Rural Tamil Nadu has many children that never get an opportunity of education. This community education project reaches over 2,000 disadvantaged children in the district. Your role as a volunteer will be to assist in a variety of classes by whatever methods you feel best, whether through classical teaching, using music and dance or drama. It's up to you! The project is run by an order of nuns in a beautiful compound around 30 minutes walk from the nearest town.
Your Role: There is a wide variety of work you could undertake with this project: Teaching and assisting with the orphans living in the compound and visiting the many outlying schools in the district to interact and teach there.
There is also an opportunity to be involved with the women's empowerment project run in the area as well as help train the nuns on their newly installed computers.
In summary there are the following opportunities:
* Teaching English, Maths and Science to students of all ages.
* Teaching dancing, music & art classes
* Develop street theatre performances
* Training the Sisters in Computing
* Help arrange special events & workshops
* Develop cultural evenings
* Develop sessions for the women empowerment project
What you Gain: Working with these dedicated, cheeky and mischievous children will be a great experience! These children are from the poorest of society, the youngest orphan is aged just 5. You will be able to use your creative skills to develop your own materials to suit the situation and really see a change in the children during your time with them.
This experience would be invaluable for anyone thinking of going into teaching or for career breakers who want to be re-energised by working with those who have nothing but have the thirst for knowledge.
Living in the beautiful Tamil Nadu countryside will give a real insight into how 80% of India is still living today, the everyday challenges that people face (particularly women and children). Challenges like poverty, HIV/AIDS, lack of water, etc. And maybe you can become an advocate or supporter of local communities in the future.
The area is famous for its migrating bird life and you will have time to explore the wonderful temples and rock carvings of the area as well as maybe travel a little further afield to the former French colony of Pondicherry. There are deserted beaches all along the coast and beautiful hill stations further inland - a great place to escape from the heat of summer.