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Anna Hankimaa, an HR professional from Finland is finding herself both challenged and satisfied through helping Atma Partner Masoom develop their HR management & processes.

Thorough HR systems for Masoom will create a strong work force with lower staff turn-over, allowing Masoom to maximize their resources and spend more time focusing on programs. Atma has been supporting Masoom on strengthening their HR processes over the past quarter, and brought Anna in at a key time to be able to carry the development of HR documents and programs, and the implementation of new systems. Anna is a training and marketing expert, having taught marketing and worked as a consultant providing trainings. Since Anna began as an Atma Volunteer two months ago, this HR strengthening process has truly taken off. Here is Anna’s report on her experience as an Atma volunteer with Masoom.

“A challenge in the beginning is to try to understand the organisation’s culture and their way of working, thinking and collaborating. For that, you need someone from the organisation who has time to teach you and work with you. I’ve been lucky to have such a person, Lakshmi Jayakar, who knows Masoom in and out. We’ve been working as a team on this project.”

Masoom has been an Atma Partner since April 2010. When Atma volunteers are placed with partners, Atma remains a holistic support to the volunteer, allowing them to concentrate their efforts on their partner progress. The Atma Volunteer orientation ensured that Anna was well equipped to take on the HR requirements for Masoom. In addition to all the necessary information about the Atma Partner to start work there, Anna received constant aid and direction from Atma in her work with Masoom.

“I’ve worked in many organizations in the corporate and education sector, including consultancy which I think has provided me tools to do this. However, this is my very first time working in India, in the NGO sector and as a volunteer in organisations like Atma and Masoom. These factors have provided a great and enjoyable opportunity to learn.

The change that the new HR documents and programs will bring about will be seen in the coming weeks and months as the new handbooks, templates, induction programs and HR processes are being implemented. The implementation is quite concrete as there are a few new employees joining, and the processes, documents and HR responsibilities are now on ‘real life trial’. There’s definitely a learning curve, but so far, it looks good! The long term impact depends very much on consistency in adapting and following the new ways of working. I’ll be overseeing this as much as possible during March & April.

Atma has been consistent and supportive, providing a space for me to share my HR expertise with an Atma Partner who requires it. My experience with the Masoom team has also been very positive. Getting to know them has inspired me in the project since I’m working for them in trying to create structures, processes, templates that make their work more effective.  Knowing the organizational culture gives context, and hopefully has helped me to make solutions fitting to the organization’s reality. I’ve done nothing alone: everything has been through teamwork with Masoom, and especially with Lakshmi. Conversations with Lakshmi have been very fruitful, and crucial to the success of this project. The CEO’s constant feedback has been important in guiding the project. It is in the end her who makes the change happen, or not by believing in the project and requiring the organization to adapt and follow. Thus, I feel the outputs cannot be said to be provided by me although I’ve written them. The input from others has been huge!”

Geoff is a Math and Economics student at Linfield College in Portland, Oregon. In the whole Linfield group of 10 students, Geoff was the only male volunteer. This is his account of his Atma volunteership. Thanks for coming, Geoff!

I was initially attracted towards Atma because of the wide range of NGOs that Atma serves and the enormous list of opportunities to get involved. All of my prior volunteer work had been within my local community: I’d typically worked with younger students on basic skills such reading and writing. I also have experience volunteering in city parks, working on improving the grounds. I was drawn to the Atma volunteership because I prefer volunteering with sustainable projects that can impact a number of people.

My goal with Atma was to help in whatever would be the most beneficial to the specific NGOs, whether it was creating a rooftop garden or painting a kindergarten classroom. I also was hoping to gain insight about the lifestyle and culture in Mumbai, and the current organizations in place working to serve the community.

It’s hard to describe a typical day but our group was usually out the door by 9am every morning to work on a project. We’d have lunch break around noon and then work again until 5ish. While on site, we had ample opportunity to meet people involved with the specific NGO as well as the students we were serving. Anand, the SPROUTS Founder, was very knowledgeable. His enthusiasm and passion for his work made volunteering with the project much more fun and exciting.

One of the most meaningful events for me was during part of our time working with SPROUTS at St. Catherine’s Home. The girls living at the orphanage are so kind and curious, and wanted to spend as much time as they could with us. By the end of our work at the orphanage, we were playing games and communicating with each other despite the language barrier. That was very special for me personally.

I think the most challenging part of the entire experience was having to leave so quickly after forming so many relationships with amazing people.

