21

Content:

Preface History
Vision
Mission Targets
Project
areas Global Partners

Indian Partners
Finance
21

Future
21
 “Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change
the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has” 21
--Margaret Mead

Preface

AMAIDI Volunteering in India is an Indian organization helping international

volunteers and Indian organizations that need them, find each other. AMAIDI is

dedicated to deliver quality service to all global citizens who aspire to work for some

time in India as a volunteer or study as an intern. AMAIDI fulfill this ambition

because of a growing network of Indian and Global Partners: Indian development

organizations (Non-Governmental Organizations or NGO’s), youth clubs, schools,

hospitals and commercial companies at the one side, staffed with people daily

working in projects designed to assist their beneficiaries, the people in the Indian

villages and towns, in fields such as agriculture, environmental care, awareness

programs, capacity building, formal and non-formal education, women

development, microfinance, social work, care for the handicapped etc.; and

organizations in East and West, sourcing, selecting and sending international

volunteers, interns and professionals to places where they are needed, such as in

India. And all this supplemented by numerous ‘global citizens’, searching for an

opportunity to serve poor communities elsewhere in the world. AMAIDI serves them

all: the Indian organizations expecting to make a leap forward with the help of

foreign young professionals; the aspiring volunteers and interns, longing to do good

and to immerse themselves in a country that is both rich (in its diversity) and poor

(by economic standards); and those who made it their work to be a window in the
developed world for those who are searching, preparing those willing to come for 21
their adventure, convinced of the added value of international volunteerism for

needy communities elsewhere. All of them are stakeholders in the same process.
21
History 21

AMAIDI’s founder and director Camille van Neer (Netherlands), was in his home

country the day the tsunami struck the coast of South India on December 2004 He

had been traveling to India since 1990, stayed in Auroville for one year in 1992-

1993 and lived in Puducherry from 1996 till 2000. As the tsunami also hit Cuddalore,

hometown of his wife Jansi, he became involved in emergency-relief activities

through a non-governmental organization (NGO), called ‘Bless’, based in Cuddalore.

Later Bless became AMAIDI’s first project partner. Through a newly founded trust

named ‘Friends of Cuddalore Foundation’, food-, medication and cash relief for

property lost was sent through Bless to the victims in Cuddalore. Some assistance

was also given by Camille’s family, residing at Bharathi Nagar, a small hamlet near

to Auroville and Puducherry. A simple website was set up to streamline the

communication towards potential donors and a campaign carved out to raise

awareness of what happened in India amongst the Dutch public. A house, still under

construction, was finished through sponsorship by the Friends of Cuddalore

foundation, acting as a place of refuge for some homeless elderly, displaced due to

the tsunami. They stayed at ‘AMAIDI Old Age Home’, as it was shortly called, for a

period of 6-9 months, after which they were reunited with their families who came

forward to take them up again. The old age home, supplemented with a small

cottage home on the compound, became AMAIDI Guesthouse. AMAIDI Volunteering

in India was conceived in July 2006 and officially incorporated in April 2007. After

landing in India, Camille worked for some time with Bless. Since July 2007 he works

fulltime for AMAIDI. In February 2008 Bala joined AMAIDI as its office manager. Since

its conception, AMAIDI has received assistance by several volunteers - Forbes, Els-

Sophia, Kim & Cinta -, helping the organization in streamlining procedures, guiding
volunteer groups and carving out new routes on the map towards success. By July 21
2008 AMAIDI expects to receive its 150st volunteer.

Vision
A network of Indian organizations, working for the upliftment of the rural and urban

poor, continuously and increasingly capacitated by a need based flow of motivated

and skilled volunteers, interns and professionals, with the organizations’

beneficiaries visibly enjoying the benefit (‘social profit’).

Mission
To be an expert organization in matching the needs Indian organizations with those

of international volunteers, interns and professionals, thereby contributing to the

sustainable development of local communities in India, upholding the UN-definition

of sustainable development: ‘development that meets the needs of the present

without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’ (UN

Brundtland Commission, 1987).

