Menu
  • Please select what you would like to do, where and for how long!

Fatima Hospital in Cochin, Kerala

Internship and Volunteering Possible
 
At Fatima Hospital in Cochin, Kerala, we arrange pre-medical placements, electives, internships and nursing placements. Also, volunteering opportunities can be organized for physicians, nurses and therapists. The hospital is the regional leader in the field of cardiology, hip and knee replacement surgery and organ transplants.
 

Fatima Hospital in Cochin

 
Fatima Hospital is located in Perumpadappu, a suburb of Cochin, at the palm-fridged banks of Vembanad Lake, on a large natural plot.
 
It is run by the Catholic dioceses of Cochin and was opened in 2007 on a small scale. Since then, they have been trying to raise the standard and expand the hospital. While in the beginning only basic medical services were offered to poorer parts of the nearby population, the hospital now has specialist doctors of excellent reputation, which attract patients from all over Kerala.
 
The hospital is particularly proud about its cardiologist, who has the highest level of qualification for cardiologists in India (there are only 2 such highly qualified cardiologists in the whole of Kerala). The hospital also is regional leader in hip and knee joint replacements and organ transplantations. With 24 hip replacements per year, Fatima Hospital is the hospital with the highest number of this surgical intervention in Cochin. The hospital currently has around 140,000 patients per year.
 
On the ground floor there are the emergency department, outpatients department, small surgery theater and the treatment rooms of the specialist doctors. There are specialists for diabetology, ophthalmology, urology, orthopedics, gynaecology, ENT, cardiology, infertility, paediatrics, dermatology, neurosurgery, paediatric surgery and dentistry. They offer their services on certain hours within a weekly schedule. In total, there are 23 doctors and 180 other staff.
 
On the first floor, there are the main surgery area with three theaters, the gynaecology department and patients' rooms. On the second floor, there are the dialysis, intensive care unit, more rooms and a chapel. The third floor was added in 2012, making use of cost-effective light construction materials. It has another ward with rooms of higher standard (1-2 bed rooms with en-suite bathrooms) and a space for administration. By adding the third floor, the total bed capacity was increased from 100 to 200 beds.
 
The surgery theaters have modern equipment where large operations including heart surgery, organ transplantations, and hip and knee joint replacements are done.
 
Emergency admission, laboratory, pharmacy, Ultrasonography and CT are open 24 hours.
 
The hospital owns two ambulance cars. Since 2013, there is also a boat ambulance which was sponsored by the Cochin Shipyard. Cochin consists of 10 main islands and patients can often be reached much faster by boat than by ambulance car. Furthermore, the region is prone to thunderstorms and fishermen are often hit by a lightning strike and can only be reached on the sea by a boat ambulance.
 
The hospital is also in charge of a home-based medical care program. The team consists of a general practitioner, a nurse and an assistant who mostly treat elderly patients at their homes. They can make use of a portable x-ray machine and laboratory.
 
The hospital also manages other medical institutions which are under the Catholic dioceses, including an old aged people's home, a home for terminal cancer patients, and a leprosies center, and carries out medical camps for the poorest.
 
The most common diseases in the region are chronic obstructive pulmonary disease because of the humid and salty air along the coast, migraine which is often caused by environmental pollution, skin cancer because of extended exposure to sunlight, other cancers which might be resulting from chemicals in the environment and in food, diseases resulting from hygiene problems, especially amongst the poorer population, and Chukungunya fever, particularly during the rainy season.
Info Box
General
Location: Cochin, Kerala (India)
Availability: All year, Start date flexible
Minimum Duration: 1 Month
Maximum Duration: 12 Months
Language Requirements: English
Further Languages Of Advantage: Malayalam
Accommodation:
Shared Accommodation
Internship
Supervision Possible: Yes
Qualification Of Supervisor: General Physician, Specialists, Nurses
Minimum Qualification Of Intern:
Relevant qualification or studies
Further Contribution To Project: Yes, 200 USD for internships of 31 days; 300 USD for 32-90 days; 500 USD for 91-180 days; 1000 USD for 181-365 days
Volunteering
Volunteering Possible: Yes
Required Qualification For Volunteer: Qualified personnel
Further Contribution To Project: None
Expectations:
Professional Conduct, Do you have the "right" attitude?
 
