indianorphanage.com - A non-profit NGO, volunteer work available to help orphans.

A few weeks back one of our volunteers from Australia had a special party for all of our older girls. All of the children were required to make and wear their own special party hats.

Frequently Asked Questions By Our Volunteers

The following are frequently asked questions as well as some important information for visitors to our mission.

What does GSAM mean?

The GSAM stands for the Good Shepherd Agricultural Mission. Locally the Mission is called 'Strong Farm' and we ourselves usually refer to it as either the 'Mission' or the 'Farm'. The name 'Strong Farm' comes from the missions founder, Rev. Maxton D. Strong.

Where is The GSAM located?

The Mission is 330 kms due East of New Delhi, just on the Western corner of Nepal, in the State of Uttarakhand (previously called Uttaranchal). The nearest town to us is Banbassa (which is also one of the main ports into Nepal from India). Banbassa is a small town located on National Highway 125 in between the towns of Khatema and Tanakpur.

Can I visit the mission?

We love to have visitors, but as you can imagine we must have a strict screening process for anyone who wishes to come out. This is for the protection of the children. More information about this process can be found in this FAQ but essentially all visitors need to apply via our online Volunteer Application Form.

What is the easiest way to get to the mission?

There are several options for travelling to the mission:

Bus -this is the cheapest is method of travel. Catch a 'Deluxe' bus bound for Khatema (pronounced 'ka-tee-ma') from in front of the Red Fort (Lal Quila). At present two companies are operating HINA and BLUE WORLD TOURIST, they leave around 9 o'clock in the evening. One needs to get there before 8 o'clock or ring up and book a seat or sleeper berth. Seat tickets are about Rs200/- each, but occasionally you won't get one unless you are willing to pay Rs300/-. A "Sleeper" ticket is Rs400/- for a double (which you can fit two people in with a bit of difficulty). Instead of a seat you get a bed which is much easier to travel in for some people as a bus trip from Delhi can take 8-15 hours depending on traffic jams, though most get through in under 12 hours. The bus trip is quite rough and difficult especially in the hot weather, it is not air conditioned and often has spoilt windows. The bus is not recommended for anyone who would not consider themselves adventurous. From Khatema it is 13 kms by jeep (like a taxi) or local bus, to the Farm at Banbassa -this costs about Rs10/- . Just asked to be let off at Strong Farm, or get off in Banbassa and catch a cycle rickshaw for Rs10/- per person to the Strong Farm Office. Strong Farm is exactly 1 km before Banbassa, with a big green and yellow sign on the left side of the road saying "The Good Shepherd Agricultural Mission" its pretty hard to miss.

Train -Train can be a very comfortable way to get here -and is considered by many as the best method. Several air conditioned sleeper trains leave Delhi each day which can take you to either Bareilly or Khatgodam -from here you will need to catch a bus/taxi or hire a car. There are no trains that take you to Banbassa direct from Delhi. Train tickets are around Rs400/- and can be booked online at this website or at a train station (though often need to be booked in advance). Trains are clean and comfortable, they have bathrooms and people come through often selling chai, coffee, snacks etc... The best "class" of ticket to get is AC3 (which stands for "Air conditioned 3 tiere). Each person is allocated a bed/seat and most trains provide clean sheets/blankets/pillows for free or a minimal cost (Rs30/-).

Private Taxi - Private taxi's can be organised to bring you to the mission from just about anywhere in India. Generally private taxi's are a little expensive. On average they charge about Rs1500/- per day plus fuel. A trip from Delhi to the mission would be around Rs6000/- you are also expected to feed and arrange accomodation for the driver as required (some drivers are happy to sleep in their car). We have several friends/contacts and can sometimes organise good deals.

Mission Vehicle - We have a few drivers employed by the mission and also our own vehicles, sometimes we can arrange for you to be picked up right from the airport/your hotel... in this case we would only ask that you pay for the fuel (coming and going) and accomodation/food for the driver (there would be another person with them too). Generally this works out to around Rs6000/- depending on the vehicle. Occasionally we are doing a Delhi trip (for shopping etc) at the same time as visitors are coming in, if this is the case we can pick you up and bring you back to the mission for free.

