Gap Years

As a gap year volunteer in India you can make a remarkable difference to the lives of many young people, through an experience that will stay with you forever. Come and share the lives of some of the most open and engaging but under-served children in the world. As you touch their lives, they will touch and transform yours!

Why? 

• The Deccan Plain of Andhra Pradesh is the mainly agricultural region from which we get cheap cotton and rice. English Medium education is the key to providing its children with life prospects beyond rural poverty.
• You can make a huge difference. Rural standards of written and spoken English will be vastly improved by regular interaction with English speaking students.
• You will be welcomed with incredible enthusiasm by staff and children who want what you have to offer. You will be warmly embraced by the community.
• This is your opportunity to experience authentic Indian life in a fascinating part of the country not often accessed by regular tourists.
• People will welcome you into their homes with the best Biryanis in the world!

Where? 

Andhra Pradesh is one of the 29 states of India, situated on the country's southeastern coast. It is India's eighth largest state by area and tenth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Hyderabad. Telugu is the official language of the state but owing to the rapidly growing Information technology sector, English is becoming essential for full participation in a fast emerging economy. 
Nandyal is a major centre of trade, commerce, education and industry in the Kurnool district. It is beginning to grow its own tertiary education in the fields of Engineering, Dental and Medical Sciences. Whilst technical progress is being made, local standards of spoken English are still a handicap for many. 
This is where you come in.

The CSI (Oxford) High School in Nandyal, established in 1986  is run by the Church of South India Diocese of Nandyal. Located within the Bishop's Compound, the school has an extensive campus. Most of its 315 children from Kindergarten to 10th Grade come from households where the main income is day labour, and the primary language is Telugu.

What will you do?

• Help staff and students to grow their English language communication skills through conversation and interactive learning.
• Assist teachers to develop their own confidence and facility in spoken English.
• Offer friendship and social contact, informally and through games, sport and other extra-curricular activities.  You can improvise your own!

As a gap year volunteer you will have the freedom to design the way you divide your time between various classes and activities according to your own talents, to make the greatest impact on these students.

School terms run from June to September, October to December and January to March. 


The locally based manager, CfBT Education Services, will brief you on social, cultural and practical aspects of Indian life and professional aspects of working in Nandyal. Their pre-departure briefings and continuous support will enable you to make the most of your time in India.

If particularly interested in world development, you could gain  hands-on experience with BIRDS (Bharati Integrated Rural Development Society), a major NGO, with a campus in rural Mutyalapadu. Nandyal is not far from the Nallamala forest, including Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam, the largest Tiger Reserve in India and the holy town of Srisailam, with its twelve temples and Akka Mahadevi Caves.

How much will it cost?

You will be need to pay your return fare to Hyderabad (Currently GBP500-600) plus GBP 390 to help provide the following support services:

• Organising visa letters and advice
• Airport pick up
• Arrival briefing
• Temporary accommodation and subsistence
• Transport to Nandyal
• Orientation including Professional Matters, Culture & Living in Nandyal
• Ensuring access to a ‘dongle’ and phone and a means of internet connectivity

You will also need an Indian Visa, Travel insurance and Vaccinations. 

You can choose accommodation either in shared volunteer accommodation in a self-contained building on the compound, or with a local family. The cost of this will be met by the Oxford Nandyal Education Foundation.

Add-ons

You make you own travel arrangements. 

You may well want to combine your stay in Nandyal with more exploration of India or further afield to Sri Lanka etc.. If so you can contact Great Experience Travel, specialists in creating tailor-made itineraries in this part of the world. 

Call them on 01993 707840 and ask to speak to Matt or David or e-mail them with an idea of your dates, budget and what you would like to see on your travels. Please make sure that you state clearly that you are volunteering for the Nandyal project. Matt and David can also make sure that you have the right visa application paperwork to cover you for your stay at Nandyal and traveling more widely.

A whole life experience

In addition to the satisfaction of making a difference to the lives of children, you will gain enormously from this experience. Time in Nandyal will increase your self-confidence, broaden your understanding of the world, and provide invaluable teaching experience, as well as a significant input for your cv.

To get involved give us some basic contact information. Tell us who you are, with a sentence about your circumstances and what you’re looking for. Email us and we’ll take it from there.