Support a non-profit and help with indigenous communities in Tamil Nadu, India

  • Favourited 504 times
  • Last activity: 12 Mar 2024

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    Wanakame, Namaste, Hello, Bonjour,

    Dear volunteers,

    My name is Albert and I am the founder.
    We are a non- profit based in Alampoondi, 10 kilometers from Gingee, Tamil Nadu.
    Our main goal is to fight for the rights of Irular people, an indigenous group of people living in the region.
    These communities are discriminated against and have lived for 30 years without basic necessities like water, electricity, housing, land, documentation and education. Although government schemes exist to support the Irular communities, their unawareness of these regulations continues to inhibit their development and welfare. The organization is dedicated to supporting the Irular community by providing relevant resources, applying for the government schemes, helping with legal documents, etc. We act as a link between Irular communities and the legal policies.
    My motto is « every action matters, small is beautiful! » so we try to act as close as possible to the real needs of the Irulas and would love to welcome you to help!

    As a volunteer, you would be living in the community house next to my house, with Fatima and Arvin, as well as my wife Shiba and my son Hanish. You will live in a quiet South Indian village and really be able to soak in the atmosphere!
    We provide for food housing and all transports to the Irulas villages.

    With my best regards,

    Albert.

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Charity Work
    Art Projects
    Language practice
    Teaching
    DIY and building projects
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    Help around the house
    Help with Computers/ Internet
  • UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN goals
    No poverty
    Zero hunger
    Good health and well-being
    Quality education
    Gender equality
    Clean water and sanitation
    Affordable and clean energy
    Decent work and economic growth
    Industries, innovation and infrastructure
    Reduce inequality
    Sustainable cities and communities
    Responsible consumption and production
    Climate action
    Life below water
    Life on land
    Peace, justice and strong institutions
    Partnerships for the goals
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Working closely with the Irular community is an unforgettable experience for the volunteers. Here is a list of few things you will gain from your stay at Enrich:

    • You will get to experience what a simple life is like in village of South India.
    • You will get to visit Irular communities and have a hands-on knowledge on their issues. You also get to connect to other organizations working for the same social cause.
    • Throughout your stay here, you are constantly meeting new people. Locals, fellow volunteers, social workers, Irular community people—you get to learn so much from people you meet here.
    • You can develop or sharpen your skills (e.g. communication) as there are so many opportunities to work on what you want.
    • You get to travel with a purpose and work on projects that are result oriented.
    • This is the perfect opportunity for indépendance work as you will have a lot of alone time figure out what you can do.

  • Help

    Help

    We wholeheartedly welcome your ideas and project. We want you to observe, study and understand the Irular tribe so that you can figure out how your skills can be utilized in our projects. There is a very little structure in terms of volunteering so it is up to the volunteers in terms of what they want to do. Listed are few examples of task you could work on:

    ✔️ GOVERMENT SCHEMES & ADMINISTRATION:
    If you have background in law and/or administrative experiences, the skill could be use towards document preparation. There are also a lot of admin tasks such as gathering documents, updating computer files and managing database where the help could be used.

    ✔️ VIDEO
    If you like video and film making, you can work on your own video project showcasing the life of Irular people, the issues they face or the work we do.

    ✔️ WEBSITE MAKING WITH WORDPRESS
    If website making is where you can help us, you can use you skill to develop a website with WordPress.

    ✔️SOCIAL MEDIA
    Help us with updating our Facebook and Instagram pages. You can take pictures in the field and write about what is going on. You can be as creative as you want!

    ✔️ EDUCATION
    Volunteers can assist the children afterschool with their homework and English language. You can also plan fun and interactive performances for the kids. If you know how to play guitar and have it with you, you can perform for them and even teach them.

    ✔️ WORKSHOPS
    If running workshops is what you like doing, then you can organize an educational workshop for the Irular children. You can focus on courses such as Maths, English and Sciences and artistic activities for the kids.

    ✔️ REPORT WRITING
    We have many reports to prepare. If report writing is what you are good at, you can help us with that. We also have few reports from the past which you can use as a reference for developing new reports.



    As mentioned earlier, these are some suggestions for the volunteers. It is completely up to the volunteers to figure out how they can help the organization. If you are someone with a social work background, have experience in working with marginalized communities, have worked in community development, have experience in grant writing, etc., then you can share your knowledge with us and help us grow.

  • Languages spoken

    English: Fluent
    Tamil: Fluent

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    The volunteer quarter is right across where I live. If you need anything, my family and social workers who work with me are always around.
    If it is not too busy and rooms are available, you will get a private room. If not, you will have to share room or adjust in a common room. The bathroom and the kitchen are shared. The rooms are basic with mattresses on the floor. We will try our best to make sure that you have a comfortable and memorable stay with us.
    We will try our best to arrange free transportation for the trips you make to the villages.
    Volunteers are provided with free food (three simple meals per day +tea)

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    When you are not working, you are free to walk around the village and talk to the villagers. Alampoondi has many forts and temples in case you want to discover the town. If you want to make a day trip, Alampoondi Bus Stand is in a 5-minute walking distance. From there, you can find buses to Poondicherry (2hours), Chennai (3 hours), Gingee (15min) and Tiruvanamale (1 hours). The buses are easy to take and are affordable. The landscapes, fields and mountains around the village are really nice!

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    More than two

  • ...

    Hours expected

    Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

Host ref number: 747982675517

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