If I want to stay in Delhi what would it cost and where should I stay?

Sometimes we can organize a place for you to stay in Delhi, but usually we try and pick people up from the airport (most flights come into Delhi around midnight, or that is the time you get out of the airport after customs etc.) and head straight back to the Mission from the airport, it saves costs and staying an extra day. Travel by night is more efficient and there is a lot less traffic and congestion on the roads. But if you wish to stay, there are a variety of places and prices, the YMCA costs around Rs 3,000/- and has a comfortable setup. Cheaper hotels are available near the New Delhi Railway Station. They cost around Rs 300/- to 500/- per night, but you must expect it to be bad. There are plenty of options in between as well.

What about food?

Food is pretty cheap in India, but one needs to be careful where and what you eat, as stomach problems can result. Generally go for the "cooked in front of you" option, though this is not completely fool proof. There are plenty of take away shops in Delhi for lovers of KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Subway... etc. -which can work as buffers between the curries! On the trip back to the mission we have our 'safe' places where we eat, and once on the mission the food and water are safe. On the mission we eat quite simple meals, as a group in the Dining Room. Meals are mostly vegetarian, though people do eat meat in their own homes, and on special occasions like Christmas and Easter, we do eat chicken or fish in the Dining Room. The staple diet is rice, chapattis (flat bread), lentils, or some sort of vegetable curry. Water on the mission is clean, but for people who want to be extra careful, it's best to buy bottled water.

What should I do about money?

If you are not being met at the airport by the Mission people you will need to change some money at the airport. You won't get a good rate but you need money, so that's the best you can do it. Only change as much as you need to get yourself to the Mission. Once at the mission you can draw out money at an ATM 13kms from here if you have a Master Card or Visa card (Credit or Savings). It is best if you have around AUS$300/- (Rs 10,000/-) to draw out at a time because most banks have a fairly sizable international ATM withdrawal fee which is the same for Rs 10,000/- as it is for Rs 500/-. It is also the cheaper way to change dollars into rupees as far as exchange rates are concerned. If you only bring Travellers' Cheques or Dollars they need to be changed in Delhi as there are no facilities in our area for this. The best place to do this is in Connaught Place, Delhi. There are many places in 'A' Block.

What happens if I get sick?

If you do get sick we have plenty of experience in this area! We have good doctor friends and hospitals close by. Just be careful to drink only bottled water when not at the mission, and if you eat food make sure it is cooked fresh in front of you and you will just have to hope that the plates are washed in clean water! Eating fruit is safe, but only if it is fruit you can peel, such as bananas and oranges. Packets of biscuits, chips are safe too, but not packaged Indian made 'sweets'. We have to apologetically say that sanitation, even at the mission is not all that good. We are sorry that there are lots of flies but there is sadly very little we can do about it! Toilet and bathing facilities are probably not what you are used to. In some of the accommodation you will need to learn to bathe out of a bucket. The Indian style of toilet can take some getting used to as well.

What clothes should I wear?

Modest western clothing is acceptable, i.e. Jeans and T Shirt or blouses. For the female low cut ARE NOT acceptable, the same with tank tops, sleeveless tops and skirts. Shorts on males are reasonably acceptable (but not recommended), long pants are better. Sandals, shoes, joggers, thongs/flip flops are the best for foot wear. For female a shalwar kurtha (Indian outfit) is very comfortable and quite cheap to buy or get made while here (Rs 300/- 500/- depending on your choice of quality). Men can buy shirt or pant material for around Rs 200/- each and get them tailor made for another Rs100-150. In the hot weather - March through to November cotton clothing is coolest and helps prevent avoid heat rashes.

What does it cost to stay at the mission?

