The Sebastian Hunter Memorial Trust is constantly looking for people of all ages interested in any area of our work to spend time in one of our programs in India. Whether you are looking for a gap year program or just want to spend some time in India, there are endless opportunities for any volunteer. Subject to suitability, accommodation and food will be provided. The cost for a volunteership depends on the length of stay and requirements of the volunteer. Our main areas of work are education, community heath and livelihoods based in Vellore, Tamil Nadu.

We are not only seeking volunteers to work within the different projects, but also to assist us with planning and implementation: the more volunteers we have, the further we can reach into some of the poorest parts of Tamil Nadu. We have found in the past that volunteers from developed countries are indispensible, often having strong leadership; planning and organisational skills that are essential to the success of these projects, and can provide the greatest inspiration to those living in challenging situations. In return, it is an amazing opportunity for the volunteers themselves to live in such a different context and develop invaluable experience.

Please contact us for any further information and see below for the different programs currently looking for volunteers.

The Sebastian Hunter Memorial Trust is involved with four different schools of all educational levels. Kings School is the only English speaking school, however if a volunteer is up to the challenge, they are desperately needed at any of the four other schools. The schools are happy for a volunteer to get involved in anyway they like, there are a few areas which do need volunteer attention.

• Creative arts & drama
  
• Interactive team building and personality development
  
• Spoken English
• Computer education
• Literacy & library science

DREAM
This project helps rural schools in and around Vellore to apply a creative and interactive mode of teaching English and computers. The program is designed as a 16 week curriculum, wherein volunteers work to both expand the capacity of the teachers as well as the children, through a fun and effective mode of learning centred around dance, multimedia, music, art and play. Weekly lessons for all standards are held, with the opportunity to hold both school and community events promoting the importance of holistic learning and clear career goals.

READ
This project works with children who do not attend school. Volunteers will work with these children to develop their career goals and ensure that they have the skills, means and support to do so. Volunteers will organize career counselling and trips to places of work for the older students, advocate for the certificates they need to pass through their education, and lectures from professionals in their desired areas of work.

The primary schools at Thattankuttai and Thandayankottai villages in the Jawadi Hills are the first schools these communities have ever had. First generation education comes with many challenges, and volunteer support with this infrastructure is crucial. Prospective volunteers must be aware that this project is in a tribal area, requiring a 5-14km trek to the village and will be living in basic facilities with no electricity. Volunteers will be working directly with tribal people, who live according to very different rules. For this reason, it is important for volunteers to be culturally respectful and adaptable. Areas in need of development are:

• Teacher training
• Adult literacy and numeracy
• School infrastructure
• Liaising with the education department for support, food and materials.
• Curriculum development
• Community support
• School events, individual sponsorship etc.

ILLUMINAE
ILLUMINAE works with women in slum communities finding sustainable livelihood projects to suit their capabilities, and working with them in a supportive capacity as they build up their physical skills. Other projects include building awareness about health and sanitation, awareness of basic diseases and how they spread, as well as helping them through issues such as debt management and dealing with domestic abuse, literacy and account management.Volunteers will work in the field, identifying new communities to work with, assess their needs, identify sustainable livelihood options based on personal and material resources available to the,  help the younger women/girls get into schools and community colleges and conduct health and welfare educational schemes.

Sustainable Livelihood Project - Jawadhi Hills
This project is looking for volunteers to expand the Sustainable Livelihood Project into the hills surrounding the villages where work is currently being done. A volunteer will need to identify the need and capacities of the villages and to develop a truly sustainable livelihood option for those living in the villages, on a micro-credit based project. This will involve house visits, baseline surveys, market research, working with the Forestry Department to access relevant schemes and carrying out project planning and skills training sessions where needed.

The Schieffelin Institute of Health as well as the Shatnhigramam community are in desperate need of any volunteer. Some of the possible areas are:

• Research & data collection
• Volunteers wiht psychology, anthropology or any other social science background with an interest in doing group work with patients
• Organizing activities for the residents of Shatnhigramam

HEAL
The Seb's project team based in Tamil Nadu are often called upon to act as medical case workers and bridge the gap between the tribal villagers and the hospitals in Vellore. However, we need to build the villagers awareness regarding health and sanitation as well as health perceptions and behaviours, through community led intervention. We need volunteers to identify and coordinate training for one tribal woman and man from each of the seven targeted tribal villages to be trained as a Primary Health Worker, as well as support them through this transition period. The health worker will be a huge catalyst for change in their community and all the surrounding communities.
The two villagers will be trained in CMC's community health and development hospital in Vellore in basic biology, pharmacology and healthcare, and how to deal with health emergencies.

To read why health awareness is so important in these villages, please read Chinnasamy's story.

For more information about the volunteer programs please contact us or download our volunteer information handbook.