Shake hands has been a wonderful experience. I have spent one month here working with the street children program. It was amazing; all the kids were a delight to teach. The coolest part about it was watching the children interact with each other. The children were so helpful to one another it was priceless. Though you only teach for about 4 hours a day, it is very draining. Not being able to speak a word of Hindi was a bit of a challenge. I wish I could stay here longer, but I have to move on. I would love to come back in a few years to see how children are doing. The staff a shake hands are also a delight. We had some really fun times just hangout out after dinner talking about nothing in particular. I would recommend this program to anyone who wanted to take apart in a volunteer program in India.

- Zoe Fallis, Canada

I volunteered with Shake Hands India through their Street Children program in Jaipur. When we arrived I didn't know what to expect and I have only been pleasantly surprised. The volunteer house is fantastic, it is not glamorous but it is cozy and welcoming and it really feels like home. Amita and Pranay are wonderful and a lot of fun, I feel like they have become our pseudo Indian parents. They are so helpful and really give you a sense of comfort and security while you are here. We took a few of their organized excursions during our volunteer time. It is very nice to have everything planned for you; we didn't have to worry about a thing. We saw some great things on our weekend trips but overall what I the most is just the relaxed day to day life here and the chance to really live in another city. Working with the street kids is something I will never forget. They are so eager and bright they are a blast to teach. Also seeing the spirit and generosity they have towards one another is really something to be inspired by.

- Bryanne, Canada

Even though I’ve stayed here only for 2 weeks. I got a lot of unforgettable memories and met friendly people. I think this volunteer program is well organized. It helped me to get along with children without any problem. I’ve learned lots of things from the program. It’s so rewarding to feel children are improving. The kids are positive, outgoing and enthusiastic. I am glad to teach them. The accommodation is satisfying. Everything is neat and clean. I’ve had many kinds of Indian food. Every meal is delicious. The staffs are hospitable and welcoming. We spend free time together with playing games, watching movies etc. They give me a lot of information on India and willingly help me.

- Myoung Park, Korea

I enjoyed this program completely. The children are wonderful, motivated. The experience was very positive- teaching students, creating teaching materials, experiencing Indian culture. The accommodation was safe, clean and comfortable. Food was also excellent. Shake hands staff was excellent. They responded to question and helped to solve problems. They were warm and hospitable, appreciative. 

- Millard, USA

Overall was impressed. I felt welcomed, appreciated and that I had a contribution that was valued. The program was well organized; yet I felt I could do what t thought was necessary. The children are very bright and responsive. They made my time go very quickly and happily. Program was very good for me…I enjoyed being part of a family life here in Jaipur and being able to participate in some festivals. Accommodation and food was good. The staff was “always there” for me ….friendly, helpful, cordial and made the experience very easy. And at the end I would like to say thanks for a great 2 weeks!

- Bonnie, USA

It was a life changing experience. I have gone through emotional highs and lows during this experience as I have dealt with my emotions working with children without parents. Accommodation was great- very safe and clean. The food was delicious. The team are warm hearted with the volunteers but also very professional. I will highly recommend this volunteer organization to friends and family and to those who are interested in volunteering. 

- Amelia, USA

 It is a good program. Liked the concept and approach as well as. The children have shown interest all through the program with time and teaching, I am sure they will fully utilize the facilities they have. The accommodation and food was very good. There was no discomfort of any sort, and Mr. and Mrs. Thakurji have made sure that everything was in place “always”. The food was delicious and I totally loved the “pranthas” and the “saag”. The staff was very helpful. I am very happy with the work done here during my stay at Dharamshala. I would definitely recommend this to my friends.

- Shwetha, India

It is a good program that helps the kids that need it. This is an excellent program and really enjoyed it. Our only problem is our stay is bit short but we will come back. People and children are very nice. Good place to work and stay. We enjoyed the food and accommodation was very nice. Shake hands staff was very nice and welcoming. We will definitely come back to visit.

- Shaun and Shernat, South Africa

The program has been amazing. This program has made my time in India fun, exciting interesting and truly memorable. Looking back over the past nine week so much has happened, so many memories to recall. The children at the orphanage are absolutely wonderful. I love the volunteer’s home. It really becomes my home for the past months. It is comfortable and homely and I feel very safe here. The living room is great and comfortable. I love Indian food and Baiji’s cooking was wonderful. The Shake Hands staff was welcoming and helpful, assisting me in anything I needed and answering all my questions concerning the program, India or anything. Shake Hands become my family during my stay.

- Elena, USA

I felt overall that Shake Hands were very well organized and welcoming. My Experience during the program was very emotional. The children at the orphanage are absolutely beautiful. Accommodation was very comfortable and homely. The food was excellent. Shake Hands- extremely welcoming, helpful, and friendly I felt right at home with them. I found this program very rewarding. Whilst it was challenging at times I thoroughly enjoyed working with the orphans and hopefully able to bring some joy to their lives. I would definitely recommend other people to volunteer in such like program.

