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Karla Kevin and Ravi Bagaria recently completed a five week Atma Volunteership. This is their Atma experience in their own words.

Ravi: After having given our Final exams for becoming Chartered Accountants, Karla and I started looking for a volunteer opportunity. We had two months in hand and wanted to utilise it to the fullest by helping non-profits with their investments, financial and tax planning.

Karla: The first thing that set Atma apart from other NGOs was the professional manner that volunteer recruitment was done. I received prompt responses to emails and we went for a meeting at the Atma office where our volunteer role were defined from the very beginning. That illustrated how much Atma values their volunteers and their resources, which was refreshing and encouraging! I instantly knew Atma would be the place where Ravi and I could make the most of the time I’d set apart for volunteer work.

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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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Virginia Tarozzi came to Atma after spending 5 months travelling in Latin America, the US and South East Asia. She was looking for a change from the life of a traveller and wanted to re-engage in the working world by contributing to a social cause. However, she was not expecting the kind of professional development experience she received from Atma. She had hoped at best to teach children and feel good about a short-term impact. However, she found herself engaged in work that stimulated her creatively and challenged her professionally. With a Master’s degree in Fundraising and many years of work experience including fundraising at Oxfam Ireland, Virginia found a good fit for her background in a marketing role with Atma partner, The Foundation for Mother and Child Health (FMCH).

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Photograph by Annemarijn Boersma

Atma Graduated Partner CHIP works in BMC schools in Mumbai to improve the whole experience of each student, focusing on classroom infrastructure and educational offerings. CHIP is currently expanding its team: they are looking for dynamic, motivated professionals to work in the areas of accounting, office administration and resource management. Write to CHIP at chip.mumbai@gmail.com for full job descriptions.

Divya arrived in Mumbai in June 2010 to begin her Atma volunteership. Almost one year later, she looks back on her professional experience in the Mumbai social sector.

As a recent undergrad of Indian origin about to immerse myself in the Canadian corporate world, I was looking to contribute to the non-profit sector in India in a meaningful way.  I knew volunteering would provide perspective on international development issues, be personally fulfilling, and allow me to reconnect with my roots. While researching development sector opportunities, I was impressed by Atma’s professional website, well structured volunteer program, and defined volunteer roles. Atma’s extensive experience weaving volunteers from all over the world into the fabric of Mumbai assured me the transition would be smooth. Atma’s position as a ‘capacity builder’ also seemed like the ideal place to bridge my corporate experience with the non-profit sector.

I had worked in a variety of corporate internships and had volunteered in an ad hoc manner during my university career. However, I had very little experience as a full-time volunteer. My first and most important goal was to make an impact by using my skills in a meaningful way. Secondly, I was hoping for a better understanding of what life in India is like and what working in the non-profit sector is like. In short, I wanted to give of my skills to a cause I believed in, and take away a personal and professional development experience. (more…)

After finishing her BA in International Business, Simran Daryanani began considering working in the field of development. She knew that her classroom studies could only take her so far, and was looking for an opportunity to use her skills on the ground and gain professional experience. Her search for real hands-on social sector experience brought her to Atma.

In April, Simran finished a six-month Atma volunteership. Simran assisted with organisational development at Atma’s newest partner, the Foundation for Mother and Child Health (FMCH).FMCH aims to improve early childhood development by providing underprivileged communities with health and nutrition education as well as interventions such as clinics and nutrition supplement programs.

Photo by Jacek Rezsko

At FMCH, Simran found a challenging volunteer opportunity: one that allowed her to truly work on the ground in the strategic planning and programs of an NGO.

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CHIP became an Atma Graduated Partner this April, after completing 3 years of educational collaboration and learning with Atma. The Atma-CHIP relationship will evolve as CHIP joins the Atma Graduated Partners Program and Atma continues to play an advisory role in CHIP’s continuous growth and development.

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