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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!”

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!

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.

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.

Photograph by Bronwyn McBride

Yesterday, Atma celebrated the work of two fantastic volunteers: Amie and Elisa. Amie from Sri Lanka has worked with Atma over the past month on HR, creating manuals and contracts. Elisa from France has been supporting Atma Partner The Foundation for Mother and Child Health in creating a workshop plan to address the dynamics of their growing organisation. We are sad to see Amie and Elisa leave us, and hope they return to Mumbai to visit!

This commentary on the Right to Education Act was written by Farida Asrani from CHILDReach and Bronwyn McBride from Atma.

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act came into effect on April 1, 2010. The act serves to ensure that every child has the right and entitlement to a quality elementary education and that the State, with the help of families and communities, fulfills this obligation.

The Right to Education Act is a positive milestone for India: it aims to guarantee access to education for children for low income families and to ensure that every child completes a minimum of 8 years of schooling. However, certain sections of the Act pose challenges for schools offering alternatives to a mainstream education.

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What if you could volunteer from home to support projects anywhere in the world? What if you could complete a piece of a project in 30 minutes to contribute to a larger project for an NGO like Atma based anywhere across the globe?

Professionals all over the world recognize the value of volunteering, for both personal and professional development. However, volunteer opportunities that are time consuming and require an upfront commitment aren’t accessible to everyone.

Micro-volunteering, otherwise known as virtual or e-volunteering, is defined by working online to complete specific tasks that may fall under the umbrella of a bigger project. Micro-volunteering engages individuals with skills across the areas of IT, blogging, fundraising, HR, research, design and social media. A micro-volunteer can put his or her specific technical expertise towards an NGO project, from anywhere in the world, contributing as much or as little time as they have available.

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An open letter from Summer Starr, Atma Partnerships Director

In 2004, I graduated from the University of Washington. Armed with a BA in International Development, I flew to Kenya to “change the world”. What I discovered was that neither I nor the organisation I went to work with were prepared to utilize my skills in the most effective manner.  As a young person with minimal work experience, I lacked the perspective and skills the organisation truly needed, and the organisation was not prepared to use the skills I did have.

In not being able to make the impact I wanted, I felt disillusioned. This experience pushed me to “step up my game”. I realized that passion was not enough: I needed to gain experience so that I could maximize my impact and contribute in a meaningful way. In addition, I needed to look for volunteer opportunities with clearly defined roles that fit my talents and expertise.

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In 2011, The Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon raised 12.16 crores towards charities and NGOs across Mumbai. Through their participation in the Marathon, 138 corporate companies played a large role in the fundraising effort.

Over the past 11 years, the Marathon has grown into a fantastic event for NGOs, corporates and individuals to come together towards creating social impact. Why should a corporate company take advantage of the incredible exposure and community engagement opportunity that comes with the Race day?

Photo by Cory Goldberg

The Corporate Challenge is a category which allows corporate companies to participate in the Mumbai Marathon on behalf of a nonprofit organisation of their choice. Besides the visibility and exposure provided by the large scale event, there are multiple other benefits for corporate companies that choose to engage in the Marathon.

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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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