Terms & Conditions

of

SANKALP/SHAKE HANDS INDIA VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

 
VOLUNTEER SERVICES AGREEMENT
This is a legally binding contract which sets forth all the terms and conditions of your agreement with SANKALP. Please verify and affirm that you accept and agree to be bound by all its terms and information;
 
The term ‘Agreement’ means between you and SANKALP.
 
The ‘Applicant’ is the person specified on the Term Sheet and interchangeably with ‘You’ and ‘Your’.
 
The ‘Shake Hands India Volunteer Programs’ is promoted and sponsored by SANKALP and its directed by Sankalp Volunteer Society (Registered NGO since 1994, Jaipur INDIA).
 
 WWW.VOLUNTEERSINDIA.ORG manages & operated by SANKALP to promote ‘Shake Hands India Volunteer Programs’.
 
Please note that your booking is accepted on the understanding that you come on the program at your own risk. It is not possible for us to be responsible for the actions or omissions of those involved in your program over whom we have no direct control, transport undertakings and others. Equally we are not responsible for loss or expense due to war, riots, strikes, terrorist activities, natural disasters, or bankruptcies (or similar) of unconnected third parties. SANKALP is not liable for any injury, damage, loss, accident, delay, or other irregularity which may be caused by defect of any vehicle or other equipment, other than its own, or the negligence or default of any company or person engaged in carrying out or performing any of the services involved, other than our own staff.
 
Please note that all services and accommodation are subject to the laws of the country in which they are provided. SANKALP reserves the right to make changes in the agreed itinerary whenever, in their sole judgement, conditions warrant, or if they deem it necessary for the comfort, convenience, or safety of the volunteer. SANKALP also reserves the right to withdraw without penalty any program announced.
 
Please note that SANKALP reserves the right to decline to accept any person as a volunteer, or to require any participant to withdraw at any time, when such action is determined by the appropriate SANKALP staff representative to be in the best interests of the health, safety, and general welfare of the program or of the individual participant.
 
Dates, schedules, program details and cost are given in good faith, based on information available and in force at the time they are given and are subject to change and revision in the event of a change of circumstances.
 
Some courses, treks, weekend tour & travel and other activities are provided by independent third parties. You should note that SANKALP can arrange bookings for these courses, treks and other activities on your behalf but are not appointed agents or representatives of these third parties and cannot accept liability for them or their activities.
 
The following terms and conditions and information will form an agreement between you and SANKALP Making an application for an SANKALP volunteer program means you are agreeing and acknowledging to what is stated below. You would agree to the following terms:
 
FOLLOWING SERVICES ARE PROVIDED BY SANKALP UNDER A ‘TOUR PACKAGE’
 
Airport pickup, meeting at airport and transfer to project location
On arrival at Delhi airport you will meet our representative/driver and transfer project location by Train/Bus/Car. For the Jaipur and Dharamsala location; pickup service from Delhi airport is excluded for the programs having duration upto 3 weeks. But on request, we can arrange transport for the volunteers having duration upto 3 week to pick them up from Delhi airport on payment of applicable amount ($100) of pickup expenditure.
 
Temporary Accommodation
The Volunteer House at Jaipur Location
You are provided accommodation in volunteers’ house which is organization’s own setup like a guest house. The house contains sharing bedrooms with Bunk Bed facility with attached washroom. Kitchen facility is available in the house where you can prepare your breakfast. Essential utensils are provided. The cook serves (Lunch & Dinner) Indian vegetarian food to the volunteers.
 
Host Family Stay at Dharamsala, Delhi and Bangalore Location
On placement, you ought to live with a local Indian family like a family member. A separate living room on dual or triple sharing basis with volunteers will be provided. The host family will serve 3 local area meals (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner).
 
Daily transportation to project
Volunteers will be provided daily transportation (if required) to picked them up from the place of their residence and drop at work site and pick you up from work site to place of residence at the set timings at both ends by Car/Rickshaw/Tuk-Tuk. 
 
Orientation
Next day of your arrival at the destination we organize an orientation for each program where you will gain an understanding on the entire volunteer program, Indian history, its culture and traditions. The volunteering in India would entail an introduction to Hindi and as well as rules and regulations of the company and associated organizations/NGO.
 
