Community-Based Projects in Pondicherry, India

Unfortunately, the work that India Volunteer Care do is actually very limited. Most of their project do not receive recurring funding because of their lack of success and deliverables but as volunteer stints are short it's often difficult to see this.

Furthermore, the business model is sustain on volunteer donations, as such volunteers are given work to do only to justify charging them for the experience of staying. Unfortunately, while at IVC I found evidence of wilful finance mismanagement and misappropriation of funds.

While I wish I could be more positive, I feel that actually, people should be aware of the realities of working for this organisation.

Hi ! My name is Max. I am 22 and I am from Belgium. I am doing a 3-months internship in India Volunteer Care for my studies.

I decided to volunteer with IVC for three main reasons.
First, IVC is working in collaboration with Prime Trust, another NGO in Pondicherry. This NGO is active in many different projects. Indeed, they offered to volunteers different projects such as a Microcredit program, a women empowerement program, children projects, etc. At the beginning, I was supposed to work on the microcredit program seeing my background in Economics and Management. But once arrived in Pondicherry, I also gave French lessons to spirited children aged 10 to 16. I had never taught any French lesson before but after a few days it became an easy job. I was supposed to give French lessons for only one week but their rapid progress incited me to continue teaching.
Second, IVC provides assistance and accommodation in a guest house during your stay. This is an undeniably advantage of this NGO. Living together with other worldwide volunteers in the same gest house is really nice.
Third, doing my internship with IVC was a unique opportunity for me to visit India, a country I have never been before. It is not a usual tourist experience because I have lots of contacts with local people especially children and women.

Anyway, this internship is a unique experience and I enjoy each minute of my stay.

I'm back in the United States now but the time spent in Pondicherry, India volunteering with India Volunteer Care will always remain with me. The people, culture, food, and the opportunity to develop and maintain programs that help create positive change in a community are all amazing gifts to appreciate. This may have been my first volunteer experience abroad, but it certainly won't be my last.

While working with IVC I was involved with two projects/daily operations: developing media content and teaching English for the after school program. These are my main skills, and because IVC allows its volunteers a huge amount of freedom in pursuing their interests, I felt my time was used correctly and efficiently. This freedom is a bit daunting however as each volunteer is responsible for themselves and the projects they're pursuing. Though there are weekly meetings where the staff and volunteers discuss the work completed during the week, no one will force you to give it your all. That conviction comes from within, and, hopefully, a person's desire to create change will drive them to work to their full potential and not take advantage of living safely in a foreign city. Bottom line: a volunteer has the ability to work on ANY project she or he wants, with the full support of the staff, but making the most of that project lies with the volunteer.

In terms of the facilities and Pondicherry itself, the new IVC website gives a very accurate and detailed description of what you can find there (the accommodation provided, the local restaurants, the sights to see). Any other questions about the organization can be found there as well.

Lastly, if a person decides to partner with IVC they will have the amazing opportunity to work with an amazing human being, Rajesh, the Volunteer Coordinator. Though there are other great staff to interact with as well, Rajesh is one of the kindest, warmest, and sincerest persons I have ever met. He will help any volunteer with any possible need they might have, and he is a dear friend to all who know him.

I've spent 8 weeks here so far, and to think I'm leaving in 4 weeks greatly saddens me. Keeping in mind working and living in India is just that, working and living in India, being a person from the United States I've found after small adjustments that this is one of the most wonderful places I've ever lived and worked. The staff (specifically the director) is extremely open to any projects or ideas the interns have. It should be noted that Prime Trust will not require much of you, interns must be self-motivating with projects - but the staff is always there to assist you in whatever you're interested in pursuing in your time with them.

Specifically, I've been involved teaching English to the children in the evening schools, as well as much computer work - fundraising, grant writing, updating our blogs/facebook/website, and things of that nature. There is much work to be done here by international interns, so if one is motivated enough to take on projects and manage their time well, I think you'll leave feeling like you've really made a difference - either directly to the people Prime Trust serves, or indirectly by building the efficiency and capacity of Prime Trust as an organization.

Living here with other interns has been a big part of my growth as a person as well. People from all over the world are always moving in and out of Prime Trust's guest houses, and there is always some to go eat eat dinner with or to take out to the cinema.

For my Dutch MSc program International Management I was looking for a NGO internship in India. Via India Volunteer Care I was assigned to work for Prime Trust, a microcredit organisation that aims to improve the standard of living of women in the Puducherry community. I am now in the third week of my ten week internship and so far I have had a wonderful experience.
Prime Trust organised a pickup from my hostel in Chennai and brought me to the IVC Guest house in Puducherry, where I now live with four other volunteers. The accommodation is cheap and absolutely well worhty; we have a big living room, a kitchen, a shower and Western toilet and even an office with a desk that we can use. The neighbourhood is safe and friendly and I feel totally comfortable walking outside alone by day and night.

With regard to the internship, Prime Trust gave me (and all others) a big amount of freedom in choosing what I wanted to do. The first week included an introduction to all Prime Trust's programs. I visited the orphanage, a remedial school, the micro credit office and a Self-Help group (a group of women that together apply for microcredit).
I am now spending most of my time on fundraising in order to raise funds for Prime Trust's programs, wirting newspaper articles in order to make Prime Trust more known, and conducting awareness programs to the Self-Help Groups. Furthermore, I teach English and am involved in the organisation of activities for the children of the remedial schools and the orphanage.

For me, my internship at Prime Trust (via India Volunteer Care) has given me the opportunity to truly experience the South Indian culture. The staff is very committed and very supportive and open to all new ideas. I can recommend everyone to come to Puducherry and work for Prime Trust!

I had wonderful experience with India volunteer care. They have offered what I came with my own expectations. I was offered a nice place to stay, good guidance about the project and periodical interactions with me and regular feed back made me feel happy.

In addition to that I had an opportunity to learn tamil lessions, yoga and south indian cooking.