Find Purpose in Your Travels with Leave ur Mark

Today we introduce you to purposeful traveler and co-founder of Leave UR Mark, Prachi Jain. Prachi is a member of our Travel Massive New York City Community and is constantly helping others experience India through authentic travel and work experiences. 

Leave UR Mark is a social enterprise that helps travelers engage with India on internship and volunteer programs related to their skillsets.  We work with organizations that are in the non-profit and startup world that are often under-resourced.  Our international interns and volunteers spend several weeks to several months filling in the gaps or lifting off projects that might otherwise be neglected.  We also ease the transition of travelers into India by providing a community of like-minded travelers, housing, food and social support.

What inspired you to create this initiative? 

I saw that India was a destination that a lot of people came for yoga and Teaching English programs. Back in 2009 when we were starting our program, we wanted to offer a whole variety of experiences that would benefit local communities and travelers to connect in unique ways.  So we launched projects like: Interning for an innovative vegan food cafe, providing art therapy for children with developmental delays, working with young girls on menstrual health, or helping set up events in India’s booming event management industry. We felt confident that travelers would get to experience brand new worlds in India and the local partners would get perspectives on their work by talented professionals from around the world.

Is there a unique story of how it came to be?

I myself did an internship at a travel magazine in Bangalore and some of my roommates were doing amazing non-profit work.  I tied up with a retired Australian navy guy who was working on education and women’s development projects and my local co-founder, Amit Agarwal to be able to share the amazingness of living and working in India because I had such a great time myself.  

How is your initiative financed?

We do charge program fees to travelers because we have our housing, food and staff costs to support. However, they are quite minimal and we are trying to work with local sponsors in the future to help cut out more costs for travelers.  We don’t accept donations and instead let our volunteers know that if they feel compelled to donate financially, they can do so directly to our partners.

Can you share an inspiring story when you felt your project was most fulfilling?

We hosted a group of ballet dancers who had come on a dance immersion program in India.  We set up a fusion performance as a charity fundraiser that combined American Ballet and a traditional dance form of India called Odissi.  So we had Indian and American dancers together on stage and it was something that had never been done before. It was exceptionally beautiful and really combined my own two worlds–America and India.  We also got to donate around $250 to children for Arts Education.  

What do you hope your initiative will accomplish in the next 2-5 years?

I’m hoping we build a truly global community of travelers, non-profits and startups that stay connected to one another in the long term. We had two interns in October who are now talking about starting up a healthcare non-profit together. It would be great for some of our travelers to help Indian non-profits and startups launch in their cities. 

Are there any myths or misconceptions you think people may have?

Currently in the travel industry, there is this misconception that all volunteering abroad is bad.  I think when done right, with the right organization, the right kind of volunteer and the right kind of project, it can be very beneficial to everyone concerned.  So don’t let all the negativity around “voluntourism” hold you back from finding work that is actually very good.  

What benefits have you seen from being a part of Travel Massive events and community?

Recently I was browsing the Travel Massive Marketplace and I saw so many cool organizations doing amazing things to make travel easier, more meaningful and for us to all be more connected.  I’ve never come across a community like Travel Massive that feels so tailor made to my life and work.  

Purposeful Traveler is a series that profiles inspiring people or projects making a purposeful change to the way we travel. You can connect with Prachi on Travel Massive, Facebook and Twitter.