iVolunteer - February 2007

In this issue:
  - Under the Spotlight
  - India Fellow 2007 Update
  - Volunteer Speak
  - Valentine’s Day bash
  - Musical Volunteers
  - iVolunteer: In The News
  - India Fellow: In The News
  - Virtual Volunteering
  - Volunteer Now

Under the Spotlight
iVolunteer Workshops

Since inception, iVolunteer has been conducting capacity building workshops for the benefit of its partner NGOs and other non-profit organisations. Over the years, we have organised 9 workshops across our 4 centres – Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore – the last one being on 19th January 2007, when iVolunteer Delhi organised a day-long workshop for 20 NGO participants on the theme “Introduction to Volunteer Management”.

Building upon this one day module, iVolunteer has designed and is now introducing 2-day workshops on the theme “Developing A Volunteer Management System”. This comes to you as part of our iVolunteer Institute of Volunteer Management (IIVM) service. The new and improved workshop aims to help managers, volunteer coordinators and other staff from NGOs gain a better understanding of the methods and skills involved in setting up systems that help to make the most effective use of volunteers in their own organisation.

We invite NGOs across the country to sign up and participate in these 2-day workshops, the schedule of which is as follows:

To confirm your participation in the workshop, download the workshop participation confirmation form. Click here for the invite

India Fellow 2007 Update

With marketing campaigns well underway in Mumbai and Delhi colleges, iVolunteer is now in the process of receiving applications from interested student candidates for India Fellow 2007. Assessments will be conducted in the month of March, so if you haven’t yet applied, then do so RIGHT AWAY. Application forms can be downloaded from the website and are also available at various colleges in Mumbai and Delhi. For the complete list of locations, click here.

Volunteer Speak

"It was great fun, when the kids used their own imagination to create things. One team made a house while the other made a Zoo... We had an educational interactive session with the kids asking them to identify the animals shown to them on the laptop… We then took the kids out to the open pergola, where we had singing, dancing, story telling & other activities. It was lunch time by the time we wrapped up..."
- Volunteer Anand and 6 fellow volunteers on a trip to Bandipur to hang out with the local municipal school children. This group volunteers with the NGO, Vidyaniketan. (write-up) (photographs)

"I started my conversation with 95-year old Rajamma who has been here for the last 12 years, hoping that one day her long lost grandchildren will find her and come to meet her. Whoever comes to this home, she thinks, are her grandchildren. Smiling at me, she thinks I am her grandchild. I sat next to her just listening; I could not understand what she was speaking; yet there are some moments in life when language doesn't seem to matter..."
- Bangalore volunteer, Chendur Venkataraman on his visit to Jerome Home for the aged (write-up)

Our volunteers at Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled

"You (Prarthana-iVolunteer) have given me the right choice by placing me in Samarthanam. Teaching Yoga was an instant thought that occurred to me... Here, I not only teach, but I also learn in the process of teaching, which, according to me, is a splendid experience. These children are capable of a lot many things... it’s a great time sharing and value add to me and for this, I should be thanking you first, since, without you, it wouldn't have been possible."
- Dayakar, Bangalore

"… I am helping out at Samarthanam, teaching accountancy to a blind girl. I’ve also been requested to help out on a bit of fund raising - getting collection boxes made, identifying places to put them up, getting in touch with corporates... Overall, it is interesting."
- Sriram Ganeshan, Bangalore

Words of a virtual volunteer

"I enjoyed doing the volunteering stuff although this kind of work is more system related work rather than directly helping someone… But I guess there are different ways of doing good work to the society. Thanx a lot for giving me this chance and enabling me to get to know a lot of interesting people."
- Sunil Narendran, Bangalore

Valentine’s Day bash

iVolunteer Mumbai organised a unique Valentine’s Day celebration with 8 volunteers and 30 senior citizens of Manav Seva Sangh. The party kicked off with the screening of the Hindi comedy film, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro. This was followed with a round of snacks, sponsored and arranged by a generous volunteer. Later, the volunteers spent time chatting up their valentines, learning about their previous occupations and of course a long wish list of “must see” films for future visits.

Musical Volunteers

A group of musicians from Bangalore’s Brahmakumari’s World Spiritual Institution performed a musical programme at the Government Observation Home for Juvenile boys and later at the Government Reception Centre for women and children. The audience comprised 65 children and 40 women, all of whom enjoyed listening to the calming spiritual songs in Hindi and Kannada. The volunteers also gave a 30-minute lecture on spiritualism and conducted a 15–minute session on meditation.

iVolunteer: In The News

India Fellow: In The News

Visit our website www.iVolunteer.org.in or reach us at:

Delhi: 011-65672160 - delhi@iVolunteer.org.in
Mumbai: 022-26105235 - mumbai@iVolunteer.org.in
Bangalore: 080-41466568 - bangalore@iVolunteer.org.in
Chennai: 09840713498 - chennai@iVolunteer.org.in
Foreign Volunteers: contact - seema@iVolunteer.org.in
To volunteer overseas: contact - iVolunteer Overseas

For other cities or any other queries mail us at info@iVolunteer.org.in