- Neha, Australia

I thought this program was wonderful, it was well run, organized and enjoyed myself very much. Working with the children was very rewarding although definitely tiring. I had a great experience with Shake Hands. Accommodation and food was wonderful. The food was delicious and there was always enough. I liked having a conman room where we could relax and watch Bollywood movies! The staff was great. Everyone was very helpful and friendly. I had a great time, a perfect combination of work and unwinding time. I would highly recommend this program to friends. I hope I can come back soon and stay for much longer! Thank you so much. I really enjoyed my time in Jaipur.

- Rachel, UK

I think this program was fantastic and will encourage people back home to participate if they get a chance to come home to India. It’s a great way to see the country, and feel useful to the people as opposed to just being a tourist. I really enjoyed the program from the very beginning- attending an authentic Indian wedding, to working with the children and getting to know other volunteers to exploring Jaipur and other parts of India. I was surprised at how enthusiastic the children and community were in welcoming us and not treating as outsiders. The children really seem motivated to learn. The accommodation was very nice. I found the accommodation and food even better than I’d hoped. The staff was really wonderful. This program was even better than I’d hoped. I really want to do what I can to continue supporting Shake Hands. Thanks for everything.

- Karen, USA

I have a lot of admiration for both intend and reality of this program. It is very admirable and clever to try to help and expose disadvantaged kids to other language and culture while simultaneously giving foreigners a different, detailed view of India instead of typical tourism. I feel grateful to have had the chance to see a part of India very close up to have learned a lot I wouldn’t have otherwise. The children are very friendly, much friendlier than I expected. Accommodation was wonderful. It was very comfortable place to relax. Food was all Indian of course but all very delicious and I kept increasing my portion over our time here. Everyone was great and very helpful, especially with getting the kids to behave or translating so that they would understand.

- Michael, USA

Good program. I really enjoyed working with kids. Kids are really sweet and it is so easy to make than smile. “The world’s happiness is in a children smile”. Ambabari is a very beautiful place to stay. Cook is very good. Everything is good. Staff was also nice. The team is taking good care of volunteers. The overall impression of the program was great.

- Kerin, Germany

I come to Shake Hands to open my heart and develop more compassion. I found that and more. The staff was very caring and compassionate and made sure my experience was comfortable and taken care of. The children were so sweet and eager to learn and the other volunteers are exceptional people and it was fun to hang out with them. I volunteered with the street kids for two weeks. I taught ABC’s, 123’s in English, shapes and colors. They were a joy to work with eager to learn and have fun. Accommodation and food was wonderful. Baiji is fantastic and the food delicious. House is nice and I love the social space. The team makes a great experience for everyone. I had wonderful time – thank you.  

- Kristin, USA

My overall impression of the program is that it is very well organized by Shake Hands team. They clearly put lot of work and efforts into ensuring the programs run smoothly and that the volunteers have a good, worthwhile experience. The volunteer’s home was very comfortable and homely. I liked the fact that we had a nice big recreation area where we could relax and hang out with other volunteers. The food was excellent and varied. The Shake Hands were very welcoming and hospitable and seemed very committed to their work and also to making the volunteer stay comfortable and enjoyable. They were very supportive. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at the orphanage and would definitely recommend Shake Hands to my friend.

- Corina, UK

The project is inspiring. It is so good to be able to have the chance to work with street children doing something worth while. The balance of support and responsibility giving from the Shake Hands team worked well as I felt I had a challenging and rewarding experience. The volunteer’s home was well set up. It has a big recreation area, great for relaxing and promoting social activities. The food was also very good, always freshly cooked and tasty. The Shake Hands team was commendable, very helpful, approachable and thoughtful. They worked hard to make sure the volunteers were having a good experience. Overall the program has given me a very positive experience. I have felt safe and comfortable and my contribution valued. I am thankful to have discovered the program and have been a part of it. The program offers an individual opportunity for volunteers and I would highly recommend it.

- Alison, UK

It was a well organized program with very nice and helpful staff. There was always lots of time for relaxing and recreation. The work with the street children was always interesting. I have seen how hard it is sometimes to convince children and their family that school and education is a good thing. The children were nice and friendly. The work with them was good. Accommodation and food have been great. The accommodation is situated in very nice and peaceful area. The staff was very helpful: giving tips and stepping in when the kids were too loud and translating question and instructions. It was all organized very well. The transportation was good. Staff and host family helped so much with everything!

- Linda, Germany

This volunteer program makes the volunteer participants feel very safe in terms of travel and stay. After the work, we had enough time to participate in the cultural activities and for travel. At first, the experience was very difficult: travel time, interacting with students and language barrier, but in the end the experience was very profound and humbling. I would like to do this again. The students were very welcoming. They were great. Great accommodation and food was delicious. Overall staff was great. I really liked the project a lot. 

