INDIA PONDICHERRY. St. Annastraat 174, 6524 GT Nijmegen. Tel

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1 INDIA PONDICHERRY

2 India Pondicherry Put the power of change in the hands of the people who need it Volunteers: Min. 2 - max. 20 volunteers. Age: 18+ Project period: 3 weeks in July / August The exact period after consultation. Price: 505 (incl. guidance, accommodation, local transport, transfer from and to airport Chennai, administration costs local organization, and 75 material costs. Excl. meals). Project: Located in the city of Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu, Prime Trust focuses on programs that empower local women, enable rural and urban poor to become self-reliant, raise social awareness, and educate underprivileged children. Each year their reach grows, and more people are helped by its services due to collaboration with volunteers and other grassroots NGOs, as well as putting the power of change in the hands of the people who need it. Work IBO-volunteers can support manual activities such as painting, repair work of buildings and involving programs for children and women. Volunteers who have experience, can teach children. 1

3 More about the organisation Mission The mission of Prime Trust is to bring about social transformation through empowering the rural and the urban poor which enable them to become self-reliant. Located in the south Indian city of Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu state, they support women and children who find themselves in situations of poverty and injustice. And through programs meant to empower, educate, and engage under-represented individuals, they strive to create a world free from exploitation and discrimination where everyone has the opportunity to live their lives to their full potential. History Raised in a rural village in India, the founder S.M. Arasu witnessed first-hand the socialinequalities women faced on a daily basis, as well as the financial stress placed on families when only the male-members were providing income. These realities stayed with him as he went through boarding school to college to graduate studies, and, after becoming inspired by a nun who dedicated herself to social work, he returned home to create programs that not only provided opportunities for women to become economically independent, but also educated them on what their lives and their children s lives could be like if free from societal norms. The goal was to create change for people who needed it the most, and after the success of enacting these programs in his home village, Mr. Arasu and his family made it their mission to provide similar opportunities and education to more families by creating the non-profit organization Prime Trust. 12 years later, Prime Trust still focuses on programs that empower local women, enable rural and urban poor to become self-reliant, raise social awareness, and educate underprivileged children. Their reach is continually growing, and through strong partnerships with local and international NGOs, and through attracting a world-wide volunteer community, Prime Trust still fosters change in individual lives by all methods available, continually growing to help those served. They believe social transformation is possible, and dedicate ourselves to this outcome. Empowering Women The status of women in India is a complex story. Although in ancient times women possessed equal status with men and today many women hold high offices in the State women in India still face much discrimination and social challenges and are often subject to abuse and crime. To help combat this grim reality, Prime Trust actively believes that all women should be given a chance to earn the respect and opportunities they deserve from society. As such, one of their three core activities is empowering women. To this end, they run a number of programs, including supporting Self-Help Groups (SHGs), running vocational training centers to facilitate financial independence, and opening low fee daycare centers to ease the stress of supporting a family. 2

4 Educating Children Today, UNICEF estimates that India has the highest number of child laborers in the world, a total of 12 million, with many of this 12 million still living under the international poverty line. Though several factors continually contribute to this staggering number, the overall leading cause is a lack of educational opportunities provided for children. At Prime Trust they believe that there is no better way to pull a child out of a life of poverty than through education. As such they endeavor to enrich children s lives through educational and social programs including remedial schools, extra-curricular activities and child parliaments that generates future possibilities, and provides tools for children to use in a more rewarding way. Engaging Citizens Though India may have several sociological and ideological factors that interfere with social change, many citizens have strong beliefs on how their communities and nation should function. However, a lack of knowledge regarding certain topics can create feelings of helplessness, potentially blocking social progress. After all, how does one enact social change if they do not possess the correct tools needed to find solutions to very real problems? At Prime Trust, they make a point of tackling this issue directly by raising social awareness and creating opportunities for Indian citizens to become engaged. They organize seminars, health camps, and clean-up efforts meant to inform interested citizens, offering them the proper language and skills to use when thinking of, then acting on, the issues they face. 3