 
 

Background Information for Medical Placements/Electives Abroad

 
The following text tries to provide background information about the medical systems in the different countries and tries to classify the medical institutions where we arrange placements within these system, in order to assist you finding the right option for your elective, final year rotation, internship or medical volunteer work.
 
Contact us and we are happy to assist you!
 
Tanzania
 
In Tanzania we can arrange placements for medical elective students, interns of nursing and therapies, pre-medical students and professional volunteers into a wide range of public and private medical institutions.
 
The public health system in Tanzania has a referral system: Someone who needs treatment usually first attends a small medical dispensary. Dispensaries are in all parts of towns and cities such as Moshi, Dar-es-Salaam etc. and in many villages, treating all common things such as small injuries, infectious diseases, Malaria, diabetes, high blood pressure etc.; also they often do deliveries.
 
There are public and private dispensaries. The public dispensaries are usually very simple in terms of equipment and facilities. In villages and outskirts of cities, they often they don't even stock elementary medicines and can only offer very basic medical services. The private dispensaries are often very similar to the public ones, but sometimes they are of higher standard in terms of facilities, equipment and services offered.
 
Any state-approved nurse can open a private dispensary. Dispensaries are usually run by a nurse or by a "medical officer" who is something between a nurse and a physician; some might employ further nurses, medical officers and laboratory technicians. The nurses and medical officers at the dispensaries can prescribe and use all standard medicines. There is typically no real physician who has studied medicine for 4-5 years. If it is a requirement from the university that for an elective/medical internship a proper physician is needed as a supervisor, this is not possible at a dispensary. For volunteers who have professional skills such as nurses, therapists and physicians, dispensaries are very good places to volunteer at, as through their skills they can support the local staff a lot and work like a regular team member, including stitching wounds and treating patients, assisting with deliveries, even without supervision if they are sufficiently qualified. Also internships for pre-medical students are possible at dispensaries.
 
Examples for such dispensaries where we can arrange placements are Hosiana Clinic and Dorcas Laboratory in Moshi. In Zanzibar, placements at dispensaries are usually not possible, as the Health Ministry doesn't allow so for foreigners.
 
The number of patients at dispensaries might fluctuate a lot during the year. Usually during the rainy season (March to June and November) there are more infectious diseases and more cases of malaria.
 
If a patient needs something of higher specialization that cannot be done at a dispensary or which is beyond the competence of the nurse or medical officer, he or she is referred to a Regional Hospital such as Mawenzi Regional Hospital in Moshi.
 
Patients however can also go directly to a Regional Hospital. Particularly people living in the cities near a regional hospital often prefer to go directly to the hospital and skip the dispensary, as they expect better service at the hospital.
 
Regional hospitals usually have many, many patients and elective students and professional volunteers have the chance to see many cases, often in very late stages of diseases.
 
Regional hospitals are used by patients who are of average income, or poorer parts of the population, if they feel so sick that they don't have any other option. A lot of time often passes between having been at a dispensary and going to the Regional Hospital, during which the patient’s medical condition can get worse, because poor patients usually have to collect the money to cover costs for the treatment from relatives, neighbours, churches and other sources, which can take days to weeks. The costs for a consultation by a doctor at a regional hospital might be around 5,000-7,000 TSH (around 2.50-3 €/3.30-4 USD), plus costs for medicines which might be typically between 2,000 and 10,000 TSH (1-5 €/1.30-6.50 USD). Major surgery and having to stay as an inpatient might cost around 100,000-200,000 TSH (50-100 €/65-130 USD). An average monthly household income is around 90 €/120 USD (for a whole family), but around 65% of Tanzanian households only have 30 €/40 USD or less per month. Patients usually don't seek medical treatment for minor reasons; nobody goes for prevention.
 
Regional Hospitals have various common departments; you can read the list of available departments at Mawenzi Regional Hospital and other hospitals on our website. Work at the regional hospitals is often tough, as doctors have to treat many patients who have serious medical conditions within a very short time. Therefore they often don't have a lot of time to give lengthy explanations to elective students. Students usually assist the doctors and nurses with tasks such as stitching wounds, changing dressings, assisting during the consultation, attending doctors during the ward round etc, always under supervision. There is qualified staff who can sign and stamp forms about electives as required by universities.
 
