I remember reading about great heroes who changed the world forever when I was a kid – people like Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King and I am sure you know there are many many others.
After doing some volunteer work, some people look at me as if I’m some kind of a selfless saint or something similar. Yes, of course I am volunteering because I want to see a positive and meaningful change in the lives of others but I’m doing it for my own needs as well – the feeling of seeing lives changed for the better is one that will last a lifetime.
But those comments of being a ‘selfless saint’ volunteer do worry me. Why? When I volunteer, I see myself as a tool to facilitate others that might need skills or experience I have so that they can help themselves. I often meet marginalized communities or collectives who lack the information necessary for them to ‘do it for themselves’, make strategic decisions to improve their own lives and participate in a more meaningful way in the society they belong to. So all I need to do is provide them with as much information and even ideas that I have access to, to help them that way.
So, how not to change the world? Is it possible for all of us to be saviors, heroes, Gandhis, Mother Theresas, Nelson Mandelas, and Martin Luther Kings? Maybe the answer is we don’t have to be.
Maybe there is just not enough people in the world who know/care about issues that are having a huge impact on a lot of other people’s lives? Maybe all we have to is create awareness and interest about these issues, share our skills, knowledge and experience, and hope that other people would repeat, replicate, amplify, improvise and expand what we are doing so that others can keep doing that too. Then we continue to focus on the issues or communities that we are involved in and constantly monitor, evaluate or do some impact assessment of our own effectiveness and learn as much as we can. All we have to do is to remember to keep sharing what we know with others. 8-)
Maybe we need to stop addressing the problems caused by our malfunctioning, oppositional system and, first, re-create a humanely functioning, cohesive global system? We could:
1. Improve how 'we' (all of us, as ourselves) communicate with each other,
2. Arrive at agreed priorities through the ensuing informed dialogue.
3. Utilise our consequentially formed global network to effectively address those priorities.
There seems to be the will, we have the technology, we just need a strategy. We don't need permission from any hierarchy to do this, we just need to start doing it, together when the time is right. That's NOW!
so, can we talk about this?
and, first, re-create a humanely functioning,
cohesive global system? We could: 1.Iimprove how
'we' (all of us, as ourselves) communicate with
each other,
each other, 2. Arrive at agreed priorities through
I started volunteering at the age of 17. From disabled organizations, to children with special needs, to women’s organizations, to projects to fight eviction of squatters, to empowerment of migrant and foreign workers, to efforts to reduce white collar crimes, to employment rights work to human rights work. And after all that I got disillusioned and I stopped.
Until now…..after meeting this organization, Devkrupa Ashram in Waghodia, Gujarat, India and having the time of my life, while I was there. 8-)
In short Devkrupa Ashram is the pioneering organization working with adivasi communities in the four provinces ortalukas of Waghodia, Sankehda, Dabhoi and Naswadi stretching across a length of about 240 kilometers and even extending to talukas like Chhota Udepur, Kwant and Nasvadi in Vadodara district, Gujarat, India.
What is it about them that made me volunteer again?
CLEAR EXIT STRATEGY
According toRyan Libre, becoming obsolete should be the fundamental goal of all NGOs. While so many organizations out there today are busy making themselves relevant, Devkrupa Ashram is actually an organization that wants to be irrelevant – in 20 years time. Why is making yourself irrelevant important? Because that is what advocacy is all about. They want the people they work with to be independent. The people should not have to depend on NGOs forever. As for organizations that are too busy making themselves relevant, are they shoving their “help” down people’s throat?
From the point of view of a volunteer, do I really wanna help an organization that will need my help forever, and even no matter how long, we would still not know what we have done?
I CAN ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND THEIR GOALS
I mean, I’ve met NGOs with very abstract or artistic goals. This is Devkrupa Ashram’s
We aim for these tribal farmers and poor laborers to achieve self-sustenance in 20 years time. Our primary goal is to shelter, clothe, nourish and educate the children of the tribals, bonded laborers and Narmada displaced peoples of the talukas of Waghodia, Dabhoi, Sankheda, and Naswadi.
Not abstract or artistic at all. Short term and long term (and I’ve learnt how important is it for NGOs to have both). They are not trying to do everything. They are focused and therefore can allocate their available resources (including volunteers) well.
