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Before getting into the details of my experience with Atma Graduated Partner CHIP, I feel obliged to tell you a little bit about how I caught the bug for philanthropy and volunteer work. It all started in the 12th grade when I went on a school-organized trip with my classmates. There were two components to the trip: a service/school rebuilding component and an adventure/safari component. The latter was the main selling point for me prior to the trip. However, something about spending time with the children at the school ignited a spark in me. This spark was enough for me to convince my friends to head out on a similar, but highly service oriented trip to Cambodia. AfterCambodia, the spark developed into a flame.

Going into college, service became a big part of my life on campus and I was heavily involved in a lot of social justice groups. But this wasn’t enough. I had to step it up a notch, so I decided to major in Social Entrepreneurship to look at possible career paths. It was with this goal in mind that I came to India and accepted an Atma Volunteership.

The first day I walked into the Atma office, I saw three words on a small whiteboard; ‘Sustainability’, ‘Impact,’ and ‘Scale.’ It is then that I knew that I was in the right place. Through Atma Graduated Partner CHIP, I was given the freedom to run and perfect the model of a face-to-face fundraising campaign at Hypercity, one of India’s largest hypermarkets, and was able to attend meetings with some of CHIP’s highest and most important donors. In addition to this, I was entrusted with designing a Diwali Camp program for the children at CHIP schools, developed grant proposals, designed fundraising and marketing media, and assisted in any other school-related activities. This diverse array of responsibilities gave me a holistic view of what it is like to work for and run an educational NGO, which is crucial for an aspiring Social Entrepreneur like myself. My favorite moments were whenever we counted the money raised from the CHIP fundraisers. It all comes back to one of those words on that board: ‘Sustainability.’ Money doesn’t just make the world go round, it makes the NGO sector go round. Sure, you learn about it in textbooks but to experience it first hand is something else. I never expected to be in such an intellectually and professionally stimulating environment, but Atma and CHIP definitely delivered.

The Atma Volunteer experience wasn’t just part-time volunteering: it was a valuable work experience, fostered by an intelligent, experienced, and supportive team of people who have made service their career. To be able to share an office with them and learn from them was all I asked prior to this experience. The way I see it, I got a pretty sweet deal. So would I consider doing this again? Read this article right from the top and you will realize that this question answers itself.

I’d like to thank all of the wonderful people at Atma and the CHIP office. Thanks for accepting me as part of the team. Thanks to Novela Corda, CHIP Executive Director, for giving me the freedom to be myself and do my own thing. Thanks to Summer Starr and Atma, who recruited me and facilitated my volunteership. My experience in Mumbai would be incomplete without all of you.

The 2012 Mumbai Marathon is only two weeks away. Atma has participated in the Mumbai Marathon for the past 4 years. This year, the Atma Marathon Team consists of over 260 people, running in the 6KM Dream Run, the Half or Full Marathon categories on behalf of Quality Education.

The Mumbai Marathon is India’s largest fundraiser. A core goal of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon is to raise funds and awareness for charities and NGOs across India.

We’re proud to have the commitment of corporate companies and individuals for the Atma Marathon Campaign. These people are running for Atma because they believe that Education is what will lead India into a bright future.

All contributions through the Mumbai Marathon go directly to support the Atma Partnerships Program. Running the Marathon with Atma means supporting Atma Partners and their work in making Quality Education accessible for underprivileged children and young adults across Mumbai.

Of our 260 Atma Marathon Team members, many have chosen to pledge raise to make an even bigger impact on Education in Mumbai. Some individuals have already raised over Rs 25,000 each, and are continuing to raise money over the final two weeks before the Race day.

It’s not too late to contribute to the Atma Marathon Campaign. Whether you are running as an individual or not running at all, you can join the Atma Marathon Team by making a contribution to support the Atma Partnerships Program.

To donate in India (pan card holders):
www.atma.org.in/donate

To donate internationally:
www.atma-australia.org.au/#!donate

Thank you for  your belief in the ability of education to change a child’s future. Contribute today to join the Atma Marathon Campaign.

Atma works in collaborative partnership with dynamic educational NGOs in Mumbai, supporting their changing organisational needs through the Atma Model: a unique blend of consultancy, skilled volunteers, workshops and advocacy.

Atma’s consultancy service is the base of the Atma Model. The Atma Partnerships Director meets with each Atma Partner regularly to strategise and create area-specific growth plans.

Summer Starr has been with Atma since October 2010 as Partnerships Director. She has supported our current Atma Partners on a holistic level, facilitating their growth and expansion over the past year. Summer’s dedication to high standards for individuals, organisations and for the development sector as a whole have inspired each person she has worked with to raise the bar and apply best practices to their organisations and their own job roles.

