The selected volunteers comprise of a team of 18 people: 9 from the UK and 9 from India. The team of 18 is accompanied and supported by two program supervisors who are placed with them for the duration of the 6 month exchange. The team spends three months in a host community in UK followed by 3 months in a host community in  India.

 Structure of the programme:

The programme is structured around five 'core components' that are the same for the UK and India. They are:

·         Counterpart pairs- Volunteers have one counterpart from the exchange country with whom they live. They may also have another counterpart from the exchange country with whom they work.

·         Host communities- In both countries, the volunteers live and work in a community that is new to all of them. In India the host community will be in Orissa 

·         Host homes- Each pair of volunteers will be staying with a family in the host community. Just as we look for diversity in our volunteers and communities, we also encourage variety in our host homes.

·         Volunteer  placements- Volunteer placements are structured so that the volunteers are able to have maximum take aways about the community and its issues and at the same time make a positive and practical contribution to community initiatives. The placements are chosen such that they respond to the needs of the local community and enable the volunteers to make a tangible contribution. 

·         Educational activity days (EADs)- EADs are usually held once a week. They are an opportunity for volunteers to come together and engage in active learning about community development issues in each country. Each week, different counterpart pairs run the sessions.

Time Duration:

Actual exchange:  6 months

Trainings prior to exchange: 5 days

Returned Participants Weekend after the exchange