 
PARTICULARS ON TRAVEL COMBINED VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS
 
The travel combined programs (summer programs, work & travel programs, gap year India expedition) are separate services to volunteer as Tour Operator and going with these programs will be personal decision of the volunteers. In case of any mishap occurs during excursion period the company and associated organization/NGO will not be responsible for anything.
 
During the travel program; hotels will include Air Conditioned room, attached Western Toilets, beds etc. The rooms will be clean and fit to be lived in.
 
If a participant disagrees with the provided room in hotel he/she is at liberty to get the room changed. In case the other room is also not acceptable then the participant will be paid the equivalent amount of rent chargeable for the room and he/she can change the room/hotel of his/her choice.
 
Possible minor changes of one/two days could be made in the pre-decided traveling itinerary in exceptional and unforeseen circumstances in favor of the participants as well as of the organization. It may be, to forego the pre-planned site visit also.
 
The Scheduled programs will run for the participants arrived in the location irrespective of their numbers. Questions about numbers of the participants taking part in the programs, whether less or more, shall not be entertained. 
 
 
PARTICULARS ON PROGRAM START AND END DATES
 
The arrival/pickup day is program start date e.g if participant apply for 4 weeks duration program and arrive/picked up on 01st then this is Program Start Date and Program End Date would be 28th, participant have to leave the volunteer house/host family on same day by evening.
 
If place is available in volunteer house/host family then we can provide you stay of extra 1/2 days for your convenience on payment of applicable amount ($20/day) for using accommodation, food and other service.
 
We can confirm your extra day(s) stay in volunteer house/host family if you inform us 48 hrs prior to scheduled program end date.
 
If place is not available and new participant (s) is reaching in house/host family then previous participant have to leave accommodation on scheduled program end date in any circumstances.
 
 
PROGRAM AMENDMENT CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY
 
Cancellation of volunteer program by client:
Company incurs lots of expenditure in order to provide placement to the client. If any volunteer cancels his/her allotted program after making payment of program fee the refundable amount would be as under:
30 or more days prior to scheduled program date - 100% of the program fee would be refundable.
Within 29 to 15 days from scheduled program date - 50% of the program fee would be refundable.
Within 14 to 1 day from scheduled program date - 25% of the program fee would be refundable.
 
Cancellations after Project starting date by client:
Under any circumstances the total program fee will not be refunded to the client. Also, if the volunteer once reaches here to do his/her signed up program and if he/she does his/her program for a day and if he/she expresses his/her inability to do the program for remaining period, no portion amount of the fee once deposited will be refunded.
 
Cancellation by SANKALP:
Incase SANKALP cancels the client’s program due to unavoidable and unforeseen circumstances, will refund the program  fee calculated on a pro-rata basis for the remaining period of the program declared to be cancelled excluding 6% (six percent) bank charges.
 
Amendment in the signed up program:
If any participant due to any reason what so ever, during currency of the program informs the organization regarding decreasing the duration, no portion of amount of the program fee for the duration proposed to be decreased will be refunded. 
 
Excursion in between the program:
If any volunteer goes to any excursion in between his/her program period except weekend tours and then again start the program is not in order and organization will not permit to them to re-join the program. Such intermediary excursion period we do not permit to avail of by any volunteer and no portion of amount of the program fee for that intermediary excursion period will be refunded. 
 
 
Weekend Excursion Trips:
If any volunteer goes to any excursion
on weekends trips, they can leave the accommodation on Friday evening (after work) and they have to back by Sunday evening in anyway.   
 
Absence from the program:
If any volunteer does not report on the program already signed up by him/her within a period of seven days from the program start date, such program will be deemed to have been cancelled. If any volunteer reports to perform his/her program within a week’s period after the program starting date, he/she though will be allowed to perform the remaining period program but no portion of the program fee for the absence period will be refunded. No change of date of the program is permissible under any circumstances.
 
 
PAYMENT OF REFUNDS
 
Company will make payment of the applicable refundable amount to the client within 100 (one hundred) days of confirmation of cancellation.
 
