Atma volunteers come from all over the world to undertake specific projects with measureable, concrete outcomes for Atma and our partner NGOs. The profile of an Atma volunteer is a proactive, independent professional who is an excellent communicator. The Atma volunteership is an opportunity to use professional skills in the development sector, which shapes the lives of thousands of children by laying a solid foundation in quality education.
Volunteering with Atma is a way to learn and engage with the NGO sector on the ground in Mumbai and offer concrete skills towards a specific project and goal. This results in a significant personal and professional development experience. Atma reached out to a few of our former volunteers to see how their professional development experience with Atma has changed their life paths.
Jonny Clarke
Jonny was one of Atma’s first volunteers. As a qualified English teacher from the UK, Jonny worked with Atma Partner Reality Gives on developing an English curriculum for their Youth Empowerment Program running in Dharavi. After his volunteership, Jonny went back to the UK to work as an English Teacher. His experience with Atma was so significant that he recently returned to Mumbai to continue his work with Atma Partner Reality Gives in Dharavi. Jonny has continued to play a very powerful and strategic role in the Atma-Reality Gives Partnership.
Divya Narayanan
Atma volunteer Divya worked on a monitoring and evaluation project for three months in 2010. She worked directly with Atma, using her BA in Business Administration to create strategies and tools for programs. Since finishing her Atma volunteership in September, Divya has been working with Bain, a global management consulting firm, as a consultant and has said that her time at Atma has brought a different perspective and wealth of experience to her work.
Bronwyn McBride
After finishing university exams, Bronwyn came to Mumbai from Canada in July 2010. She became an Atma volunteer and worked on documenting the programs and processes at Muskan School, a kindergarten run by Atma Partner Reality Gives. After three months of working with Atma and Reality Gives, Bronwyn was convinced that she wanted to continue in the development sector. After a brief visit to Canada, she returned to Mumbai on an AIESEC internship and has been assisting Atma with communications and outreach efforts.
Ameya Ambulkar
Ameya worked as an Atma volunteer doing research in education in 2010. His Atma volunteership was Ameya’s first experience in the social sector, and turned out to be life-changing for him. Ameya has completely shifted his career focus from business entrepreneurship to social entrepreneurship. He now designs educational tourism programs for a company called Edulab, which allows young professionals cultural and NGO experience through short-term volunteer and travel opportunities.
Volunteers are an integral part of the social change brought about by Atma: they contribute the time, energy and expertise needed to complete specific projects for Atma and Atma partners, and this supports the development of Quality Education for children all over Mumbai.