Above the level of the Regional Hospitals there are very large and higher specialized hospitals which are called "Referral Hospital" such as Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar-es-Salaam and Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza, which are often attached to medical universities. Patients cannot go directly to a Referral Hospital, but they need a reference from a regional hospital first. Mnazi Mmoja Hospital in Zanzibar is a Referral Hospital where patients can go directly, but this is because on the small island of Zanzibar there are no Regional Hospitals.
 
The standard of the departments/wards within one hospital can vary very much (both at Regional and Referral Hospitals), some departments might have good equipment and might be in good condition, typically resulting from money provided by foreign development programs. For instance the HIV/AIDS and physiotherapy wards at Mnazi Mmoja Hospital Zanzibar are very modern, but the pediatric ward is very poor and needs renovation. At Mawenzi Regional Hospital they have recently renovated the main surgery theatre.
 
As the public medical system in Tanzania is not very satisfying, there are many private healthcare facilities.
 
Some are (compared to the public hospitals) expensive and provide better standard (either/or or all in terms of facilities, equipment, or time that a doctor provides to patients), attracting patients who have more money. SIIMA Hospital in Moshi is one of these. Others are funded by charitable organizations or churches (e.g. St. Joseph Hospital). They are of higher price level than the public hospitals to the general public, but might offer free services to particularly poor people in need (which are financed by the money paid by the "richer" patients). In terms of facilities and equipment they are usually better than most public hospitals (unless the public ones have a particular department or ward which got a lot of foreign money). Usually there are fewer patients at the private hospitals and therefore doctors/nurses have more time to give explanations to foreign students/interns.
 
When it comes to doctors, the same doctors work at the public and at the private hospitals. As the salaries are low, they need income from several employers and therefore work at 2-3 hospitals (usually one public and 1-2 private) at the same time.
 
The Regional Hospitals and Referral Hospitals of Tanzania are usually accredited by all international medical universities for elective placements. Final year medical rotations are possible at Muhumbili Hospital in Dar-es-Salaam and Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza, which are teaching hospitals of medical universities.
 
Ghana
 
The public health care system of Ghana has three reference levels.
 

The smallest facilities that provide medical first aid (Tertiary Level) are the so-called CHPS (Community Health Compounds), health centers and small hospitals. These facilities perform only outpatient treatment and are usually run by nurses. Each facility is aimed at a population density of about 20,000 people.
 
At Secondary Level are the district hospitals, which are aimed at a population density of about 100,000-200,000 people. The bed capacity is usually not more than 100 beds.
 
These have at least one operating theater and a laboratory and usually offer better medical care than institutions on the tertiary level.
 
The highest level (primary level) are Metropolitan Hospital, Regional Hospital and Municipal Hospital. They are located in cities whose population exceeds 200,000 people and have a correspondingly larger bed capacity. In addition to several operating rooms and relatively good technical equipment, there are general practitioners and specialists in various disciplines to treat patients.
 
The primary level hospitals and many private hospitals such as the University Hospital in Cape Coast are of high standards in terms of facilities, management and expertise. Secondary and Tertiary institutions are often underfunded.
 
Morocco
 
In Morocco we arrange elective placements at private clinics which are of higher standard, often coming close to Western/European standard in terms of facilities, equipment and professional level of the staff. We currently don’t work with public hospitals, as they are very bureaucratic.
 
The private hospitals are expensive for many local people, but they often collect funds for people who are in need, allowing them to provide cheap or free treatments. 
 
At these hospitals, medical students/interns should have no problem to get accreditation for elective placements by international medical universities or nursing schools.
 
Professional volunteers (nurses, therapists and physicians) can volunteer at church-run charitable dispensaries such as the one by the Franciscan Brothers of the White Cross in Tangier, which are typically managed by a nurse, providing free basic medical services to the poorest parts of population. As there is no medical supervision, elective placements are not possible at such dispensaries.
 
India
 
In India, we work with private hospitals of higher standard, for the same reasons as in Morocco. The standard of equipment, facilities and qualification of the doctors are comparable to Europe/North America/Australia. They offer a wide range of departments with high specialization.
 
At these hospitals, medical students/interns shouldn't have any problems to get accreditation for elective placements by international medical universities or nursing schools.
 
Professional volunteers (nurses, therapists and physicians) can volunteer at charitable hospitals which are funded by charitable organizations, but also at medical outreach programs run by several NGOs in slum areas.
 