- Cindy, USA

I taught class 9th and 10th girls how to use the computer and visited homes of a wide variety of women. The community in/ near palampur has been very welcoming to me! During the home visit the women seemed to enjoy our company and wanted to share their stories with us. The accommodation was a nice, clean home where I had plenty of space and good facilities. My home family was welcoming and accommodating. I particularly enjoyed the opportunity to do Yoga with my host family in the morning. The food was delicious and filling and not to spicy. The Shake Hands team was friendly and helpful. I felt like I could ask them any questions and I would always taken care of. Even before coming they were very responsive and helpful. The Shake Hands program is run well by a group of young, enthusiastic men and women who truly want all of the volunteers to succeed and to have a good time during their stay in India. Though the program is small, it is very well run and I think the size of it help to make it more authentic experience in India.

- Barbara, USA

During this program has been very rewarding for me. Having to teach with minimum of material has challenged me as a teacher and working with street children has really touched me in many ways. I will never forget. I found the kids to be very open, happy and willing to learn. Accommodation has been good I think safe, quite area and very nice food. Staff was extremely helpful, friendly and informative. I admire the work they do both the amount/ hours put into it and how thorough they are. I have really enjoyed the whole experience of it. Living in a local community, the teaching and taking the kids to the school. Being a part of such a mile stone in a child life is very rewarding. I found the program well organized.

- Marit, Norway

I have very much enjoyed the street children education programme and have found it extremely rewarding. Teaching the children and seem make progress was very rewarding. I enjoy the life style, food, culture, walking every day and living more simply then I assumed to I enjoyed getting to know the other volunteers and working with them and spending my free time with them. The children were fantastic, very well mannered, polite, enthusiastic, cut and friendly. The accommodation was very decent with everything that I required. The food was always delicious. The shake Hands team were fantastic. Very friendly, welcoming and helpful and always willing to do their best to help the volunteers in any way they could which I very much appreciated. I would recommend this programme to anyone.

- Sanjay, UK

Great program and great people. I felt I was doing something good for an important goal. I am convinced that in the long run the program will have beneficial results. It was an important experience for me. The children and the program helped me a lot. Street kids are very hard to teach. But they are trying and everyday they seem happy for me this is important. Food was great as well as the accommodation simple but amazing. Staff helped us with everything what ever query we had. I would recommend it to anyone that wants to volunteer. I am very pleased about what the goals of the program and the people that I’ve met. My impression is nothing less than perfect.

- Marios, Cyprus

Shake Hands and AEDS have provided me with an excellent, enjoyable highly rewarding and memorable experience. The program was very well organized and structured. The volunteering experience, besides being rewarding by itself was also culturally rewarding. The community was welcoming. Most of the children were enthuastic and very pleasant to teach, always smiling.  Accommodation is basic and simple. Comfortable and it felt safe. The area is nice and quiet. The food was excellent, very tasty. I looked forward to it each time. The team was very supportive and helpful, a pleasure to work with. They would help us with everything we required, even for organizing our trips after we would finish volunteering. It is important for them that we were happy and satisfied with the program. I would recommend it to any one interested in doing something that is fun, that is educational and that aspires to help the less fortunate. An experience that is truly substantial to the heart.

- Peter, Cyprus

I thoroughly enjoyed the activities. I was involved with being the Pre School and the football. The kids were fun to work with and all on all, it was a pleasant experience. The children were full of energy and sometime they were bit naughty. The accommodation and food was fine. I had no problem with either. The staff was nice and it made experience nice and helped me in everything.

- David, USA

I joined the women empowerment program. I think this will truly be an unforgettable experience of my life. The community especially the girls turned out to be the most loving and caring people. I have ever met in my entire life. The accommodation was absolutely amazing. Shake Hands and the staff were generally very nice. Overall I would say that I was satisfied with the program.

- Rekha, USA

It is a good program. I really enjoyed working with the children at the orphanage. Accommodation was fine and the food was also good. Staff was very friendly and helpful. They were very nice. The cook was very good in making Indian food. Overall impression is that the program is making a good effort in helping the volunteers achieve their goal and interests with the orphanage.

- Shabina, USA

I wish I could stay longer as 4 weeks doesn’t seem enough! I have had an incredible experience and this is primarily due to the help and generosity of the staff. Working at the orphanage was something I looked forward to everyday; the children were always enthusiastic, smiling and keen to learn. I wish them and SHAKEHANDS every success and hank them for my unforgettable stay. 

- Emma, UK

Shake Hands has been the perfect introduction to India thanks to the amazing hospitality and the friendly staff. Working with the children put a smile to my face and I was amazed by the speed in which they warmed tours and how eager they were to learn. It is going to be a hard place to say goodbye to! Shake Hands is dang a fantastic job and I would undoubtedly recommended this experience to anyone of any age.

- Milly, UK