FASTEST GROWING ORGANIZATION I’VE EVER MET
10 years ago, they only care for about 20 children. Today, they house 540 (400 boys and 140 girls) and growing. 10 years ago, they occupied a small hut. Ever since, they have managed to acquire a piece of barren and uneven land and successfully cultivated at least20 types of crops, vegetables, spices and fruits besides rearing at least 6 different types of animals on their 15-acre farm. The resources in Devkrupa Ashram are managed by an eco-friendly cyclic system where organic waste is converted into compost for farming and fuel for heating.
Since 2007, they have also received more than 500 applications for admissions besides an invitation by community members to establish a substation in Nasawadi, a province about 70 kilometers away, which is also possibly the province with the lowest literacy rates in the whole Vadodara District.
This kind of growth is definitely very rare (in my experience) and is an indication that they identified clearly and are addressing the needs of the communities they are working with. They have managed to convince the parents of the indigenous communities of the importance of education for their children. Of course, this is only possible because they took a long time (one year) just interacting with the adivasis (or the indigenous communities) as a part of their research before deciding on this project.
To me, seems like they are going the right direction.
SMALL HELP DRAMATIC RESULTS
Because the research to understand the needs of the adivasis is done well, these needs are clearly defined and addressed, such as the need for the children to be educated to break the community out of the cycle of poverty or the need for milking cows for the ashram or the community members to be self-sustained. As a volunteer, it is refreshing to volunteer for a project where you know exactly what to do, and from what little that you can do, you can see it makes a difference. For example, helping the children realize the importance of getting an education for themselves or simply donating a blanket, will go a long way in helping these children to stay in school to get an education and live to their fullest potential.
FAMILY MATTERS!
Personally, I am just skeptical of organizations that claim to be "families". From what I can remember human rights organizations, theatre companies and even financial institutions have claimed to be families (in fact at time of writing, I’m already confused how many families I belong to having freelanced for so many different profit-making and non-profit organizations).
Devkrupa Ashram is not really that much different but…
The adivasis they work with are not simply treated as ‘beneficiaries’ but like an extended family network. Devkrupa Ashram also makes it a point to maintain meaningful relationships with village heads of tribal villages (surpanchayats), school officials, parents, and just society members in general in nearby towns. And of course, the kids in Devkrupa Ashram feel that they belong too. 8-D
Their family or ‘parivar’ extends internationally to their supporters network and volunteers. Hard to put it in words how is this family different from others but maybe a video will speak a thousand words. It is definitely not your typical energetic ‘family day’ type of events but in its own way, the quiet and slow pace makes everything even more meaningful.
FINALLY, IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE $$
Yes. I do get approached for donations - a lot! So much in fact that I started fundraising for them! (Mostly because I thought that would be a nice change, from just giving money, to also contributing my time)
Over the years, Devkrupa Ashram has been fortunate enough to gain the support of numerous community members and the private sector in the form of private donations and pledges. Produce from their farm had also contributed significantly to their corpus trust fund. What is interesting about their future funding plans is a self-sustenance project they have in the works by rearing 20 cows in a 60x30 facility after their current phase of expansion.
“The most ethical and conscious businesses over the long-term consciously create value for all of their interdependent stakeholders—customers, employees, investors, suppliers, community, and the environment. Paradoxically, this principle also creates the most long-term value for investors.”
I’ve always wondered if that is possible. After meeting Devkrupa Ashram, I know it is.
Another volunteer said and I quote, “In Devkrupa Ashram, I can see where the money I am donating is going.” (I haven't checked with this person if he wants to be quoted so he will remain anonymous for now, but he contributed greatly to Devkrupa Ashram's website www.devkrupa.org )
SO, WHAT DID I LEARN?
After 12 years of volunteering, a lot of those years being disillusioned, I WILL VOLUNTEER AGAIN. What did I take from this experience, I finally felt, I had taken more than I had given – which is not a good feeling because I want to be there to give but I find myself taking even more. But then a lot of volunteers, who helped out truly meaningful work, say this too.
When I am volunteering, I enjoy finding my own space while volunteering. I found an organization that allowed me to be autonomous (and yet given a lot of support) and to work with others to be autonomous.
