls of all castes and socio-economic groups.

The school's principal Mr. Devinder Singh and his small, but dedicated team of teachers are keen on increasing their own knowledge, and developing their teaching techniques in order to improve and enhance the students' learning experience. The school operates on a "Learn by Play" ethic - a progressive, and almost revolutionary concept for such a small school working within the local education system.

With a little improvisation and masterful use of resources, Devinder and his team have fashioned an educational play area from mud and created a stimulating environment for the children.

Give Back in Style

The program offers a one-of-a-kind experience to its volunteers,  only in context of the remarkable and enthusiastic teachers and students at Chitardai school, but we also give them a taste of the imperial lifestyle of the Rajasthani kings.

Rajasthan is the land of warrior kings and cultural richness, abound in Palaces, forts all located in breathtaking, countryside settings. This same luxurious heritage will be your constant companion, as volunteers are put up in the stunning Deogarh Mahal, the palace of the local patron family. Chitardai school is supported by the Shri Jaswant Charitable Trust, established and administered by the same family. As a part of their Corporate Social Responsibilty activities, the trust provides significant support and subsidy to the school and programme. Volunteer accommodation is only one of many such aids. The juxtaposition of such cultural richness and arrant poverty completes an all-rounded Rajasthani experience.

Ibex is a partner with the People & Places Responsible and Ethical Volunteering programme, and our initiatives on the same earned us the prestigious award of  "Most Innovative Tour Operator". We are honoured to be a part of this proud tradition and encourage you to join us in our endeavours for the betterment of the lesser privileged communities.

For more information visit http://www.travel-peopleandplaces.co.uk/ProjectView.aspx?id=280#.US2P1vJa4y4

 

Tuesdays for Tomorrow

~ Conservation Volunteers Australia ~

 

Still no plans for this summer? Why not try something different? Ibex works in alliance with Conservation Volunteers Australia & New Zealand, to give you the chance to not just visit the less explored areas of the continent, but to contribute to improving the lives and livelihoods of their inhabitants.
The program offers an array of project sites to choose from scattered across the land mass, devoted to tackling different causes. All of these are seeing major improvement, and you can be a part of that proud tradition. Over a period of 4-6 weeks, you'll be carted over 2 or 3 problematic areas, trained, taught, and supervised by professionals in the field, while simultaneously living with and learning about people and places across the globe. It will give you the chance to imbibe the best of all worlds and emerge from the other side an a change, and more enriched human being. The project activities range from anywhere between weed control and tree planting, to walking trail construction and heritage restoration. Here's three of the numerous possible locations for you to start your unconventional vacation:

• Kangaroo Valley, NSW – “Chakola”

A two-hour dirve from Sydney and Canberra, Chakola is a desginated wildlife refuge houses a number of iconic Australian species. Here you can find kangaroos, wombats, possums, wallabies, to name a few, as well as native birds like the kookaburra, cockatoo and the lyrebird, which is the English name for the aboriginal word “Chakola”.

• Brookfield, South Australia – Brookfield Conservation Park

North-east of Adelaide, the park is nearby to the River Murray and is part of the country of the Ngaiawang indegenous people of South Australia. This program focuses on research of the endangered Hairy-nosed Wombat and it's habitat, and also works on eradication of the invasive onion weed and collecting local seed for re- vegetation.

• Mt Arthur, Tasmania – Mt Arthur Centre

Mt Arthur occupies 5 hectares of re-generating bushland, creeks and wetlands, and is the home of the endemic and endangered freshwater burrowing crayfish.

Ibex is CVA's sole agent in India, and we're here to guide you through the application process, and help you get ready for your next adventure, so if you're in India, looking for a more unconventional way to start of your Australian tour, get in touch with us, and help you get ready for a life-altering journey.