Led by the Global Sustainability Institute at ARU, Sustainable Sainji is about benefitting communities – both at ARU and in India.
Through collaboration with local leaders, Sustainable Sainji matches volunteers' skills and knowledge with the community's development priorities. It directly addresses several of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Sainji is a village of around 400 people located in the foothills of the Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.
Most of the villagers live by growing rice, wheat, maize and vegetables on steeply terraced hillsides. The local language is Jaunpuri, a dialect of Garhwali, although many people also speak Hindi.
Sainji displays many of the complex challenges and opportunities which characterise sustainable development, compounded by a rapidly changing climate.
As a volunteer, you'll get involved in a range of activities depending which theme you're involved with. These may include:
There's also the opportunity to visit Mussourie, an old colonial Hill Station. In the summer months, Indian tourists come to Mussourie to escape the heat of the plains.
At the end of the trip, you can visit the pilgrimage town of Rishikesh, take part in a yoga or spiritual retreat, relax on the beaches of the Ganges, or go trekking in the hills.
We hope that the time you spend in Sainji will give you a new perspective on the world and your future in it.
Dates for the 2026 programme are 27 March – 11 April 2026.
Costs for the 2026 programme are:
You will also need to budget for:
Before the trip starts we'll hold a series of three briefing meetings.
The meetings help you prepare for the trip and understand what to expect. You must attend all meetings in order to join the team of volunteers.
Current ARU students, staff and alumni are all welcome to apply.
You don't need to be studying a particular subject or working in a specific area. What's important is the personal qualities you can bring to the team and the communities we work with.
Find out more about who can apply.
Applications are currently closed.
When applications are open, we ask you to complete all of the forms below.
You will also need to read our terms and conditions.
Facilities in Sainji are basic, but as clean and hygienic as possible and always safe and secure.
You will be sleeping in rooms with several single beds, and sharing a bathroom which might be as simple as a bowl and a squat toilet.
Electricity and water supplies are often interrupted although there are back-up systems (generators and buckets). Most people have mobile phones and reception is generally good. You can buy a local sim card and data card easily.
You'll be staying in a small rural community with traditional values and sensitivities which you will need to respect. You'll also become a role model, especially for the children, and will need to behave accordingly.
Our hosts Lori and Kunwar have a number of basic rules which include: no smoking, no alcohol, no swearing, no sex. These rules apply to all visitors the village and its school.
Sustainable Sainji is now in its sixth year. Take a look at reports from previous trips.
Sustainable Sainji Project Report 2024
Sustainable Sainji project report 2019
Sustainable Sainji project report 2018
Sustainable Sainji project report 2017
Sustainable Sainji project report 2016
In 2017, the Sustainable Sainji project was a finalist in the Green Gown Awards.
We were also a best practice case study (see page 10) in the publication Educating for Sustainability, published by the ISCN for the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos.