It's when everything flows together that it made sense to me. Seeing how everything is connected - my own needs as well as the needs of the surrounding communities; seeing how all the issues are related to each other - poverty alleviation, women, children, education, health, sustainable development, agriculture, indigenous empowerment, and respect for the environment, and seeing how they relate to the needs of the society at large. It is about absorbing everything around me while being absorbed in it at the same time (haha!).
So, you’ll let me know if there are any other similar organizations out there looking for volunteers?
"The 67.7 million people belonging to "Scheduled Tribes" in India are generally considered to be 'Adivasis', literally meaning 'indigenous people' or 'original inhabitants', though the term 'Scheduled Tribes' (STs) is not coterminous with the term 'Adivasis'. Scheduled Tribes is an administrative term used for purposes of 'administering' certain specific constitutional privileges, protection and benefits for specific sections of peoples considered historically disadvantaged and 'backward'."
"It is a popular believe that the four hundred or so adivasi communities of India, representing about 7% of the population, are some sort of primitive remnant of early Homo Sapiens."
I’ve met the smaller communities of adivasis in Waghodia, Dabhoi, Sankheda, and Naswadi. From my personal observation, these are the problems they face. These tribals are mostly migrant bonded laborers as well as those who are dislocated due to the Narmada Dam.
After being displaced because of the Narmada Dam, some of these adivasis are compensated with barren land that they cannot cultivate due to their subsistence farming technology and also a lack of resources (seeds, fertilizers, equipments, and labor).
To make ends meet, they will rent out their compensated lands to farmers with more resources in the area while they continue to work as laborers under The Chartered System. Under this system, they will only be remunerated with Rps. 8 000 - 10 000 per year and one meal a day, an arrangement that is insufficient to make ends meet for them and their families.
They are manipulated by shrewd money lenders who would dictate unfair conditions for loans extended to these tribals to cultivate their compensated lands or even for their social events (like marriages of their children and others). When they succeed in cultivating their lands, a huge portion of the profits go to the money lenders. The adivasis are also manipulated by vendors like tractor owners and other equipment providers that are charging them heftily. Some of these tribal farmers are having difficulty to gain financial autonomy due to burdens of debts with high interest rates.
Many adivasis choose to rent out their compensated land to other farmers for a meager sum while they opt for a nomadic lifestyle or seek employment in the city without relevant experience, skills or education. They struggle for survival with a bare minimum at the expense of their children’s education.
Even though illiteracy is one of the main causes of their poverty, the education system should be able to address this except for a few other problems inherent with the village schools.
Teachers posted in village schools are stripped of their passion and growth due to a long unemployment period after graduation and fixed salaries scheme for 5 years without incentives or increments. The Rs. 2 500 they are paid a month does not justify their living expenses as many chose to live in the city while teaching in these schools.
Lack of the number of teachers in each standard or different standards sharing the same classrooms placing additional burdens to teachers.
High turnover rates of both students and teachers ultimately resulting in a poor education system for the tribals.
School infrastructure is poor and not conducive for studies. Some will even have to initiate their own fundraising for fans. Temperatures in the summer can go up to 45 degress. No enclosure is provided for village schools which allow grazing animals to disrupt school property. Even though medical centers are provided in the schools, no medical professionals are posted in them for the center to function.
However, as much as I was tempted to see the adivasi communities as just statistics, I was quickly reminded of their humanity.
We were on the way to visit the adivasis in Nasawadi, possibly the province (or taluka) with the lowest literacy rates. On this eventful journey, our jeep fell into a small ditch by the side of the road. Nobody was around for miles. Who would have guessed, but it was actually the adivasi villagers who came to our rescue.
One thing undeniable, the adivasis (the ones I’ve met) are just as hospitable as everyone else I’ve met in India.
This is a classic case of the earnest volunteer who came thinking that he wants to help only to realize how he might actually be the one who is needing the help. 8-)
Slightly more than ten years ago, almost entire communities of indigenous peoples in the remote areas of Waghodia, Sankheda, Dabhoi, Chhota Udepur, Kawant and Naswadi in the state of Gujarat (India) were illiterate. Illiteracy was the root cause that these peoples remained poor economically and socially. No other NGOs had taken up any kind of advocacy or service delivery projects for their issues. In spite of months of research and interaction with the elders and opinion makers of about 15 villages in this vicinity, it was proving to be a tough job to convince parents to be concerned about their children’s education. They would not part with their children for whatever reasons.
