Raleigh’s vision is to inspire a generation to be all that they can be; to awaken a sense of life-purpose and belonging, and unite them as part of a global community who can work together to rise to the challenges of the world we live in. Raleigh is committed to inspiring people from all walks of life, ages and nationalities, involving them more deeply with people, places, communities and challenges and empowering them to be all they can be. Over the last 24 years, 30,000 people have been involved in more than 250 Raleigh expeditions to over 40 countries.

Through overseas expeditions and local adventure projects, youths from all backgrounds and nationalities are encouraged and challenged to discover their full potential by working together on challenging community projects around the world.

In doing so, the youths will also help improve the lives of the less-privileged. By labouring through manual work, Singaporean youths are exposed to the challenges of performing meaningful service under arduous conditions and learn to appreciate what they have now.

At the end of Operation Vannakam, it is not just a hospital you as a Raleigh Venturer have built, you would also have played a role in creating accessible and affordable basic medical care hitherto unheard of in their lifetime.

Operation Vannakam
Through overseas expeditions like Operation Vannakam, Raleigh aims to provide volunteers with the opportunity to develop leadership qualities, initiative, adaptability and an appreciation on the importance of learning in a service-based expedition and in the process better the lives of the less-privileged.

Operation Vannakam is a youth development and adventure learning project undertaken by Raleigh Society (Singapore) in 2009, in partnership with Centre for Tribal and Rural Development (CTRD) Trust (India) and supported by Raleigh India. The expedition sets out to complete the construction a hospital for the local community, especially the tribal community, within five weeks.

Raleigh Venturers will work alongside community members and skilled masons in Nilgiri Mountains. This expedition might also include youth participants with intellectual disability. Some Venturers would have the opportunity to interact with these interesting and highly independent individuals.

The Nilgiri Tribal Community
Currently there are no readily available medical facilities in the area. The community has to go for quality health check-ups in Sulthan Bathery, which is 50km away, Mysore, which is 120km away or Coimbatore, which is 200km away. These people are very poor and cannot afford to get treatment from these places. Their social and cultural background also inhibits them from readily seeking medical help from these hospitals.

The Raleigh Venturer

Who is a Raleigh Venturer?

Profile of a Raleigh Venturer

Age: 17 – 35 years old
Gender: both male and female
Passion: adventure, challenge and fulfillment,
Ready to: rough it out for a few weeks
Tools: the most basic - your hands and few machinery

Commitment of a Raleigh Venturer: Raleigh’s 4 Challenges

- To be selected
- To raise funds
- To complete the expedition
- To make a difference to your community on your return

A Raleigh Venturer gets the opportunity to

- Learn to live and work as a member of a team.
- Experience living with a rural agricultural community.
- Develop a greater understanding of development issues and rural communities in India
- Increase culture awareness of the community alongside whom the group live and work with

The journey of a Raleigh Venturer does not end with the completion of the expedition. Beginning with the expedition, the Raleigh journey pledges to bring the Venturer through a meaningful experience, to be transformed to an active citizen of the world.