Volunteering area: People Care

Location: In different locations of India: a) Thalavakulam, b) Somasipadi, c) Jawadhu Hills, Tiruvannamalai District, Tamil Nadu

Short description:

a) Thalavakulam Centre is an eco-friendly, tobacco-free centre where the underprivileged rural Dalit children are housed and receive inputs related to their holistic development (social – educational – physical – health – environment – child rights – life skill dimension).  Elderly care and support is provided to the marginalised and destitute elders.  Unemployed youth are trained in different job-oriented skill training programmes through POPE Community College. Health care services are provided through the rural health centre and the health education is focused on reproductive health issues of young women and adolescent girls. The rural women are organised through women’s livelihood groups and establish linkages with banks/credit institutions for capital support to start the need-based, locally feasible income generation activities so that they reach income security.  Organic farming is initiated at this centre.

b) Somasipadi Centre is focused on animation, women’s development and skill training activities. Evening supplementary education is carried out for the marginalised/drop-out/school-going children. In this center, we coordinate community-based children development programmes focusing on school education, life-skill education computer education for school-going children.  The children’s parliament in the name of DCK (Dalit Children Kingdom) is organised in the target villages and is coordinated by this centre.

c) Jawadhu Hills are an extension of the eastern ghats spread across parts of Tirupattur and Tiruvannamalai districts of Tamil Nadu. The hills consist of bluish-grey granites, with peaks averaging 3800 – 4000 feet high from the sea level. The underprivileged boys from that region are housed with the focus of supporting them develop holistically. Skill training in tailoring and fashion design and computer application trades are available for young women.  Women groups are formed for organic farming and value addition of tribal products on a cooperative basis. Tribal land rights, bio-diversity, forest protection, nature conservation and protection of endangered native permanent trees are some of the activities connected with environmental security.  

Main activities will include: 

The volunteers can be linked with one or more centre-based/community-based ongoing activities of POPE:

• Helping the children in their studies, preparing learning materials and providing tutorial assistance to the life skill training.
• Train them in different games/sports since there is an outdoor playground and indoor games for the home (hostel) boys.
• Visiting the countryside communities and sharing cross-cultural knowledge and understanding their local resources and culture.
• Planning income generation activities with the group of women, and carrying out market analysis/need assessment studies with them.
• Planning projects related to earth care and people care and planning for external resource mobilisation.
• Based on the project output of various activities.  Conduct the project outcome/impact studies and do the documentation.
• Data feeding in the computer and carrying out the data analysis (Programme Data and Community Data).
• Planning and implementing co-curricular and extracurricular activities for children for hostel boys and community children.
• Developing community support system during humanitarian emergencies and for disaster mitigation
• Developing publications, video, website on POPE earth care and POPE people care separately with the available programme photos and with additions
• Developing documentary film on nature care and people care. 
• Develop intervention programmes for: 
  • Combating global warming
  • Developing bio-diversity
  • Nature conservation
  • Climate justice
  • Environmental security
  • Climate resilience programme
  • Developing multi species plantation
  • Fruits forestry
  • Community-led business initiatives
  • Social forestry / village forestry development.
  • Construction of building / community centres
  • Developing I.E.C. (Information, Education and Communication) materials in English on 
  • Environment and Ecology
  • Nature conservation
  • Bio-diversity
  • Eco-friendly life
  • Protection of endangered permanent native trees

Specific information/requisites:

– We are aiming for a volunteer to stay here for 6 months to one year, with the possibility of breaks.

– 40 hours work in a week (Monday to Friday) Saturday and Sunday off.

– One week holiday for every 2 months, which can be accumulated.

– At least one month notice is required for joining or leaving POPE.

– A brief report/document should be made available to POPE’s office before leaving.

– We are flexible and need-based oriented when organising the tasks. We will work it out in consultation with the volunteer and POPE’s team soon after the arrival of the volunteer at POPE.

– Outstation travel plans during holidays can be facilitated by POPE on a request basis.

More information: popeindia.org/