10 years later, Devkrupa Ashram now provides educational, health, boarding, occupational, and recreational services to 540 of these indigenous children besides countless community development programs for the indigenous farmers in these areas to achieve self-sustenance.
Who do they benefit? Devkrupa Ashram provides primary and secondary education to the less fortunate children of poor laborers and those displaced by the Narmada Dam Project, maintaining a philosophy of helping every child it comes across to pursue education; irrespective of caste and religion. The beneficiaries include those residing in the talukas (provinces) of Waghodia, Sankheda, Dabhoi, Chhota Udepur, Kawant and Naswadi in the state of Gujarat (India), stretching across a length of about 240 kilometers. Devkrupa Ashram set up in 1997, on a 16 - acre plot, provides a safe boarding and an eco-friendly environment for these children. The trust strives towards the upliftment and empowerment of the poor and the voiceless in the vicinity of Waghodia within a secular framework contributing silently but effectively towards shaping a strong nation.
How far have they come in serving the community? After a year of serving the indigenous communities of Waghodia, Devkrupa Ashram erected a temporary shed with the aid from the diocese of Baroda. In June 1998, 20 boys from 4 different villages were the first to be admitted to the boarding. Following a positive change of attitude among the villagers, the need of having a permanent structure to house the children becomes imminent. With help from Manos Unidas (a funding agency), the present ground floor of the boarding was constructed to accommodate 250 children. The number kept rising every year and now in 2008-09, we have 540 children. In the academic year, 2007-08, we started a primary school, about 300 meters, away from our campus. In the following year, we started Std. VIII after getting the necessary permissions to start the Secondary school and we shall be upgrading each class every year.
What do they aim to do? They aim for these tribal farmers and poor laborers to achieve self-sustenance in 20 years time. Their primary goal is to shelter, clothe, nourish and educate the children of the tribals, bonded laborers and Narmada displaced peoples of the talukas of Waghodia, Dabhoi, Sankheda, and Naswadi.
Why? The majority of their beneficiaries are migrant laborers as well as the peoples displaced by the Narmada Dam Project. Coming from different cultures and backgrounds, they find adjustment difficult. Their sole aim is to earn their livelihoods; and even though menial jobs are available, their earnings are meager. Education for their children is not a priority for them. Only awareness can bring a true change.
It is indeed important and necessary to have their own school and boarding to cultivate and provide an ideal atmosphere for pursuing education.
Why?
There are very few full-fledged primary schools in the talukas. Those who wish to seek an education in these schools have to travel a long distance which results in the lost of interest leading to high drop-out rates. The parents and the adults of the family are busy earning their livelihoods, and their children are left unattended. The government teachers, who are themselves inconsistent, rarely care for their students causing the children to be deprived of basic primary education. Neither the teachers nor the parents care to maintain regular attendance of the children. The parents neither have the zeal, nor the will to help their wards pursue education.
What is their current infrastructure?
Boarding:
The children sleep on 3-tier iron bunk beds in dormitories. There are 30 toilets and 20 bathing spaces. The provision for all year round hot water is generated from a heating system fuelled by bio-degradable materials. The resources are managed by an eco-friendly cyclic system where organic waste is converted into compost for farming and fuel for heating.
School: In June 2007, they started a primary school in our campus. In the following year, we started Std. VIII and every year one class will be added. The school and the boarding for the girls are in an adjoining campus primarily taken care by the Sisters.
Water availability: Devkrupa Ashram has three sources of water to meet everyday requirements. Water from the river is used for irrigation whereas water from an open well is used for domestic purposes. They also provide hygienic and laboratory tested drinking water sourced from a bore well that is 300 feet deep.
Farm Produce: The children are provided 3 meals of nutritious homegrown food a day. The institution’s farming supports most of their basic meals. Crops such as maize, and wheat; vegetables such as potatoes, onions, cabbages, cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes, radish, drumsticks, spinach, aubergine and cucumber; spices such as chillies and fruits such as mangoes, papayas, bananas, gooseberries, custard apples and sapodillas are grown. The farm also cultivates fodder for their cattle. The ashram rears animals like cows, goats, fowls, rabbits, ducks and geese.