Nicaragua
 
In Nicaragua we can offer placements at the public hospital HEODRA and private hospial AMOCSA in León.
 
The standard of the public HEODRA hospital is low in terms of equipment and facilities, comparable to Tanzania. Also the situations that many patients have difficulties in raising the funds needed for their medical treatment, that they often only seek for medical services at a late stage of their disease, and the working conditions at the hospitals are very similar to as described in the text about Tanzania. Professional volunteers are very much needed at the public hospitals.
 
HEODRA as a large teaching hospital of León medical university should be fully accredited by all foreign medical universities and nursing schools for electives, internships and final year rotations.
 
The standard of the AMOCSA private hospital in terms of facilities and equipment is better than HEODRA. There are less patients and fees are higher. The doctors have more time for each patient. HEODRA is bigger and has a larger variety of highly specified departments; students will have the chance to see more patients than with AMOCSA. 
 
Also, the same doctors work at HEODRA and AMOCSA. To make a living, they additionally even work at further private hospitals or run their own consultancies.
 
Bolivia
 
The standard at the public hospitals of Bolivia can fluctuate a lot. While some private hospitals are chronically underfunded, others such as the hospitals of the VIEDMA Health Park where we arrange electives, internship and volunteering options often can offer a standard that comes close to the one of European/North American/Australian hospitals. They have a wide variety of specialization and departments.
 
A problem that regularly recurs is that the funds for the salaries of staff and to pay for medicines is not provided, resulting in shortages of medical services.
 
Similar to the what has been described before about Tanzania and Nicaragua, many people cannot afford the treatments at the public hospitals. They only attend medical institutions when their disease is in an advanced stage and in absolute emergencies.
 
Arco Iris is a charitable private hospital in La Paz of very high standard. Relatively rich people pay high fees for their treatment which is of one of the highest standards available in the country, and the money is used to provide free treatment to poor people, particularly street children and children from the poorest classes of society. 40% are paying patients and 60% are not paying.
 
Volunteer placements for healthcare professionals and elective placements/internships for students are possible at all of these hospitals. The hospitals of the VIEDMA Health Park in Cochabamba as large teaching hospitals of medical universities should be fully accredited by all foreign medical universities and nursing schools for electives, internships and final year rotations.
 
Mongolia
 
The medical system of Mongolia is of high standards. There is medical faculty at the University of Ulaanbaatar, also many doctors have studied in Russia or China or even have higher qualifications. There is no teaching hospital at the Mongolia university, so final year rotations are probably not possible. Mongolian medical students do electives with you in various medical institutions.
 
The health care system in Mongolia is organized as a tripartite reference system where patients first seek a "Family Health Center", which is a general physician's office. From there, the patient, if necessary, is referred to the district health centers, the second stage of the reference system, where there are more general medical facilities with more medical equipment (e.g. X-ray, ultrasound, endoscopy) and where general surgical procedures are performed. In such district health centers, about 12 physicians and 60 nurses are available to patients. Both family health centers and district health centers only treat outpatients. In these facilities, electives and internships are available from the 1st year.
 
The third stage in the Mongolian reference system are specialized clinics. There are no major hospitals in Mongolia, which have many specialisations, but instead clinics that are each limited to a field of study. These include hospitalization. For an elective or a nursing internship in these clinics, you should be at least in the 3rd year of study.
 
 
 

Accommodation in Cochin

 

mostpopular

Guest House in Cochin:

You will be accommodated at one of two Guest Houses of middle standard, which belong to the same family and which are located next to each other in a quiet residential area of Fort Cochin, two minutes to walk from the "Maritime Museum". Most rooms have a private bathroom. There is a cleaner once a week and WiFi internet. The rates vary slightly during the year, depending on the season. You can book breakfast for an additional around 80 Rs./day. At one of the Guest Houses there is also a small kitchenette that can be used from participants living in both Guest Houses.
 
Bed sheets are provided but you should bring your own towels.
 
