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| India Country Manager Stephen Raja Chinnappan |
What is your perspective on the Global Volunteers
organization in your community? Over
13 years of service to the community, I fully believe short-term volunteers have
had a huge positive impact on each of our community partners. Especially for
the children, Global Volunteers are a motivational and encouraging factor for them to
grow up as good citizens of tomorrow.
How is Global Volunteers different from other volunteering opportunities? In India, other volunteer organizations mostly focus on cultural events or free-time activities, with just a small portion of their time
devoted to the service of the community. But we at Global Volunteers stand apart
as an organization which is committed to the development of the community where
our major contribution is serving the community in a sustainable way.
How can volunteers make a significant impact on community
projects? Some of our community partners would have not
existed or achieved what they are now, if not for Global Volunteers. This change may not be obvious to short-term volunteers during their
service program. But as a Country Manager for the past 13 years, I have
seen a huge positive change in our community. So the continued flow of
volunteers will continue to help, achieve the collective goals of our community
partners to serve the at-risk children in our community.
What do you like volunteers to know about your community
before they arrive? Our children love volunteers,
and they look forward to each and every team of volunteers. The volunteers are
the Joy and Happiness for our children. Moreover, we provide the perfect
opportunity for the volunteers to mingle with the local people, live in the
community and learn our way of life, culture, religions, beliefs, customs, etc. much more then any tourist can.
What is unique about the India Service Program? The uniqueness of our service program is that the volunteers
get to live in the community, experience and learn about the culture and the
people from a genuine perspective - if even for a short time. India is unique in so many ways - our music, food, art and traditions can't be found anywhere else in the world.
What do volunteers most often say they learn about
volunteering with local people? The volunteers most
often say that they recieved a lot more then what they gave to the local
people. People are very friendly and smiling even though they live with
poverty and hardship around them.
How does this service opportunity expand volunteers’
perspective of the world? This service opportunity
provides volunteers with a first-hand and close-up view of what life is in Chennai, India. They can be sure that they have made a positive contribution to the underprivileged children we care for and teach. Volunteering creatse a better understanding of each other's cultures
to make this world a peaceful and better place to live in. I feel really proud to be part of this
wonderful organization and I believe that in the past 30 years we have served
thousands of children around the world and I also believe in the years to come
we would serve hunderds of thousands of children.
