Volunteers
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HEAD OFFICE
Volunteer in Fundraising and PR
Fundraising is a continuous process in The Banyan; funds are sorely needed and expenditure grows by the day. The fundraising team uses many methods such as monthly membership schemes, sponsorship and fundraising events. Volunteers are always needed in maintaining contact with donators and generating new fundraising and PR ideas. Specifically volunteers are needed in the following areas;
- Assisting with process of donation boxes- collecting data on effectiveness of program, logging collections etc
- Expertise in design, web design, technology or creative writing (for proposals, response letters etc).
- Need people with experience or knowledge in PR and event management.
Volunteer in Human Resources
The Banyan has a very newly updated human resources department which is looking for volunteers with the following interests/skills;
- Interest in Human Resources Work
- Basic hands-on experience (best in the HR sector)
- Basic theoretical knowledge in a related area (organizational or motivational psychology, training, economics, group processes, management consulting...)
- Ablility to take on responsibility for small project under guidance.
Volunteer in Administrative Services
The Banyan has a very busy administrative department that is always in need of volunteer help in the following areas:
- Help with filing and data input.
- Help with vouching in the finance department.
PROJECT BASED
Volunteer for Mental Health Helpline - Dial 100
Dial 100 was setup to establish an effective and humane way of helping people living on the streets of Chennai. The Banyan has linked with police so that when a mentally ill homeless person is reported to the police, The Banyan is informed and can go and pick the person up, have them assessed and refer them to the best agency such as the government run Institute of Mental Health (IMH). Once there, staff help in the recovery process and rehabilitate them, helping them to return to their family or to get a job and live independently. Dial 100 is also a source of free psychiatric, medical and health advice. There is a constant and ongoing need for volunteers to help as much as they can in any of the following areas;
- Translation of various Indian languages particularly Bangali.
- Work in the Institute of Mental Health wards teaching skills such as patchworks and handicrafts.
- Accompanying mentally ill people during admission at IMH.
Volunteer in Transit Care
Transit care is where women are first taken when they are rescued from the streets. They are given personal, social and psychiatric care and live in a ward until they recover and can be rehabilitated. There is a constant and ongoing need for volunteers to help as much as they can in the following areas;
- Help psychologists/social workers to do mental status examinations and administer psychological tests for the residents.
- Help training health care staff on grooming, stress reduction programmes, time management, first aid, HIV and AIDS awareness etc.
- Training residents in tailoring, gardening, embroidery, house keeping.
- Accompany residents during outings.
- Translation of languages like Oriya, Bihari and all North Indian languages.
- Organize more vocational training or entertainment for the women.
Volunteer in Rehabilitation and Aftercare
Once residents have recovered and are able to function well; such as self care and employment, the rehabilitation and aftercare team facilitate the women to find their families, get jobs or find long-term residential solutions. Once residents have moved on, the team keep in contact with the women to problem solve and prevent relapse. There is a constant and ongoing need for volunteers to help as much as they can in the following areas;
- Translating – particularly Hindi but also other Indian languages such as Kannada, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarathi, Bihari, Bengali, Punjabi, Assamese and Oriya.
- To accompany staff and residents on rehab trips – need flexible volunteers because these trips stretch all over India.
- To go on home visits (experience of social work desirable).
- To teach skills to the women such as cooking or handicrafts.
Volunteer for the Protected Community
The Protected Community houses 58 women who are unable to return home to their families or to live independently. The women receive shelter, food, clothing, safety and friendship. They all undertake vocational training and make items for the spice route store. There is a constant and ongoing need for volunteers to help as much as they can in any of the following areas;
- To help with or run activities with the residents (cooking, embroidery, sewing or any skill that can be taught to the women.)
- Hindi speakers would be very useful to be translators and interact with Hindi speaking residents.
Volunteer for the Community Mental Health Project
The Community Mental Health Project was set up to help the people of a rural village, Kovalam, outside of Chennai. It organizes community outreach and home visits as well as creating awareness about mental health issues and tackling stigma and taboos. It is creating a template to demonstrate to government initiatives that humane and accessible care is vital. There is a constant and ongoing need for volunteers to help as much as they can in any of the following areas;
- Setting up of the hospital systems in the Health Centre.
- Help with systems of the pharmacy (such as stocks).
- Help in teaching English to the children from the community who are already coming for tuitions.
- Help with vocational training of Self Help Group members.
Volunteer for Spice Route
Spice Route is a Banyan Social Enterprise Initiative that aims to generate funds to become a self reliant organization. The rural Spice Route started as a store and cafe run by the women’s Self Help Group. The women receive a wage and all profits go to The Banyan. The store sells products made by the VT or vocational training group of women; bags, jewelry and clothes, as well as products from other NGOs all over India. We are now expanding into the city as well.
The Banyan participates in regular exhibitions where we have stalls selling the VT products and promoting the Banyan through interaction and take away literature.
There is a constant and ongoing need for volunteers to help as much as they can in any of the following areas:
- Weekly stock keeping in the store (retail experience helpful
)
- Help with the general running of the store
- Help with organizing and participating in handicraft exhibitions
Volunteer for The Banyan Academy of Leadership in Mental Health
The Banyan Academy of Leadership in Mental Health started with an acute awareness of the need to nurture and train skilled professionals, this academy plans to bridge the gap between knowledge and practice in the development sector. Volunteers are always welcome to share ideas and promote development, but specifically, volunteers are needed in the following areas;
- Help setting up the new library; to develop a system.
- Help with marketing lecture series at BALM such as designing posters.
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