 
USE OF PHOTOS AND FEEDBACK
 
By agreeing to the terms and conditions you agree that Company can use your photos and written feedback while at the project to post on its web site. Company might use such material for marketing/promotion in form of brochure/emails/ or on its website. Company also use photos and material from our partners and affiliations abroad and in India and is not responsible for any claim arising out of those material/photos/contents. The use of such photos and material can also be done on any other domains owned by Company.
 
 
VOLUNTEER CODE OF CONDUCT
 
This code of conduct sets out the standards of behaviour that is expected of volunteers, not only by the company as a volunteer service provider, but also by the Coordinators, the homestay families and providers of accommodation and, most importantly, the organization/NGO/project that we work with.

The company is fully committed to responsible for services to volunteer and sustainable tourism. This code of conduct is designed to help you achieve the most out of your placement in a safe manner. It also ensures that the company and organizations/NGOs and people we work with are treated with respect and that consideration is given to other cultural aspects during your placement.
 
Please note that breaches of the code of conduct may result in your placement being terminated without compensation.
 
General
You must:
At the project
You must:
Accommodation
You must:
DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES
 
We will be flexible, helpful and friendly - in particular, we will try to help you with your work if you’re trying hard, but still getting into difficulties. Nevertheless, formal complaints procedures (by you) and disciplinary procedures (by us) are necessary.
 
Every reasonable effort will be made to resolve any disciplinary matter before it becomes serious. However, we reserve the right to take appropriate action in the event of behaviour which would reasonably be expected to give offence to host, pupils, project managers or work colleagues. This includes behaviour such as serious rowdiness or drunkenness, disobey of the set rule & regulations of the company/organization/NGO, failure to turn up to work, leaving work without any adequate reason, or in the event of an unreasonable inability, from whatever cause, to do the work expected. It would be at the discretion of SANKALP to suspend you from your work during any disciplinary process. You are under the authority of SANKALP throughout the period of the project placement.
 
If SANKALP agrees that there is an unacceptable amount of incompatibility between you and the host family and we consider it the right decision to change your host family, it may be necessary to provide you with hotel accommodations for a short period. This would be paid for by SANKALP but you will not be given money for food if it is not provided.
 
 
SEIZING THE AGREEMENT
 
Company will end this agreement with you and you have to leave the program/accommodation on that very same day without notice, in case of following occurrences:

In case the agreement is terminated due to volunteers’ involvement in any of the above activities, he/they will not be entitled to any refund from Company.

DISCLAIMER

User expressly agrees that use of Company is at user's sole risk. Neither Company, its affiliates nor any of their respective employees, agents, third party content providers or licensors warrant that Company will be uninterrupted or error free; nor do they make any warranty as to the results that may be obtained from use of Company, or as to the accuracy, reliability or content of any information, service, or merchandise provided through Company.
 
Company is providing on an "as is" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including, but not limited to, warranties of title or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, other than those warranties which are implied by and incapable of exclusion, restriction or modification under the laws applicable to this agreement.

In no event will Company, or any person or entity involved in creating, producing or distributing Company or the Company software/content, be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages arising out of the use of or inability to use Company. User hereby acknowledges that the provisions of this section shall apply to all content on Company.
 
Company does not take any direct responsibly for the use of third party online payment facility. PAYPAL will not be responsible for any malfunction in their software for online payment. All disputes arising with Credit Card fraud will directly be dealt with PAYPAL.

In addition to the terms set forth above, neither Company, nor its affiliates, information providers or content partners shall be liable regardless of the cause or duration, for any errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or other defects in, or unseemliness or unauthenticated of, the information contained within Company or for any delay or interruption in the transmission thereof to the user, or for any claims or losses arising therefore or occasioned thereby. None of the foregoing parties shall be liable for any third-party claims or losses of any nature, including, but not limited to, lost profits, punitive or consequential damages. Neither SANKALP nor its affiliates, information or content providers warrant or guarantee the timeliness, sequence, accuracy or completeness of this information. Additionally, there are no warranties as to the results obtained from the use of the information.
 
 
JURISDICTION
 
SANKALP of 16, Vijay Bair, Sikar Road, Jaipur (Rajasthan) INDIA and you, the applicant, are the sole parties to the contract for the provision of your volunteer placement. The proper law of the contract between us is the law of India. The courts of the Jaipur, INDIA shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute which may arise out of or in connection with the contract.