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Working Holiday 2008
Some people bask in the tropical sun, enjoy Tamil Nadu's lovely
beaches, take in the towering temple architecture and shop for
the silks, handlooms and handicrafts - famous all over India...
You can do all that on the vacation of a lifetime -
but you can make a difference, too! Volunteer
on Nalamdana's two week working holiday teams
Click here to read a previous volunteer's travel
journal...
Dates for your time with us
You may arrive or leave one day early or later if your flights
are so timed. BUT we need to know ahead of time so that we
can ensure that you don't miss out on any interesting events.
AUGUST 2008
Preferred dates: August 2 - 15, 2008 (both days inclusive)
Alternative dates: August 20 - 31, 2008
10 day holidays are also possible within this time frame,
subject to approval by Nalamdana staff.
(Teams will be scheduled either for the first or second block
of dates depending on how many people sign up. We offer
a choice because some students get a break from classes
during specific weeks. Special adjustments can be made
for group bookings)
Deadline for booking: April 15, 2008
SEPTEMBER 2008
September 2 - 15, 2008 (both days inclusive)
10 day holidays are also possible within this time frame,
subject to approval by Nalamdana staff.
We cannot take later dates in September, as it may rain
and field programs get cancelled then.
Deadline for booking: May 15, 2008
Payment
Total cost for a two-week working holiday is $1300 per person
($1000 for a 10 day program)
Your contribution covers:
1. Shared accommodation, food and local travel during the
working holiday.
2. Support for Nalamdana's innovative programs in the field.
3. A portion of your contribution is tax-deductible.
To register, please contact Nithya Balaji at nithinal@vsnl.net
or nalam@airtelbroadband.in
Payment by check or money order is required ONE MONTH
prior to departure and should be sent to:
Friends of Nalamdana
c/o Karina Corrigan
14 Curtis Street
Salem, MA 01970
978-729-9339
Team Size
Minimum number of volunteers per team - four
Maximum number of volunteers per team - six
Ages 18 – 70 years
What to expect
THIS IS A COMMUNICATION PROJECT...
You won't be given physical tasks such as building walls,
houses or digging wells! If you enjoy talking to people, creating
entertainment programs, using hand puppets and working with
children and adolescent girls through any form of art or music,
you will be an asset to the project. If you have never done any
of these before but are willing to give it a try, you are our kind
of a volunteer! You will be paired with Nalamdana staff for all
tasks, and they are able to speak moderate English. Some of
us speak it well.
You will be picked up from the Chennai airport and taken to the
booked shared accommodation. Starting slowly...with orientation,
ice-breakers and briefing, you and other volunteers will join the
Nalamdana team in our on-going programs and field work.
Your interaction with Nalamdana staff and local community
members, will give you the opportunity to experience first-hand
our programs and the issues we address. There will be periods
of intense activity, interspersed with leisure - time to experience
the rich local culture, food and events. You will help us reach
under served women, children and students in urban and
rural settings.
Volunteer Tasks
Projects will be clearly explained by the staff and training will be
given prior to field visits and activities. Previous team members
have joined in the pre play entertainment, acted in small parts,
helped us with pre and post questionnaires and interviews within
the community. They documented all of this in English and
completed the reports before they left. Some have helped with
photography and videography, using their own cameras, covering
events through video and photos and later sent us edited films.
Many have returned and have chosen to stay in touch. The
organization, Friends of Nalamdana was born out of such a group
and they now help us fund raise for our work.
Local Experiences
You will visit Nalamdana staff homes and join in any event that
happens during your stay...a wedding? a child's birthday party?
...a movie? We will definitely visit at least one traditional Hindu
temple and local churches. Often the highlight of a volunteer's
time with us is simply the time spent with people from the local
communities we visit and with the Nalamdana staff. You will
leave with many mutually unforgettable experiences.
Tentative Schedule
FIRST 2 DAYS: orientation, cultural briefing, recover from jet lag.
Get to know the Nalamdana staff and understand our on-going
projects. Local sight seeing and shopping in the evening.
DAYS 3 and 4: Sharing of volunteer skills, site visits and interaction
with community/student groups.
DAYS 5 to 10: Various field programs that will definitely include
Nalamdana drama in the evenings and day sessions in local
schools and colleges (where the Nalamdana team trains students
in theatre and other forms of communication)
Other possibilities include:
Visit day care centers where some 60 plus pre school
children get supplementary nutrition through a Nalamdana
sponsored program. Help the teacher and assistant with games
and weighing the children. Assist in local health camps scheduled
for women's groups in the adjoining slum settlement. IF a rural
trip is planned, the whole team will leave for a rural town, stay
in a local hotel and cover one or more villages with drama and
group meetings. Questionnaire and interview training will be
given during the day and in the evening the drama program
will be staged.
DAYS 11 to 14: Return to Nalamdana's Chennai office and complete
all documentation. Volunteers may train Nalamdana staff in some
of their own skills/areas of expertise.
FINAL DAY: group party and departures.
Travel planning
August and September team dates are just after our summer,
but it is still warm. An average of 34 Celsius (93º F) with no rain.
