We believe that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things.
Basti Ram experience
Our ‘Beyond Boundaries’ cultural exchange project is one of our most popular projects. It is 6 months in duration and designed for participants who have faced a difficult start in life. We are specialised in working with young people in care, care leavers and young people who are NEET. Our staff are skilled in encouraging participants to stretch out of their comfort zone and view their own lives from a new perspective. Through the experience of learning about a different culture, that is a world away from their own, our participants become inspired to bring positive changes into their own lives back in the UK.
Since our first group in 2010 over 100 participants have now successfully completed the project learning a range of soft and hard skills along the way.
Phase 1 of the project takes place in the UK, where participants take part in a range of specialized workshops which focus on team and confidence building, lesson planning, presentation, budgeting, planning and fundraising skills. In addition, phase 1 is all about preparing for their adventure of a lifetime to India, participants learn about Indian beliefs and values, taste Indian food, enjoy Indian music and most of all learn about the day to day lives of people just like them across the world.
Phase 2 takes place on location in India, where participants enjoy a perfect mix of cultural immersion and sightseeing.
Phase 3 takes place back in the UK and focuses on helping participants to reflect on their experiences and put into practice what they learnt on location in India.
We are skilled in helping participants cope with the powerful emotions that the project can trigger. Past participants have included children in care, care leavers, young people who are excluded from school, young people who are not in employment education or training and those actively involved in youth crime. Adult participants have included long-term unemployed and those with additional needs. Participants meet and learn first hand how people just like them on the other side of the world are managing with the limited resources they have and working in their communities to battle against adversity. In return participants share their knowledge and time with people who really need it. The interaction that takes place between participants and our linked communities in India, triggers participants to significantly reflect on their life choices, opportunities and resources.
Time and time again we have seen participants complete the program with a new perspective on the world, increased self-confidence, self esteem and perhaps most importantly a new determination to make small changes that will ultimately lead to long term success.
We have a proven track record of delivering 'Beyond Boundaries' to Local Authorities, Virtual Schools, Charities, and to grant funded commissioners. We primarily take bookings for this project in school holidays and are currently taking bookings for Easter and Summer 2020.
For further information or to book a no obligation briefing on the project please contact info@bastiram.org.
Evaluating the Impact of our Beyond Boundaries Project
A Global Perspective - Report on Basti Ram’s 2014 Beyond Boundaries Project
July 30, 2014
Over the course of 2014, Basti Ram Charity, in partnership with the London Borough of Hackney, delivered the Beyond Boundaries youth development program. The program recruited youth in foster care for an international volunteering experience in the Northwest region of India. Basti Ram com- missioned an independent research report as a way of evaluating the strengths and limitations of the Beyond Boundaries initiative.