Children’s Park: Recently, a friend of the ashram donated the resources to build a children’s park with assorted playing equipments like swings, slides, climbers and others.
What are their immediate plans? • Construction of an additional floor over the existing boarding to accommodate more children. • Putting up a football ground, volleyball, basketball, and badminton court.
PERSON IN CHARGE: Fr. Alex Britto, an Indian, the first to stay in this interior place, has spent the last 18 years of his life living and working in the tribal belt of South Gujarat (India), enthusiastically sharing the joys and sorrows of their lives. He started this mission, ten years ago on an area that is failing. This mission that began with a barren land has grown tremendously. He leads a simple life and uses God given talents for the betterment of the poor. His persistence and hard work won the confidence of the people not just to accept and implement his ideas to educate their children, but also for community development and welfare programs in the villages. He started off with 20 children (1999-2000) and now about 540 children (2008-09), including 63 girls are under the care and guidance of the institution.
What are their community programs? In order to help the people meet their basic needs, they have carried out many income generation projects such as Food-For-Work, Pre-Water Shed programs, as well as many others. The institution also educates the people about various social evils that are destroying their families and societies besides creating awareness of the importance of education, modern agricultural equipments/techniques, good hygiene, development of water resources, and also creating income generation schemes to the communities here.
What are their routine needs? • Educational aids, note-books, text books, stationeries, arts & crafts materials. • Dormitory bedding materials (mattresses, pillows, blankets, linens) • Towels • Uniforms • Informal clothing • Footwears • Edibles like grains, cereals, pulses, oil, sugar etc. • Computers • Furniture (new or old) like tables, chairs, benches, cupboards • Library and reference books • Fans • Entertainment in the form of community games, toys, films on DVD
IF YOU ARE TOUCHED AND WILLING TO BE PARTNERS, JOIN DEVKRUPA PARIVAR: To carry out this task of leading the children and the community to self-sufficiency and self respect, they rely on generous hearts and hands to come forward and join them in this noble task.
VOLUNTEERSHIP: Basic boarding and lodging facilities are available for volunteers who wish to do service through educational programmes/workshops/projects. Please contact them with your proposals.
VISIT THEM AT: Devkrupa Ashram, Vejalpur,Waghodia, District Vadodara Pin-Code 391760 Gujarat, India. Contact no: 91-2668 -290095 Mobile: 91-0942 7348787 Fax No: 02668 - 263352
By perceiving finer and finer differences in movement, you are actually increasing the number of dendrites branching out from your brain cells. These are the very parts of the neuron that tend to deteriorate with age (dendrites are the bushy projections through which a neuron receives signals from other neurons).
It has become a universal truth that the better connected a brain is, the better it will function - period.
"Movement is inextricably controlled on the basis of ‘feedback’ from our bodies and brains, and movement control is guided very directly by the cognitive resources that guide all of our behaviors. They are weaker or stronger, enabled or disabled TOGETHER. Neurological processes that control the flow of cognition and thought are not really different from those that control the flow of movement — and in fact are complexly, inextricably inter-twined!"
With that being said, you can see how refining your movements to higher and higher levels of quality will enable you to refine your cognitive abilities as well!
You’ll actually become smarter!
Experience changes your brain structure.
Through your focused, directed attention to your movement experiences, you create richer and more complicated brain circuits.
Extensive experience with the hearing impaired. Fluent in Malaysian Sign Language.
Volunteered at numerous centers for children with special needs including children with down syndrome, autism, ADD, ADHD, and cerebral palsy as well as children's hospitals.
Acted in the principal role of Harold Pinter's One For The Road for Amnesty International Malaysia's campaign to stop torture.
Participated and organized street theater for Stop Violence-Against-Women campaigns.
Lived and worked with the earliest settlers community in Kuala Lumpur to fight eviction.
Volunteered in a campaign to stop violence in the workplace.
Worked towards encouraging more organizations to have work place childcare centers.
Traveled all over South-East Asia for documentation projects.
Volunteered for an organization in India that works with the internally displaced indigenous communities for self-sustenance.