Dress conservatively in comfortable cottons (no tank tops, see-
through blouses or tight clothes). Women should wear long loose
skirts or pants - no shorts or skirts above the knee. Long, narrow
skirts may be difficult to sit in for long periods of time, particularly
when sitting on the floor, which you will be doing some of the time.
Men should wear long pants and short-sleeved shirts. Women
should also wear shirts that cover the shoulders. Loose-fitting
cotton clothing would probably be the most comfortable due to
the heat and humidity. Women may purchase a salwar kameez
(loose cotton dress with matching trousers) cheaply in Chennai
if they wish. The staff will provide an explicit safety briefing,
guide for dressing and cultural dos and don’ts in the first several
days. Chennai is a large town and everything is available. Major
credit cards are accepted.
Accommodations
While in Chennai, shared rooms with attached toilets will be
booked for the team in a local hotel, close to the beach if
possible. Freshly cooked vegetarian meals will be delivered
or catered from an identified safe restaurant. If traveling in
rural areas, a local hotel with similar arrangements will be
booked. This may or may not have Western toilets, so be
prepared for Indian style ones, but with running water.
Medical Tips
Take all recommended shots and malaria tablets. Check with a
public health nurse or your doctor for their recommendations
as to the best malaria tablets, least side effects, for you
Former volunteers may have some suggestions. Bring any
medications you are used to, in small doses. We have a good
GP lined up in case of emergencies and Chennai has excellent
hospitals ... should the unlikely need arise. Some time during
the team may be spent in rural fishing villages. The project vehicle
will be the primary mode of transport in case of an emergency.
Thus some pre-existing conditions including cardiovascular
conditions, strong sensitivity to heat and dust, seizure disorders,
serious asthma and very high blood pressure might preclude
volunteers from participating (please consult your Doctor)
Volunteers should have a tolerance for Indian food to make
participation on this project enjoyable. The only emergency
that has struck a volunteer during the six years we have
been running this program, was someone getting heat stroke.
So please take the safety/health briefing given on day one seriously.
Swimming and sea bathing are not possible in Chennai but you
may use a week end resort on your free days.
Your contribution will cover
1. Your shared accommodation, food and local travel during
the working holiday
2. Support for Nalamdana's innovative programs in the field.
3. A portion of your contribution is tax-deductible.
Please book your own airline tickets, obtain a visa and travel insurance.
You should make sure that you have up-to-date immunizations as
advised by your travel agent or doctor. Your visa should cover your
full stay in India with some cushion for flight delays and connections.
How much money should I bring
Since your contribution to Nalamdana covers accommodations,
food and local travel on work days, your extra shopping/gifts
needs can be covered easily for under $500 (internet cafes are
close by for very inexpensive, via internet, long distance calls
and email access). Should you wish to purchase fine leather
goods, jewelry, silks, art, etc, you may need your credit cards!
To reserve a place
Kindly confirm your place send a check for your contribution to
"Friends of Nalamdana" (if you live in the US) as explained above.
Please email us your itinerary giving clear arrival details:
flight number, scheduled arrival time, etc. and you will be met
at the airport. If you would like to talk to any previous volunteers
please email me and I will link you up. For any further details please
email Nithya Balaji nithinal@vsnl.net
We look forward to meeting you in Chennai...
Nithya Balaji, Executive Trustee + R.Jeevanandham, Project Director
and Trustee (Both are Principal Investigators on Communication
Research Projects initiated by Nalamdana-Chennai)
*Nalamdana is a non political, non religious registered charitable
trust in India - with tax exemption and permission to receive foreign
donations. All local regulatory laws have been observed and audited
balance sheets and reports are annually filed.
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The Economic Times, Sunday, September 2, 2001
"Delightful is the song which speaks of health and hygiene, each line ending with the question: Nalamdana?... The audience is drawn, the play begins... With the lights, props and background music, it is like watching live cinema, cinema that evolves. What the Nalamdana theatre team does is to find ways of bringing the movie alive, filled with messages. At any time, new feedback can be incorporated."
"Making Waves: Stories of Participatory Communication
for Social Change"
A Report to the Rockefeller Foundation
"An evaluation of Nalamdana theatrical activities showed that a significant increase in HIV/AIDS-related knowledge occurred as a result of watching the drama... accurate knowledge and awareness of where to go for further services like testing and counselling are the essential steps to behavior change. The interactive street theatre performances facilitate this link."
The Hindu, September 3, 2001
"The play Kalyana Malai is as much about women's empowerment as much as its emphasis is on pre-natal care, the appropriate marriageable age, and the possible medical complications arising from marriages among close relatives... the play is a no nonsense social message play... Yet, the play is engrossingly funny."
Combating AIDS: Communication Strategies in Action
Arvind Singhal, Everett M Rogers
Sage Publications, New Delhi, 2003
"Of the many types of entertainment-education that the present authors observed on their five-nation trip, Nalamdana was one of the most impressive. We visited Nalamdana for two days while we were in Chennai in December 2001. We learned a great deal from this intensive workshop, and admire the dedication and ingenuity of the Nalamdana troupe."
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