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Having worked with development NGOs in the past, I knew I was looking for a volunteer placement in education. I’ve studied education in global contexts, and wanted to get a bit of grass-roots perspective outside of Australia. The way in which Atma works in partnership with other NGOs was also attractive, as it meant that there was more scope to learn more about the industry in general.

Having never visited India before, the opportunity to work in Mumbai was too good to pass up: I finalised my travel plans and arrived in India, ready to volunteer.

One of the first things I did in Mumbai was a 3 hour tour of the Dharavi slum with Reality Tours and Travel. To see a world that is completely different to anything in Australia, so soon after my touchdown in India, made it all very real. The Dharavi tour really illustrated what volunteering with Atma is about, who it’s for, and why the work that I’d be undertaking is important.

My first week with Atma was predominantly a process of learning and being inducted into the organisation. I’ve had a lot of meetings with Summer Starr, the Atma Partnerships Director, who oversees the Searching for Goodness NGO mapping project I’m working on. This has generally outlined areas of research so that I can get up to speed with the terrain of NGO work in Mumbai.

A few meetings with Atma Partner staff have helped to get another, deeper perspective on the work. The Atma Partner initiatives are just incredibly dynamic and creative. It’s great to be around people who are so passionate about their work.

My goals as an Atma volunteer are pretty wide-ranging. The opportunity to really develop a project, as I am now with the Searching for Goodness Project, and explore the direction it can go in is a big part of the appeal. I’ll be given a lot of freedom to try and define my own solutions to challenges that arise, and present them to Summer in order to take the project forward. There are few volunteer roles in the NGO sector that give you the same degree of autonomy. It’s very refreshing. Additionally, volunteering with Atma will give me a real opportunity to see how I might enjoy a career in the sector.

So far, I’m really enjoying working with everyone at Atma. It’s a small team, but clearly works well together. It’s inspiring to see cultural issues just dealt with pretty smoothly, and usually humorously. Atma also works hard to make the learning curve as smooth as possible. They make a great effort to help you find your way around, organise your housing, provide travel advice and include you in a ready-made social circle. I really look forward to diving into this project and creating a sustained impact in the development sector in Mumbai!

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.

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Photo by Kainaz Amaria

These children are students at a progressive kindergarten called Muskan, run by Atma Partner Reality Gives in Dharavi. The Muskan School curriculum is based on the Muktangan method, focusing on child-centered programs and a very low student to teacher ratio to ensure the highest quality education for their beneficiaries.

“I wondered if I would encounter resistance from management when it came to the direction of the organisation,” said Viren about his initial Atma volunteership expectations.

“However, the partner organization founders Chris and Krishna were very supportive of the ideas I had for the future of Reality Tours.”

Photo by Bronwyn McBride

Atma works in collaborative partnerships with Mumbai-based NGOs working in education, supporting their growth through consultancy, trainings and advocacy, and with professional volunteers like Viren.

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Kavita’s family is not from Dharavi, but her life has changed for the better because she lives there.

Kavita is nineteen, and the second youngest of five children. Her family is originally from Uttar Pradesh. In Dharavi, her father is a company manager and her mother is a housewife, as every other woman in her family has been.

After graduating from class ten, Kavita began to stay home to do housework. Two years ago though, Kavita heard about the Youth Empowerment Programme (YEP), one of Atma Partner Reality Gives’ initiatives. It’s a fifteen week course where young people from Dharavi can learn computer basics, English and soft skills.

“Reality Gives’ strength is their connection to the Dharavi community,” said Atma Partnerships Director Summer Starr. “Because of that connection, Reality Gives had identified the need for a community centre and skills programs for young adults.” Computers, English and soft skills were the specific skills that Atma and Reality Gives had determined would help the young adults in Dharavi to access employment opportunities.

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