For over ten years Development in Action has been building strong partnerships with a network of Non-Governmental Organisations across India. All our partners are grass roots organistions that have been established and developed by responding to the continued needs and responses of local communities. Whilst these organisations vary in their size, structure they share a main aim of working toward the poverty reduction agenda and empowering Indian people.

Development in Action offers placements in these organisations to volunteers who are interested in gaining experience in an Indian NGO and participating hands on in their development work. As the work of our Indian Partner organisations is extremely varied, volunteer placements can range from child care and education to fundraising to research on health or environment projects. In each case each organisation has expressed an interest in having volunteers to assist them in their work and provide work experience that is valuable, sustainable and constructive. 

• Sewa Mandir, Indore, Madhya Pradesh

• Barli Development Institute for Rural Women, Indore, Madhya Pradesh

• Volontariat, Pondicherry

• Sharana, Pondicherry

• Action for Social Advancement (ASA), Gujarat

• Sewa Mandir, Udaipur, Rajasthan

• Deep Griha, Pune

• St. Gonsales, Vasai

Sewa Mandir, Indore, Madhya Pradesh 

Sewa Mandir is a small school for deaf and blind children between the ages of five and fourteen (approximately). Opened in 1921, Sewa Mandir uses the Montessori method of teaching, using games, stories, arts, music and drama to integrate the children in preparation for joining mainstream schools. The school is well-established and highly recognised in the community. It is well-equipped with a computer room, therapy resources (hearing aids, speech therapy equipment, etc.) and allows children to grow and attain their best through learning-by-doing and individual learning. Mr Jain, the school’s Principal, is dedicated to the school and is himself well- respected. His son, Nitin, also works at the school and there are a number of volunteers from Indore’s School of Social Work.

Barli Development Institute for Rural Women, Indore, Madhya Pradesh

The Barli Development Institute for Rural and Tribal Women was set up in 1985, originally to empower disadvantaged women living in small, rural communities around Indore . The Institute has now grown and is also training women from all over India . Barli runs two types of programme: year long training for Area Coordinators and a six month training for Community Volunteers. Each year, around 160 women are trained as Community Volunteers and 15 or so women as Area Coordinators. Their training is largely similar: Literacy; Vocational Skills such as batik work, tailoring and agriculture; Health; and Personality Development, which includes confidence building and rights awareness training. The main difference is that the Area Coordinators are learning to be trainers for their villages and communities, so take additional courses such as typing and teacher-training. The Area Coordinators also do much of the teaching throughout the year, supervised by the Institute’s trainer. Barli’s Health Curriculum, for example, is extensive and extremely effective. It creates in these women an awareness of essential subjects that include clean water and sanitation; pre and post-natal care; diseases such as leprosy and HIV; childhood immunisations; and how to make home remedies for common ailments. For more information please visit their new website: www.barli.org

Volontariat, Pondicherry

Volontariat is a non-political, non-profit, non-sectarian service organisation established in 1962 by Madeleine DeBlic, a Belgian Social Worker. The organisation is involved in activities ranging from children’s education through to child sponsorship; managing an agricultural farm; providing employment and rehabilitation for leprosy patients; training and employment in carpentry, screen-printing, bead jewelry, sewing, embroidery, patchwork quilting and cross-stitching; running two homes for the elderly of the local community; managing a home for street children and maintaining a foster-care programme; financing cardiac treatment for children and the formation of women’s empowerment groups.

Sharana, Pondicherry 

Sharana, founded by Rajkala in 2001, is quickly developing into a well-run, well-structured grassroots NGO. It currently runs a community programme with crèche, micro-credit scheme, dispensary, social worker and communal space in a village 14km south of Pondicherry. The work ethic of the organisation is based on continuous feedback and communication between the village and Sharana. The village chief donated the land for the centre; it is run by local volunteers and villagers and was inspired by the villagers themselves. It was a complete community project from inception to completion and involved the whole village. It is a very interesting project and an incredible achievement for a young NGO. Sharana also runs an NFE school in Pondicherry for working children, school drop-outs and marginalised children. It also provides remedial classes for school attendees in the evenings. The centre also provides extra-curricular activities and day trips during school holidays that volunteers are encouraged to become involved in.

Action for Social Advancement (ASA), Gujarat

ASA is an N.G.O. focusing on natural resource management in tribal villages. It is built on the firm belief that development had to be from inside and that the people, it offered an opportunity and faith restored in their own capabilities would do it on their on. The mission is to conduct an extensive and intensive participatory and sustainable development process through empowerment of local community and with special focus on the role of women and the socio-economically deprived sections of society. The organisation is based in Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and works within the contiguous and predominantly tribal surrounding areas. It currently operates over 2000 community groups.

Sewa Mandir, Udaipur, Rajasthan

Seva Mandir is a non-political and non-religious NGO which has been working in the Udaipur district of Rajasthan since 1969. Seva Mandir’s work aims to empower rural people through Natural Resources Development Programmes, Education, Health, Women and Child Development and Institution Building. They work in over 583 villages so be prepared for work in the field in isolated areas where cultural sensitivity is of great importance.

Deep Griha, Pune 

Deep Griha, meaning ‘Light House’, is an independent charitable organization that has been working to better the lives of people living in the slums of Pune since 1975. Their work involves a wide range of activities, including running a free dispensary and outpatient clinic, various childcare programmes such as crèches and balwadis, a basic nutrition scheme for slum children, a school dropout programme to reintegrate young people from the slums into the mainstream education system, coaching and technical training classes in subjects such as nursing, adult education classes, and the organization of women’s self-help groups and cooperatives. They run a rural project (‘City of Child’) which provides residential teaching and non-formal education activities for slum children. DeepGriha also runs a pioneering HIV/AIDS programme (DISHA – Deep Griha Integrated Service for HIV/AIDS) which aims to not only to provide medical treatment, education and good nutrition to people living with HIV/AIDS and people affected by HIV/AIDS but also to raise awareness and understanding within the community, thereby reducing the stigma attached to the disease. For more information see the Deep Griha website at www.deepgriha.org. 

St. Gonsales, Vasai 

St. Gonsales Garcia Ashram is an orphanage for about eighty boys between the ages of four and eighteen.  There is also a school attached for some of these boys and many boys and girls from the local community.  It was founded in 1926 by two Franciscan brothers and is attached to about five acres of land, which is used for farming and water-gathering, plus a rudimentary cricket and soccer pitch for the children.