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I was drawn to Atma because of their professional approach. The whole application process was extremely structured, which assured me that volunteering at Atma would be valuable and the projects would be productive. Furthermore, its objective of quality education was something I wanted to work for. Keeping that in mind, I set concrete internship goals.

As a high school student, I volunteered at local orphanages: there, I would read to kids and teach them English and Hindi letters. The positive part of that volunteer work was that I got to observe children’s behaviour and interact with them. The flipside was that I could not bring about sustained change. With Atma, I looked forward to being a part of the educational program designing in working with Atma Partner CHILDReach, a school for children with learning difficulties. Here, I could take my experience in the classroom and create lasting materials that would be used even after my time at Atma was over. This would ensure that my work would have a long-term impact.

My goals from this internship were:

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Rabiya is 12 years old, and the best English student in her class. Since becoming a student at CHILDReach, an Atma Partner school, Rabiya has been able to excel in subjects that were previously inaccessible to her. This is because CHILDReach offers Rabiya a classroom environment and specialized attention that supports her unique learning style.

Photo by Neha Kumthekar (more…)

The Foundation for Mother and Child Health India (FMCH) improves the lives of mothers and children by providing programs focused on preventative healthcare, education, and nutritional interventions to underprivileged communities. Founded in 2005 in Indonesia, FMCH believes that a child’s development in the early years of their life is a foundation for their future educational and personal development.

Malnutrition in children is the result of several factors, most of which fall under a lack of access to resources and education. A limited family income, poor knowledge of basic nutrition and hygiene practices, and limited access to medical support, safe water and proper accommodation all contribute to the issue of child malnutrition. FMCH’s mission is to tackle malnutrition in innovative ways. Through medical clinics, health talks, home visits and cooking and parenting classes, FMCH approaches early childhood development and health from multiple angles. By addressing health issues and malnutrition in pregnant women, infants and young children, and by teaching proper nutrition, they focus on the holistic development of the child and empower women to make smart health choices for their families.

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By Hayley Bolding, Atma Founder

At Atma we believe that any “issue” an organization faces is merely a challenge, and that having a “challenge” rather than “problem” focused outlook encourages innovative solutions towards helping the organization to grow.

Founded to tackle the educational challenges faced by Mumbai’s underprivileged, Atma recognizes that the greatest impact is in building capacity within the key people and organizations creating change in India – the innovative NGOs that are our Atma Partners.

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On Sunday August 7th 2011, Atma was featured in the Midday News as a leader amongst the hundreds of NGOs that participate in the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon every year. The Mumbai Marathon provides a fantastic platform for fundraising and cooperation between NGOs across India. Read the complete article, or write to Bronwyn or Lisa at  marathon@atma.org.in to sign up for Mumbai’s largest community event!

In 2010 Emily Quinan came to India for the first time from Canada on an AIESEC internship to teach as a volunteer at a school for children with special needs in Kerala. Through this experience, Emily glimpsed the challenges faced by the NGO sector in India. She also realized that although teaching for a short period was a rewarding experience, her time in Kerala didn’t have a long term impact on the NGO or the community.

So, when Emily graduated with a BA in psychology from McGill University, she began looking for a way to engage in capacity building that would have a more lasting impact. “I was drawn to what Atma does because I realised that there are so many NGOs in India that aren’t running to the best of their ability,” said Emily Quinan of her initial attraction to working with Atma.  Emily saw the potential of NGOs to facilitate change, but also observed that organisations often need someone to devote their time and expertise to take projects ahead. Emily was also looking for an opportunity to gain professional experience and use her expertise in the field of education. Before coming to India, Emily had done significant research in the fields of special education, effective motivation and praise, and teaching methods for children with special needs. Based on her research in the Interpersonal Relationships lab and Language and Memory lab at McGill,her background working with children with learning difficulties and her interest in curriculum design, Emily was paired with Atma Partner CHILDReach to develop an English Curriculum for children with learning difficulties.

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“One of my high school teachers once said to me, ‘If you’re not doing something about it, you don’t get to complain about it.’ The most important thing I have learned over the past 4 years is that talk is meaningless. It’s not enough to complain about the problems we see in the world today, the only way to make change is to stop complaining and start doing. Action does not just speak louder than words, it is the only thing that will create change.”

Atma began with an idea. Mumbai has thousands of NGOs that are founded by passionate social entrepreneurs who have an incredible vision. However, most NGOs struggle with a lack of resources which prevents them from truly achieving their goals and effectively reaching underprivileged children and young adults in Mumbai.

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