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.

Accommodation

The accommodation consists of a two-story detached house in a suburb of Pune with seven two-bed bedrooms, three of which are en-suite and four of which utilise shared toilet and shower facilities. Volunteers have access to a washing machine, TV room and library, as well as several cupboards of teaching materials. All meals are provided by a cook, and the communal areas are cleaned on a daily basis. The wider area has a range of amenities within walking distance, including shops, restaurants and internet cafes, and the neighbourhood within which the house is located is quiet and safe (as is the city more generally).

About you

Deep Griha are currently extremely keen to recruit volunteers to assist in running their events and fundraising programme, which plays an essential role in raising awareness of the organization’s activities and providing funds to support its work. Amongst other things, this would involve helping to organize Deep Griha-affiliated events (such as charity cricket and football tournaments), coordinating press coverage, designing leaflets and other marketing material, developing the website as a fundraising tool, managing donor outreach programmes, and working to identify and develop future potential fundraising opportunities. It should be stressed that work in these areas does not need to be discrete or exclusive – for example, a volunteer may spend the majority of their time / working day focusing on events and fundraising, but may also spend some time on more applied development work such as English teaching or working with beneficiaries on the DISHA project. Deep Griha are happy to be flexible in adjusting schedules and are keen to shape the posts around the individual preferences of volunteers.

Regarding more general volunteering opportunities, past volunteers have also been involved in teaching English to staff/students at various levels; working in the crèche or balwadis singing songs, playing games, making crafts, etc.; working with the school dropout kids playing games or helping them to learn basic English; worked at City of Child planting banana trees, and working on the kitchen garden, or playing cricket, games, etc. with the kids and helping with discipline and homework; or assisted with IT-related issues such as helping keep computers virus free, creating networks, updating the website, contributing to our blog, designing brochures, etc. Deep Griha are also currently particularly keen to recruit trained TEFL teachers to oversee the staff English programme. In common with almost all placements, those who would enjoy and benefit most from the experience of working at this placement are confident, self-actuating individuals with a high degree of personal initiative. Ideally the minimum we would aim to recruit for this placement is volunteers with proven analytical abilities and at least some previous developmental exposure.  There may be additional costs incurred.