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India offers the visitor immense diversity, with 28 ethnically diverse states each with its own music, dance, architecture, and food. Home to over a billion people, India is the second most populous country in the world, its largest democracy, and the founding country of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.

South India in particular is known for its coconut groves, rice paddies, flowers, exceptional vegetarian cuisine, masala chai, yoga, and larger-than-life Bollywood movie posters, not to mention its relaxed nature and inquisitive people. Mysore’s population of approximately 950,000 is situated 130 miles southwest of the IT hub Bangalore at the foot of the Chamundi Hills. The main language is Kannada though English is widely used in business and administration.

Prior to India’s independence from the British, Mysore was the capital of the Kingdom of Mysore and ruled by the Wodeyar dynasty. The Wodeyars were aficionados of culture, the arts, and yoga, leaving the city with gardens, palaces, a top-rate University and a legacy of culture that still remains.

“Ashtanga City” is also renowned for Ashtanga yoga, a system combining postures and breathing, and thereby attracts yoga teachers and practitioners from all over the world. Not surprisingly tourism is a major industry in Mysore as are various artisan crafts like silk weaving, incense making, rose and sandal wood-carving, among others.
NGO Internship - Supported internships in ProIndia host communities with cultural classes, excursions, and group living. You will live in communities near a ProIndia office and 4 to 18 other NGO Interns, work alone or in small groups, and receive extensive staff support.

Health Projects at ProIndia are broken down into Clinical and Public Health experiences. ProIndia partners with local NGOs to place interns at area hospitals to learn about the Indian healthcare system and have the opportunity to interact with both patients and healthcare professionals.

Through its partners, ProIndia supports a number of ongoing Public Health initiatives as well including rural health camps, HIV outreach, and the construction of soak and compost pits, bathrooms, clean-burning stoves and kitchen gardens. Interns work in rural communities, learning the ins and outs of the planning, executing, monitoring and evaluating of these projects.

Interns are placed based on their skills and experiences along with their interest, and will find a balance between field and office work.

Health projects in India

• Clinical Work 
• Public Health Education and Research Work
• Rural Outreach and Field Clinics

Environmental Projects at ProIndia focus on education and conservation. Mysore, with its nearby lakes, parks, zoo, and wildlife preserves, is well-placed for environmental work. ProIndia works with its local partners to deliver internships that get interns out working in nature, exposing them to India’s rich biodiversity and natural beauty.

Alongside India’s rapid growth and development, oftentimes the environment has been neglected. ProIndia works with organizations countering this trend. These partnerships support important environmental education working especially with children, as well as conservation and tree planting projects.

• Conservation & Environmental Protection
• Environmental Education
• Tree Planting
  

ProIndia’s social and economic development projects focus on programs that meet the basic needs of India’s poorest class, in Mysore’s slums as well as in rural villages in its immediate surroundings. Projects aim to provide basic services like food, shelter, and education as well as addressing issues like illiteracy and the lack of services for the disabled.

ProIndia Social and Economic Development Interns participate in a wide variety of projects such as shelters for homeless women and street children, programs for the disabled, teaching English and other subjects in underserved areas, literacy education, women’s empowerment organizations, trafficking, or vocational training institutes.

The goals of these programs are to empower beneficiaries and give them tools and resources to get ahead.

• Women's Empowerment
• Education
• Programs for the Disabled
• Vocational Centers

Excursions

ProIndia offers cultural visits to palaces and temples, local parks, and cultural events. Based on duration of program, excursions may include:

• Visiting Brindavan Gardens, an array of fountains and manicured gardens and the backdrop for many Bollywood films
  
• Tours of Mysore including the multiple palaces of the Wodeyar dynasty
• Climbing up to India’s largest free-standing statue at the sacred Jain pilgrimage site of Sravanabelagola
• Exploring a Tibetan refugee settlement community with its Golden Temple and Tibetan culture
• Participating in remote community cultural events and celebrations
• Short term weekend development projects

During free weekends, volunteers can also plan their own adventures When you're ready, apply at www.myproworld.org/apply