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VOLUNTEER INDIA PLACEMENT

Placement Overview
Areas of focus
Application Requirements
Application Form
Testmonials
Notable Impacts
Travel and Accommodation
Important Documents

1. Introduction

Handi-Care Intl’s “Volunteer India” program is based on the ideas that you can:
  1. Offer your skills in a meaningful way to help those in need in India.
  2. Have an educational and cultural experience that will expand your horizons, enhance your knowledge, and be a life-changing experience for you.
To ensure that such an impact is made with a short term placement, the ground work is done in advance to establish the following criteria:
  1. Organizations are reputable, accountable and offer facilities and programs suitable for Canadian volunteers.
  2. Programs run by the organizations make a significant impact in their community leading to “life-changing” results.
  3. Experience gained by our volunteers will be significantly valuable both in an academic and social sense.
  4. Our volunteers make a meaningful contribution to the organization’s work.
  5. HCI does a thorough assessment of the organization, based on the criteria set above. We visit the organization to fully understand the work being done, and conduct a “Placement Assessment”.
  6. HCI has done such an assessment process and we have selected “Amar Seva Sangam” (ASSA) in South India for volunteer placements. HCI does the volunteer placements at “Amar Seva Sangam” (ASSA) in South India since 2004.

2. Placement Overview

Handi-care Intl. (www.handicareintl.org) invites you to experience its efforts first hand by participating in one of its volunteer programs. Volunteer placements are at an institution called Amar Seva Sangam (ASSA) in rural South India, which focuses on rehabilitation and education of disabled people through its school, vocational training centres, rehabilitation centre and medical clinic. More information about Amar Seva Sangam can be found at www.amarseva.org.

Handicare Intl. has created unforgettable volunteers experiences for students (high school and university) and professionals in health care and education. Through these placements, volunteers build invaluable leadership skills, gain cultural insights, cultivate lifelong friendships, and have fun. They return home with new perspectives on international development and a focus on future career goals. Many volunteers have subsequently found careers in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, teaching and medicine. Handicare Intl has been placing volunteers in India since 2004. So far, more than 40 Canadian volunteers have participated in our two primary areas of focus: education and medical / rehabilitation.

3. Areas of Focus

There are a wide variety of services that you can choose from, depending on the number of weeks / days you are able to offer your services as well as your area of expertise.

General areas available :

  • Playing / Tutoring children all ages with varying abilities.
  • Assisting with physio, speech or occupational therapy.
  • Mentoring / Counseling patients in Spinal Cord Injury unit
  • Teaching spoken English to youth / staff.
  • Assisting staff with computer related work.
  • Teaching dance / music / arts to children
  • Video editing
  • Medical related assistance
  • Office help
  • Research related help – data collection, analysis
  • Accounting help
  • Others as needed at the time of your visit

4. Application Requirements:

  • A fee of $300 CDN is payable to Handi-Care Intl. per week of placement. We recommend a minimum of 2 weeks..
  • Included in this are:
    • Room and board (3 vegetarian meals a day, and morning and afternoon tea)
    • Work related trips to adjacent villages
    • A tax receipt from HCI for the fees
  • Smoking and drinking are prohibited in the Amar Seva Sangam Campus.
  • Proper dress code and Conduct are expected from all volunteers.

5. Application Form

Interested applicants are asked to contact Handi-care Intl. at info@handicareintl.org. Please download the application and send it to us by mail, along with a photograph.

Download Application

POST VOLUNTEER FEEDBACK FORM

Each volunteer will complete a feed back form, up on completion of volunteer term. Please download form from the link below, complete and send to info@handicareintl.org

Download Feedback Form

6. Impact from our placements :

  • More than 40 HCI volunteers have been sent to ASSA and have all returned with raving reviews of their experience.
  • The Volunteer India experience has inspired and guided many volunteers to choose career paths that involve working with people with disabilities.
  • Following the volunteer experience, all of our student volunteers have been able to enter their desired field of study such as Education, Medicine, Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy. Our student and older volunteers have enjoyed contributing in various areas such as pschycological counselling, teaching English, arts, music, dance and helping in computer related area.
  • The experience of living in, giving to and receiving from a developing country has changed many of the volunteers’ perspectives and many have gone on to contribute significantly to their local and global communities.
  • HCI Volunteers have made significant contributions at ASSA. To name a few:
    • CPR/ First Aid training
    • Educational sessions in Autism and  Cerebral Palsy for special education teachers
    • HIV education for students
    • Training staff in enhanced physiotherapy assessment and treatment tools
    • Assessing and reporting on effectiveness of village based rehabilitation
    • Creating a proposal for a School for Special Education
  • Many volunteers have continued to work with HCI and ASSA after their volunteer placements.

7. Travel and Accommodation

8. Important Documents

Click here to view the “Volunteer India Handbook”.

Click here to view the testimonials.