The Community Phase

India has the world's fastest growing population but also some of the sharpest inequalities, especially in rural areas where almost 80% of India's poor live. Our participants will be helping to improve the livelihood of local communities, mainly through infrastructure projects. You will be living and working alongside the beneficiaries of the project which offers you a great chance to immerse yourself in the local culture and exchange traditions. Project work may involve building a school or playground or providing rural villages with fresh running water. The community will benefit not only from the work undertaken in their community, but also from the rich cultural experience that living closely with people from a diverse mix of backgrounds will afford them. Projects which foster a culture of self help and sustainability in communities are of particular importance. This may involve establishing facilities which promote employment or vocational skills training and education or activities that promote alternative means of income generation which do not contribute to environmental degradation. Many past Raleigh participants continue to support and visit community projects they worked on for many years afterwards.