 

I. World Unite! Service Package

Mobile/Cell Phone Users: If you don't see the rates for your desired duration of stay, hide other (shorter) durations of stay.
  up to 31 Days
32-60 Days
61-90 Days
91-120 Days
5 Months or longer
 wu servicepackage
1 Person
450 EUR 600 EUR 700 EUR 750 EUR 850 EUR
2-4 Persons
(Rate per Person)
400 EUR 500 EUR 600 EUR 650 EUR 700 EUR
 
Convert rates to USD, GBP, CAD, AUD and other currencies
 

The World Unite! Service Package includes:

 
  • Individual Consultation and Preparation prior to your arrival
  • Access to the World Unite! Online Resource Centre which has Preparation Materials including Intercultural Preparation, compiled particularly for your destination (PDFs, Videos)
  • Preparation Session via Skype, together with further participants
  • Arrangements of the Documents you need for your Visa Application and assistance with local registration (if required) but not the official government fees for the visa (See costs below)
  • Pick-up and Transfers from/to Cochin International Airport (COK) on arrival and departure
  • Personal support staff at your location and at our international office
  • Orientation and Introduction in Cochin
  • Accompanying you to your placement on your first day
  • 24 Hours emergency support by local support team
  • Local SIM Card with 600 Rs. airtime credit
  • Issuance of Confirmations/Certificates for your university, scholarship, insurance, etc. and filling out/signing Internship Contracts for your university
  • Donation of 50 USD (in domestic currency) to your placement organization (in case of charitable organizations)
 

The Rates do NOT include:

 
  • Accommodation and Meals (see below)
  • Travel to/from Cochin (you book it on your own; we can assist you)
  • Official fees for Visa (see below)
  • Insurance (Travel Health Insurance, Liability Insurance, Travel Cancellation insurance; you book it on your own, we can assist you)
  • Personal Expenses
  • Vaccinations
  • Local Transport (Estimated amounts see below)
  • Please note that for supervised/mentored internships, some organizations charge further contributions. You find this information in the "Info Box" below the respective internship description.
 

II. Accommodation Costs

 
You can choose between the following options:
All Rates in Indian Rupees!
Convert Currency
 Any Duration of Stay
Shared Apartment/Guest House
  
mostpopular2
Shared Apartment/
Guest House, Room without AC
1 Person
(Single Room)
January-March 1000 Rs/Day
April-September 800 Rs/Day
October-November 900 Rs/Day
December 1500 Rs/Day
2 Persons p.p.
(Double/Twin Room)
January-March 750 Rs/Day
April-Sept 650 Rs/Day
Oktober-Nov 700 Rs/Day
December 800 Rs/Day
comfortplus3
Guest House, Room with AC
1 Person
(Single Room)
January-March 1500 Rs/Day
April-Sept 1200 Rs/Day
October-Nov 1250 Rs/Day
December 2000 Rs/Day
2 Persons p.p.
(Double/Twin Room)
January-March 900 Rs/Day
April-Sept 700 Rs/Day
October-Nov 750 Rs/Day
December 1000 Rs/Day
 
In case of 3-4 person: Same rate as in case of 2 Persons. 5 or more persons: Contact us for group rates.
 

Overview of other costs:

 
  • Visa around 60-130 EUR (75-160 USD) depending on activity and duration; to apply prior to your travel
  • If meals are not included: 40-100 EUR (50-130 USD)/Month (Estimate)
  • Small local expenses (Internet, Local Transport): ca. 20-40 EUR (30-50 USD)/Month (Estimate)
  • Insurances around 20-40 EUR (30-50 USD)/Month
 

How do I pay?

 
Once all your questions have been answered and you confirm that you want to participate, we will email you an invoice. You can pay it via bank transfer, credit card or via Paypal. You will pay a deposit of 200 EUR / 250 USD when the invoice is issued. One months prior to your arrival you will pay the remainder for your Service Package.
 
The payment modalities for rent and possible further costs (e.g. internship supervision fees, as stated in info box of the respective project description) depend on your host country and placement. We will inform you beforehand. In many cases these costs are paid on site, but for some countries and placements they need to be paid partially or fully in advance.
 
 
 

Other Projects That Might Interest You:

 
 
These projects are suggestions for alternatives that may interest you or those that could be chosen as COMBINATIONS. The combination of projects in different organizations is often possible and usually cheaper than two individual bookings. Please contact us to know more! Check out our other listings in the areas of "World Learner" and "Active Travel" at your travel destination to make your stay even more interesting.
 

