Volunteer Projects

In India the English language is widely used, especially in relation to business and professional endeavours. By teaching underprivileged women and children this valuable skill, this project is creating opportunities for them to become more financially independent.

English is taught in local schools, but children struggle with speaking, conversational English, and simple confidence in their language skills. Projects can always use volunteers as English teachers, and the experience can be very rewarding. Volunteers certainly do not need to have previous experience teaching, as any exposure to English increases an individual's ability to speak the language. There are also opportunities to help local NGO staff improve their English skills.

These skills are important for securing potential job opportunities. The widespread use and availability of technology is still developing in India.

Any training underprivileged women and children have with computers will make them more desirable for future employers. The local staff of the NGO you work with will also likely appreciate training with computers. Volunteers can teach basic computer skills, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and e-mail, to individuals or in a group setting.

Self-Help Groups are designed to help underprivileged women empower themselves by creating a system that allows them to take out loans they would not otherwise have access to.

The amount and use of the loan is decided by each group, and they pay the loan back with the guiding support of Prime Trust. This project is best suited for volunteers staying for longer periods of time. Volunteers can train the local staff on how to use Excel to track the accounts of the over 250 microfinance groups. Additionally, many volunteers in the past have conducted research on this project concerning how it empowers women, the challenges of managing the debt, and how to effectively use the loan money to begin a business.

This centre teaches women valuable skills related to various employment opportunities around Pondicherry, specifically self-employment.

By allowing these women to earn money for themselves and their children, instead of relying solely on the men, they develop feelings of self-worth and confidence, allowing them to pursue additional opportunities for betterment. Volunteers can help with training women in nearly any handcraft that has the potential to be sold in Pondicherry.

A safe and structured environment where underprivileged and traumatized girls have the opportunity to focus on their studies and develop individually.

Because girls are often neglected in Indian society, this Home is incredibly important for the improvement of their lives, creating more opportunities in their futures. It is very beneficial to have volunteers work with the girls extensively during their stay, especially female volunteers. Volunteers can improve the girls' sense of self worth, increase their English skills, and simply have fun with them and allow them to just be kids.

Servicing more than 100 orphan, underprivileged, and/or differentially-abled boys.

This project is in constant need of support as the staff struggle to interact with all of the children to the extent they would like. Volunteers can socialize with the boys to increase their quality of life in the home, as well as assisting with day-to-day caretaking tasks.

Approximately 30 disabled women and girls stay in this home and are cared for by the limited staff.

Many of the girls remain in their beds the entire day and do not have much human interaction. Volunteers can help by assisting staff with feeding and bathing, in addition to socializing with the girls to increase their responsiveness and overall quality of life.

Many of the families we serve have a very difficult time covering their costs each month.

A child's school fees each year can be a great burden. Providing Child Sponsorships supports and protects the education opportunities for children in these struggling families. This program is in constant need of donors as there are always more children to support. Volunteers can help by spreading the word about the sponsorship program and attract more sponsors locally and abroad.