We don't ask people to pay to stay here. We do however ask that people consider covering the costs of their stay (ie food/accommodation) which we estimate to be at around AUS$15 a day per person. Other costs would need to be considered like fuel for any touring that you wished to do in our vehicle. But if you are going to help out long term (as in more than a few weeks) here at the Mission then we leave it totally at your discretion. We are very flexible with all of this, so please dont let 'cost' stop you from coming and visiting.

What can I do while I am at the mission?

We are a community and live, work and play together as you will see when you get here. There is opportunity for teachers, child care helpers, practical/maintenance persons, nurses, accountants, you name it! Some of our best visitors have just done simple things like teaching our children to use a computer, draw, paint, swim, dance, sing, play guitar/keyboard -the simple things.

What is the weather like there?

Summers here in India can be a nasty thing, temperatures can get as high as 50°C (120°F) in the middle of the day and barely drop below 30°C (86°F) at night. The electricity supply is also not constant so we try to discourage people from coming in the middle of summer (May - June) unless they are confident they can handle it.

Monsoon weather can also be difficult for some as it is both hot and humid. Often the rains flood out roads and can interfere with peoples travel plans.

Winter is by far the most popular season for people to come out to spend time with us -Christmas being the peak of that time. In the winter temperatures generally stay a good 5-10 degrees above freezing and in the middle of the day it gets nice and warm.

January	Winter
February	Winter
March	Winter/Summer
April	Summer
May	Summer
June	Summer/Monsoon
July	Monsoon
August	Monsoon
September	Monsoon
October	Monsoon/Winter
November	Winter
December	Winter

How often do people volunteer at the mission?

In the past 5 years we estimate we have had over 150 volunteers out here with us. Some come for just an afternoon and some come for more than 12 months!

These days there is generally at least one person here volunteering with us at any given time, if you think this might be a problem for you please also take into consideration that there are over a 100 kids (ie plenty to go around) and our property is over 60 acres in size -thats about the size of 60 football fields!

Where can I find out more details about the mission?

We are happy to answer any questions you might have about us, or visiting us. Best idea is to go to our contact us page.

So I want to come out to the orphanage, what next?

We have an Online Application Form that we ask people to fill out, its quite simple and only takes a few minutest to fill in. It can be found in the main menu above.

We do have to be careful as to whom we have working with or coming in contact with the children. We are more than happy to have visitors but the safety of our children is most important to us. As a result no visitors are allowed on the mission without permission/approval from the leadership.

Once your Volunteer Application Form has been submitted a member of our staff should be in contact with you within a few days.

Is there accommodation on the mission for volunteers?

Yes, we have enough accommodation to keep at least 20+ people scattered all over the mission. Some are in hostels others are in separate houses. Some of our rooms are nicer than the others but all are clean and safe. Most have bathrooms and those that don't are in close proximity to them. A few of our rooms have battery backup systems for when the power is off. We have all the linen, pillows and mattresses that you will need.

What can I bring for the children?

Many people who come out to volunteer with us ask what they can bring for the children. This of course changes from time to time but we thought we might make a bit of a list just for guidance:

Clothing (new or second hand is fine)
Shoes
Sweets
Lego
Craft Items
Board Games

Really the best thing that you can bring is a good attitude and a willingness to get involved in anything. Some of our most loved visitors have only done seemingly menial things like cleaning, washing clothes or reading with the kids. Everyone really appreciates it when volunteers are not afraid to get in and help out with the 'boring jobs'.

Does The Good Shepherd Agricultural Mission have a child adoption program?

The short answer is no. Child adoption is not only a very difficult and time consuming endeavour but is also VERY expensive. We do not have any child adoption facilities, either within or outside of India. We do not have any information regarding child adoption, and do not plan to start a program.

Where can I find more information about visiting India?

We have just set up a small section for visitors to India, we hope to expand on this at a later date. Other than that the best source of information that we have found is the Lonely Planet guide book which can be purchased from any good bookstore, or check Lonely Planet Online for more details.