Malayalam-Learning:

 
Malayalam is the language of Kerala. Although there are many people with good knowledge of English (much more than Hindi), it is always helpful to have a basic knowledge of Malayalam. You can take lessons (5 times a week for 2 hours each) with a single teacher. Classes are held in Fort Cochin, on the terrace of your property. Just mark in the registration form, "Language Training Required", and let us know your desired number of hours.
 
The price for 10 hours of lessons: 50 EUR.
 

Travel Health Insurance

 
We recommend the following travel insurance that is meant specifically for participants of internships, volunteering, language study, working holiday, and courses abroad. It is available for travelers of all nationalities and usable for all countries, except your home country. You can also add a journey liability insurance.
 
Just click on the link, fill in the form and you will get a confirmation email.
 
 
 
 
 

Check out our video on Cochin!

 
In this video, you see our volunteers, Sophie and Claudia in Cochin and our coordinator, Antonio. Also featured are some activities that you can do in and around Cochin.
 
 

 

Kerala - the Land of the Coconut Palms:

 
In Malayalam, Kerala means "Land of the coconut palms". This tropical state in the south west of India is strong in traditions and culture. Ayurveda, the Kathakali, and Kalarippayat (probably the oldest martial art of the world), all come from Kerala. The society of Kerala however, has also been shaped by the trade and cultural exchange facilitated by sailing vessels on the Indian Ocean. As early as in the 4th century, traders brought Christianity and Islam to Kerala and therefore, these two religions have far more followers in Kerala than in other parts of India: around 55% of Kerala's population are Hindu, 25% Muslims and 20% Christians.
 
Kerala is very attractive and interesting for travelling, offering tropical beaches and islands, house boat tours on the "backwaters", impressive mountains (such as the tea plantation area of Munnar) and National Parks, as well as a rich cultural heritage.
 

Cochin - Historic Port Town

 
The coastal city of Cochin, with around 600,000 inhabitants, spreads over several islands and peninsulas which are all connected via bridges. Ferries can easily bring you to the other parts of the city. An important island is Fort Kochi, the historic old town, where you will be accommodated. In the past, Fort Kochi was an important Indian Ocean port. The Chinese in the 13th century, the Portuguese in the 15th century and the Dutch in the 17th century left their remains. The town of Fort Kochi with its old courtyards, walls, churches and palaces, has a compelling flair which attracts cultural and wellness tourists; therefore there are many restaurants, hotels and guest houses, handcrafts and esoteric shops, as well as events. At night, it is particularly safe in Fort Kochi, as the Indian police operates its own "tourism police station" with a quirky police uniform museum. The modern and big city part of Cochin is Ernakulam, which is situated on the mainland and has a railroad station, many offices and large shops. Vypin Island is popular for beaches.
 

Our Coordinator in Cochin

 
Our coordinator in Cochin is Antonio.
 

Recreational Activities in Cochin

 
As a tourist destination, Cochin offers many ways to spend your spare time. These include the famous boat trips with houseboats on the "backwaters", which is available as day trips or as a multi-day offers, in which case you sleep on the boat. A beautiful multi-day trip and a welcome climate change, is also a visit to the tea plantations in the mountains of Munnar. There are several beaches in the area of Cochin, where you can swim.
 
In Cochin itself, there are many places for Ayurvedic massages, demonstrations of the traditional theater "Kathakali", the martial arts "Kalaripayattu" and folk dances and music performances (as "World Learner", you can even learn these), as well as take yoga or cooking lessons. In Ernakulam, there are large shopping malls and many shops with great deals; Fort Cochin has many tourist shops and a large number of restaurants and cafes. In the late afternoons, locals, Indian tourists and foreign tourists gather on the beach promenade of Fort Cochin to see the sunset.
 
 

Getting To Cochin

india map
 
You book your flight to Cochin/Kochi (COK). There, you will be picked up and taken to your accommodation in Cochin.
 
 
 
 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 
Are there fixed start dates for the project, which I must adhere to?
No, you can arrive at any date and you can hence, plan your trip according to your availability and the prices of flights. We can pick you up from the Cochin airport even at night.
Can I stay longer at my accommodation after my volunteering/internship or arrive earlier?
Yes, this is possible and we will give you our best rates. Just let us know when you arrive and leave and we will let you know the costs.
During my stay, can I travel around the country?
Of course, you can do this - most of our participants do so. However, when the travel destination is too far away, it may not be possible over a weekend; these, we would recommend you keep for before the projects begins or after the completion. You could even plan these out during holidays. Even with an internship visa, it is possible to travel around India.
When is the rainy season and can I travel to India during this time?
The monsoon begins in early June in Kerala, Mumbai, in mid-June and the Himalayan region, early to mid-July and ends in September. The Thar Desert in Rajasthan (location Setrawa), barely gets rain during the monsoon and Jodhpur is rather dry.
 