5 Several seminar topics and clean-up efforts include: health, specifically HIV/AIDS, diabetes, cancer, nutrition, tuberculosis, and other wellness-related topics; human rights such as domestic violence, women s and children s rights, gender equality, and self-appreciation; and environmental issues including misuse of plastics, renewable energy, rain water harvesting, tree planting, and the proper disposal of waste. Their goal is to present useful knowledge many Indian citizens may lack, allowing those citizens to understand and engage the social and physical realities they live with on a daily basis. Homeless shelter Prime Trust aims to establish a shelter for the homeless and offer them services in hopes of improving their quality of life. Their project will include empowerment, counselling, deaddiction, vocational training, etc. to help these individuals transition from a life of poverty into integrated members of their society. Long Term Goal To empower and support these individuals reintegrate into society without having to live on the streets. Challenge The urban poor and homeless individuals of Pondicherry suffer many challenges. The photo above shows children, sitting in what is their home. Entire families raise their young and live off the scarps they get from the streets. Though there is some government support available, these individuals struggle to find access to these limited resources. Their lack of financial resources, education and home stability result in them living in cycles of poverty and homelessness. 4

6 Support In 2017, we aim to support 10 homeless women with children at our Homeless Centre. At our Centre we will provide them services such as counselling, domestic violence protection, de-addiction and rehabilitation support. We will also arrange access to vocational training and micro-credit opportunities to help them achieve financial stability. Children will be provided proper education and access to any of the evening schools of Prime Trust. Accommodation IBO volunteers can be given shared and individual rooms Guest House: Currently the IVC headquarters serves as both the main office and guesthouse for volunteers whose projects are based in central Pondicherry. Facilities: The headquarters of Prime Trust is a large house based a short distance from Pondicherry city centre, in a typical Indian neighbourhood, which is packed with local amenities. The office is situated on the second floor, with living quarters on the ground floor. Prime Trust feels this is the best option for volunteers that are working in the area, as it is a way to get to know other volunteers well in addition to interacting fully with our staff. We have three large, airy bedrooms; two of which are en suite. Each bedroom has its own lock, and comes with a bed, storage facilities and fan. Prime Trust is offering the volunteers bed linen as well. There is also a further bathroom, and two shower rooms. We also have a fully equipped kitchen, spacious roof terrace, dining table and lounge area for the volunteers to use at their disposal. Meals Volunteers arrange and pay their own food. In the beginning new volunteers are introduced to places where they can eat and buy groceries. Volunteers can even cook if they want. There is a gas pit and a fridge. Besides that, in every corner of the streets there are lots of food facilities! Most of the time volunteers spend rp (around 2,80 to 5,60) per day on (veg) food and drinks. If you want to eat something like a pizza the costs are higher. Journey Fly to Chennai Airport, which is approximately 3 hours drive north of Pondicherry. Volunteers will be picked-up upon arrival. Before you book a flight, arrange with the other IBO volunteers that you arrive more or less on the same time. Guidelines Volunteering in India is an exciting opportunity but it is one that needs to be taken seriously. Out of respect for the people Prime Trust is helping, the volunteers you live with, and the 5

7 locals that live in our neighborhood, the following is a list of guidelines and requirements which Prime Trusts expects all our volunteers to follow. - Be sensitive to the culture and beliefs of all the people around you. - Respect the local dress code at all times. - Cause no public disturbance. - The dealing, use or possession of soft/hard drugs by guests or their visitors is strictly forbidden and shall lead to immediate eviction of the volunteer. - Not become involved in any illegal activities. - Inform us if you are sick or unable to work so we can make any arrangements. - Do not swear in the office or in the communities/projects. - Do not invite strangers into the office/project sites without permission. - Show respect to all those you are working with and for (including other volunteers). - Smoking inside our accommodations is strictly prohibited. - It is strictly prohibited to bring and rear pet animals inside the accommodations. - Be responsible for your own valuables. Please inform IBO-Netherlands about your travel details. To arrange before departure Book your own ticket(s) to the Chennai Airport Take out an insurance that covers volunteer work abroad. Bring your health insurance certificate. Apply for a certificate of good conduct. Check if your passport is still valid (at least six months) An Employment Visa These costs are for your own expense and are not included in the project contribution. Map 6

8 Contact IBO organizer: IBO-Nederland St. Annastraat GT Nijmegen Phone number IBO-Nederland: +31(0) Emergency phone of IBO organizer: +31(0)

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