Targets
In 2015 AMAIDI has at least two project partners in every Indian state . In 1

2015 AMAIDI facilitates 200 volunteer and internship placements. In

1
Whether or not a volunteer, intern or professional is sent to a project partner in a particular
state, depends on the safety situation assessed by the Indian Central and State Government
at any given time
2015 AMAIDI is an important niche player in the Indian tourist industry. In
21

2015 AMAIDI has a vibrant network of at least 15 ‘global partners’, spread

over all the continents.
 21

Project Areas
 21

Project Areas
In 2008 AMAIDI offered the following voluntary job placements and traineeships with

its Indian partner organizations (in percentages):

arts & crafts, 7

teacher trainees, 11

working with
children, 25

social/care work, 10

women
development , 10
healthcare, 11
water & sanitation, 6 agriculture, 4

Children centered projects were most popular. Projects with an emphasis on

technique are yet to be appreciated. Within the category ‘working with children’,

volunteers in 2007-2008 could choose to either work in a nursery- and primary

school, day-care center, evening school, orphanage or school for special children. In

January 2007 and January 2008, AMAIDI placed a total of 16 teacher trainees, 6
from Belgium and 10 from the Netherlands. The expectation for 2009: 2 Dutch and 21
2 Belgian t-trainees.

Gender
80
70
60
50
40 Male
30
Female
20
10
0
Male Female
 21

55+

30-55

25-29 Age group

20-24

15-19

0 20 40 60 80

70
60
50
40
Workingperiod
30
20
10
0
s
> hs
2- s

4- s

6- s
2- ks

th
k
k

k
w

t
m
m
2

3
3
1-

The average volunteer/intern in 2008 was female, 20-24 years old and worked for 4-
6 weeks.
 21

Indian
Partners

“Professionalism: It's NOT the job you DO; it’s HOW you DO the
job.”
From our website: 21

“We seek out those NGO's, schools, hospitals and other institutions that need volunteers

and that fit in our vision to support sustainable development, directly or indirectly. We do

not only accept the larger, more experienced organizations or only

those who had the opportunity to receive volunteers before. We also

include smaller organizations without any prior exposure to foreign

volunteers. We assist the latter in handling foreigners that want to

come and help them out in their work, helping them to prepare a

program and to properly deal with feedback when the project is over

and one has to see what can be learned from the experience. During the tenure of a

volunteer or intern, we're in constant contact with our partner, and - If necessary - we

intervene to, clarify events that (might) stand in the way of a smooth relationship between

volunteer/intern and his/her host organization. We're available 24/24 for all our

stakeholders.”

What projects do they host?

Partners
40
30
20
10
0

Projects with children and/or focusing on women development were most popular in
2008.
Where in India are they located? 21
50
40 Partners
30
20
10
0

Little Hearts

Mother Theresa High School

MeeraTrust

Sri Ragavendra School

Baby Sarah Home

REAL

Chitralaya Trust

Nirvana School

Mahatma Gandhi Hospital

HOPE

AMAIDI organization

JWALA

Sri Sivam Pottery

Aurocomp

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Number of placedvolunteers
 17

21

Global Partners:
Volunteers and interns find AMAIDI either through browsing the web, referral by ex-

volunteers or through sending agencies: organizations – ‘stand alone’ or connected

to educational institutions - informing, advising, guiding and sending volunteers

and/or interns to foreign countries. AMAIDI aims at building durable partnerships

with these agencies, called ‘global partners’ in AMAIDI.

21
 21

JoHo
Our biggest and oldest partner is The JoHo Company, based in the

Netherlands. JoHo was with us since our inception in the summer of 2006.

The organization is especially known amongst Dutch students and back-

packers for its services in the field of voluntary work, internships,

language courses and global traveling to and through developing

countries. The organization's main focus is on transfer of knowledge,

promoting international contacts and awareness and giving advice. More

information can be found by clicking here and here. JoHo is an agent of

the Dutch 'Xplore!' program of the Dutch Foreign Ministry, stimulating

youth to visit developmental projects abroad and tell the Dutch public

about their experiences back home. JoHo has a complete travel-shop for

many of the needs an aspiring volunteer could possibly have. JoHo has its

head office in Leiden with branch-offices in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and

Groningen.