During the monsoon, it usually rains heavily for several hours every day. As a result, there are often floods in the streets of the cities, because the drains cannot absorb the amounts of water. An internship or volunteering is possible during the monsoon, and the only nuisance will probably be wet clothes and shoes, which are often difficult to dry because of the high humidity. You might want to carry a few extra shoes and a change of clothes with you (or buy them locally). You can even buy an umbrella or a raincoat locally. An advantage to traveling during the monsoon, is that the fares are cheaper and accommodation during the off season is cheaper.
Can I travel to India as a young woman alone? The media constantly reports of rape - how high is the risk?
For decades, India has been a safe country for women and now the impression, given by the media, is that the number of rapes has skyrocketed and India is unsafe for women. More cases are coming into light now, as women previously would not speak about rape, but are now empowered to do so. Compared to the number of cases in relation to the huge population of India (almost twice as many as the whole of Europe), even if projections of unreported cases are included, there is much less rape than in many other countries. There are 2 cases that happen per 100,000 inhabitants in India (in comparison: Central Europe: 8.1 cases; 14.7 cases in Latin America; 28.6 cases per 100,000 population in the US).
 
Of course you have to be careful as a woman, as far as the style of dressing and dealing with local men are concerned. In schools, boys and girls are often strictly separated and many young men have no experience in dealing with women who are not their own mother or sisters; your behavior, based on dealing with Western men, might be misinterpreted as “easy” or “loose” behaviour.
Will I be the only volunteer/intern in the project or in Cochin?
The total number of participants that participate simultaneously with an organization depends on the size and activity of the organization and responsibilities of volunteers/interns. We try to avoid too many volunteers/interns in an organization at the same time. It may be that you are alone in your work site, but usually there are, throughout the year, other participants in Cochin, who you can meet in your spare time, if you desire so.
What vaccinations do I need?
Our Info - PDF that you get as a participant, gives detailed information on health care. Also refer to Recommended Vaccinations
Where will I live?
In the tab "Accommodation", you see the housing options.
Does my accommodation have internet facilities?
Yes, the accommodations in Cochin provide wifi at no additional cost.
How can I do my laundry?
Watch our video about Cochin (in the tab "Cochin"). In it, our coordinator, Antonio shows us a laundry service, where the clothes are washed by hand. For a pre-decided price per garment (fixed price for trousers, tops, towels, underwear, etc.), your clothes will be collected from your accommodation and neatly ironed and returned the next day.
Can I cook in the accommodation?
Yes, you can cook at the shared accommodation.
I am a vegetarian. Can I get vegetarian food?
Yes, India is a paradise for vegetarians. Almost all restaurants are clearly marked, whether they are vegetarian ("Veg") or not ("Non-Veg"), and there are separate menus. About 40% of Indians are vegetarians.
What language skills do I need?
You should be able to understand and make yourself understood in English.
 
 
    BOOK NOW OR INQUIRE!
 

Our Partners

  • partners01.jpg
  • partners03.jpg
  • partners04.jpg
  • partners05.jpg
  • partners06.jpg
  • partners07.jpg
  • partners08.jpg
  • partners09.jpg
  • partners10.jpg
  • partners22.jpg
  • partners24.jpg
  • partners25.jpg

Programs

Auslandspraktika Internships Abroad

A wide selection of internships in many countries. Read more...

 
Volunteering Volunteering

Charitable placements worldwide. Read more...

 
World Learner World Learner

Learn your host country's knowledge. Read more...

 
Aktivreisen Active Travel

Your alternative holidays. Read more...

 
Academix Academix

Dissertations, intercultural learning. Read more...

 
Work&Travel Working Holiday

Working Holiday in Japan, China and Germany Read more...

Quick Poll!

Do you find on our website what you are looking for?

Yes - 57%
No - 21.5%
Partially - 18.3%

Login Form

This website uses cookies for navigation, language selection and other functionalities. By clicking "Accept and Close" you agree that cookies are saved on your device.