To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect from the experience. However, everything we participated in exceeded all ideas I had. Each NGO cared so much about their mission that it felt like a privilege to be able to work with such dedicated people. Although many of the projects we assisted with were similar to what I have participated in at home, the experience seemed much more meaningful and affected me in a much more powerful way. To see the hard work and devotion of so many people made the experience exponentially better.

I had so many favourite moments throughout our volunteership, but one of my favourites was seeing the students’ faces light up when they saw the mural we had painted in their classroom. It was a very emotional moment that cannot be articulated in writing.

The entire Atma staff is doing amazing work and if were not for them, our experience would not have been nearly as rewarding. Much of our amazing trip can be attributed to the employees and interns at Atma, and I would like to thank each and every person working there for their enthusiasm and assistance during our time in India.

Would I do this again? In an instant. It has been one of the most life-changing experiences of my life. Even in our short time in Mumbai, I already feel a sense of connection to the people and culture and would seek the opportunity to go back. Working with SPROUTS and CHIP was extremely rewarding. I believe that I took away just as much from the experience as I was able to provide.

We are so grateful to each and every individual who came out to celebrate 5 years of Quality Education at Blue Frog on March 14th. A very special thank you to Cory Goldberg who did the photography for the evening!

Iza Viola photography

Our previous tagline was “Partners in Educational Development.” We wanted to create a new tagline that would truly embody Atma’s true vision and mission as a nonprofit organisation.

Thanks to each and every person who voted to help us decide on Atma’s new tagline. We appreciate your input and are excited to announce the winner of our poll!

Atma:

Strengthening organisations to impact Education.

Atma has been thrilled to welcome two members from our Dutch Chapter, Martine and Nathalie, to visit Atma’s projects in Mumbai.

Atma has several international chapters across the globe: in Australia, the Netherlands, Canada. Atma Netherlands is the largest international chapter and has been heavily involved in Atma’s work since our founding in 2007.

Atma Netherlands has previously conducted fundraisers and events to raise awareness about Atma’s work in Mumbai and to generate donations. Dutch Board members visit Mumbai regularly to witness and engage in Atma’s work with our partners. This February, Atma (Mumbai) has the privilege of hosting Martine and Nathalie. They had this to say about their visit so far:

“It is great to finally be in India, and so much fun to be in the chaotic and colourful city-life of Mumbai. And it is even better to be part of the Atma experience for a week! During this week packed with meetings, site visits and time with the team, we got the chance to catch experience Atma’s impact on Atma Partners.

One of the Atma Partners we visited was Masoom. Nikita Ketkar, the founder of Masoom took us to one of the Masoom night schools. It was inspiring to see the dedication of each night school student. During this visit, Masoom was called “the heart and soul of the night school” by the school’s headmaster for all that they add to his school. Masoom told us that Atma’s support has been crucial in the growth and expansion of their organisation.

Being in India and witnessing the projects Atma is working with makes us thankful and proud: thankful to be part of the Atma family, and proud to see the impact Atma is making.Going back to the Netherlands, we will be even more motivated to support the Mumbai team in the work they do.”

What’s coming up for Atma Netherlands? The Atma Dutch chapter is very busy organising their biggest funding event the Atma Challenge. The 2012 Atma Challenge will bring together 30 people to climb the Mera Peak in Nepal, a mountain of approx. 6500m. The participants will young professionals between the age of 25 and 30. The Atma Challenge is off to a great start with 100 people attending the 2 information sessions held last week.

By March 15, the group of 30 that will take on the challenge will be selected. Between March and October, the team will go through a preparation phase will take place including physical training, team building and fundraising. The Challenge team targets to raise a total of EUR 60,000 for Atma.

The expedition will take place in Oct-Nov 2012 and will take 3 weeks. After the mountain climb, the group hopes to visit Atma in Mumbai to witness the impact of their efforts.

Atma is so honoured to have the Dutch Chapter so engaged and committed to supporting Atma’s work in Mumbai. To learn more about the Atma Challenge, visit www.atmachallenge.org or write to resources@atma.org.in. Stay tuned for stories and photos to come!

Haritha is a 2^nd year Biochemistry student at Linfield College in Portland, Oregon. She recently travelled to Mumbai with eight other classmates and two professors to volunteer with Atma and learn about local social projects. Atma was thrilled to receive the Linfield students, as they were a passionate and enthusiastic group. Haritha’s volunteer report is the first in a series from the Linfield students.