People4Change

The two directors of People4Change, another Dutch partner, have gained their

experience working with the NGO 'Terre des Hommes'. People4Change sends out

individuals, as well as groups. The organization facilitates the sending of company's

staff for short term assignments with personal learning targets as well as expertise

to assist the NGO on a need-basis; it sends out young professionals, with and

without support of the Dutch 'Xplore! subsidy program of the Foreign Ministry. Core
elements of People4Change's working method: shared responsibility, small-scale 21
projects, direct involvement and communication. People4Change has an extended

network of development projects in Africa and Asia. Their partners are middle-sized,

local and professional development organizations who support poor communities.

Activity International

Activity International, where 'work & holiday' are combined in travel package deals.

Founded in 1988, Activity International is a dynamic Dutch exchange organization

whose primary objective is to assist young people in working and volunteering

abroad and experiencing the benefits of international exchange. The organization

offers paid and unpaid work and sends participants all over the world; in a

professional but at the same time personal way.

IJU

IJU ('Internationale Jeugduitwisseling') is a well-established Dutch organization,

sending out young people for a period of one year. IJU stands for Internationale

Jeugd Uitwisseling, in English: International Youth Exchange. IJU is a non-profit

organization that sends young people to volunteer projects abroad for a full year,

since 1958. IJU is run by volunteers, often with long-term experience at one of IJU's

exchange projects abroad. IJU's main aim is to contribute, in a smaller or more

extensive way, to mutual concern for one another's life in a cultural context. Not

only during, but also after one's project-period abroad. According to IJU, exchange

projects enable young people to get acquainted with another person's life and

culture from close-by.

DHO 21

('Duurzaam Hoger Onderwijs') is affiliated with the University of Amsterdam in The

Netherlands. Students that are looking for a placement abroad are helped by DHO

to find their way. DHO is the Dutch network for Sustainable Development in Higher

Education Curricula. DHO aims to develop learning opportunities, innovative

learning environments and methodologies within higher education that enable

individuals to develop competences on sustainable development. DHO builds its

expertise through project groups. Sustainable development is a global concept. To

be able to work towards sustainable development from a global perspective in a

local context, partnerships and cooperation all over the world is a necessity. North-

South aims to create such partnerships, to create learning environments for

students in the North and the South. Students that want to learn more about

projects in which they can participate, have to follow the students menu and visit

the 'marketplace'.

Educational Institutions

Apart from these organizations, students from the following institutions in The

Netherlands and Belgium have conducted their internship through AMAIDI in 2008:

• Fontys Pabo Tilburg

• Hogeschool De Kempel,

• Hogeschool-Universiteit Brussel (HUB)

• Lemmens Instituut (Belgie)

• Katholieke Pabo Zwolle (KPZ),

• KHBO,
• Christelijke Hogeschool Ede (CHE), 21
• HAN Universiteit Nijmegen,

• Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam,

• Hogeschool InHolland,

• Hogeschool van Amsterdam

• Haagse Hogeschool

• Instituut Larensteijn

• Universiteit Utrecht
Finance 21

Finance
 21

%of RegistrationFeeExpenditure

Various
10%

Admin
Staff Salary
20%
40%

Office infrastr.
30%

Balance 2008

Expenditure 48
% Income 52%

Total Income was Rs. 10,91,294 (EUR 17,063); Total

Expenditure: Rs. 10,08,623 (EUR 15, 770); Total staff salary
was kept at 36% of total expenditure.
 21

The
Future
2009:
Paperless office
21

More
projects in N-
India AMAIDI
Foundation Travel
packages ‘Healthy
Lifestyle’ Virtual Volunteering
Social Enterprise Gaming

Offsetting Carbon
Footprint More
Europe More USA
A Quote of Thanks: 21

Finally we want to thank all our partners, in India and

abroad, all (ex)volunteers, interns and professionals

who (have) work(ed) with us, and all supporters for

their continued encouragement. We are indebted to all

those people in India who work at the grass-roots level,

“ Life is short and we
who keep inspiring us through their commitment and
have never too much
strength to change social conditions. time for gladdening the
hearts of those who are
traveling the dark
journey with us. Oh be
swift to live, make haste
to be kind…”

Henri Frederick Amiel –

Swiss philosopher, poet
and critic (1821-1881)

©2009, AMAIDI Volunteering in India