I learned about the Atma Volunteer trip to Mumbai through my college January term class. I’d previously volunteered at the American Red Cross, a hospital and a soup kitchen, but nothing like what we would do in India. I came into the experience knowing that what my classmates and I contributed would be something valuable for local NGOs in the future.

A typical day in Mumbai meant leaving our room at 9AM to head to either SPROUTS, an environmentally-focused organisation, or CHIP, an Atma Graduated Partner and educational NGO. As a team, we’d work on projects throughout the day, usually finishing after 5PM. These projects ranged from helping prepare rough ground to plant a community garden in an orphanage, to painting murals in kindergarten classes. Our experience was facilitated and guided by Atma and leaders from local organisations. In the evening, we were able to taste a little more of Mumbai by heading out to eat or do some shopping.

I really enjoyed working with Atma: I was thankful of how much they helped us get us introduced and integrated into Mumbai and the social sector.

Atma gave us the opportunity to meet incredible leaders. Anand Pendharkar, SPROUTS Founder, was one of the most inspirational person I met, because he is so passionate about his work towards the environment. Listening to Anand talk about the butterfly effect where small changes lead to big changes in the future was a specific conversation that was meaningful to me.

One of my favourite moments of the entire trip took place while working with SPROUTS at St. Catherine’s Home: an orphanage for HIV positive girls. We were so thrilled when the girls came out and started helping us on the vegetable farm. They even introduced us to some of the games they knew, and by the end of our work at SPROUTS, they were calling all the girls “Didi” and all the guys “Uncle.”

Would I do this again?  Yes, because of the amazing relationships you can build with passionate NGO leaders who are doing their part to build a better future for India. Thank you Atma, for the experience!

Apne Aap Women’s Collective (AAWC) was founded in 1998 to bring empowerment, education and opportunity to a very isolated and under-served section of society: women in brothel-based prostitution and their children. Atma is excited to announce that AAWC has become an Atma Partner.

Atma’s staff are very excited to be working with Apne Aap Women’s Collective and addressing the very complex world which keeps women and their daughters trapped in a cycle of slavery. AAWC runs three unique programs in Mumbai’s red-light districts, all of which support the holistic education and development of women who are prostitutes and their daughters.

Umeed is a program which serves the needs of women working in prostitution in the Grant Road area. Through Umeed, AAWC provides psycho-social counseling, vocational training and literacy workshops, and support in gaining essential documents like ration and pan cards. Umeed also provides financial planning assistance, health support and fun recreational outings to the women, creating a real sense of community and security.

Udaan supports the daughters of women in the red light area through education and opportunities to develop a future outside the brothel. They offer resources to help girls aged 6-18 pursue their education through enrollment support, after school tutorials, assistance towards pursuing higher education, and counseling and mentorship along the way.

Umang is a program that nurtures children from 2.5 – 5 years old, by providing a safe and healthy environment. Umang introduces children to education through preparatory classes and supports their health and nutrition needs to give them the best possible start.

Atma is excited about working with such a detail-oriented organisation because AAWC is also building capacity and creating education at a very personal and individual level: in the lives of women and girls. Their mission of providing education, tools, resources and a supportive platform to women and girls falls directly in line with Atma’s vision of Quality Education.

Through the Atma Partnerships Program, AAWC will be working to further strengthen their organisation. Atma is currently engaging in an audit process of the monitoring and evaluation processes used by AAWC, with plans to build a comprehensive management information system. Later in the year, we will be examining further expansion of AAWC programs.

AAWC have big plans for their programs and for future growth. The Atma Model is designed to support organisation like AAWC to create and implement the systems and programs that will allow their organisation to grow and expand sustainably. Atma looks forward to learning and growing with AAWC through our Atma Partnership.

Atma is excited to announce the arrival of our 2010-2011 Annual Report!

Atma Annual Report 2010-2011

Our Annual Report is a broad overview of Atma’s activities and growth over the past financial year. It includes Atma Partnership updates, reports on Partner beneficiaries, and a special focus on Atma volunteers. Atma’s annual income and expenditure statements are also featured in an effort towards full transparency and disclosure.

Atma is grateful to everyone who made 2010-2011 a fantastic year for Atma and our vision of Quality Education for all children. We look forward to completing another impactful year.

Aapne Aap Women’s Collective (AAWC) is an NGO that works with one of the most underprivileged and isolated sections of Mumbai’s society – women in brothel-based prostitution and their children.

Yesterday, Atma staff had the privilege of going on a site visit and learning about AAWC’s vision from Manju Vyas, AAWC Director. We thank AAWC for a wonderful site visit and look forward to learning more about their work.