Specific Volunteer Requirements
Some insight about volunteering with us
The Uluru children’s home and Uluru health care centre are situated in a small rural town in Tamil Nadu, approximately 2 hours by bus from the states capital city, Chennai.
All volunteers must be 20 years old or above and be able to commit to a minimum placement length of 2 months. There are 2 basic programs that volunteers can participate in depending on their qualifications, skills and interests. These include the Rural Health Program (REP) and the Community Education Program (CEP). Volunteers will be provided with dormitory accommodation and 3 vegetarian meals a day at the Uluru Children’s home.
Volunteers will be working under the guidance of TEWFI staff members. However, TEWOAF does not have an in country volunteer coordinator. Volunteer placements are self-directed and volunteers are often required to work independently. Indian staff will provide support and assistance where possible, however, language barriers and time constraints restrict the possibility of in-country supervision. The TEWOAF volunteer committee will be in close contact with all volunteers and will provide assistance and support where necessary and possible.
TEWOAF is a small, primarily volunteer driven organisation. We do not have the resources available to provide 24-hour support and guidance to volunteers. If you would prefer to participate in a more structured volunteer program with in-country coordinators and support staff we suggest you consider larger organisations.
Criterias to be met by our volunteers
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Be at least 20 years of age
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Be fluent in English or Tamil
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Be able to volunteer on-site for a period of no less than 2 months
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Exhibit proven cultural sensitivity and respect
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Be in good health
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A successful police check
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During and on completion of volunteering, a volunteer must be able to report back to TEWOAF
Criterias to be met by our volunteers
-
Be at least 20 years of age
-
Be fluent in English or Tamil
-
Be able to volunteer on-site for a period of no less than 2 months
-
Exhibit proven cultural sensitivity and respect
-
Be in good health
-
A successful police check
-
During and on completion of volunteering, a volunteer must be able to report back to TEWOAF
What type of volunteer?
Although there is no particular ‘type’ of person who makes a good volunteer, Our volunteer placements are limited, and we look for the following attributes in selection of our volunteers:​
A positive attitude
• Self- directed-ness and independence – volunteers must be able to show they are able to work independently and have self-motivation to begin and work on priojects without a large amount of guidance
• Open-mindedness and willingness to understand and adapt one’s own behaviour and ideas to a ‘foreign’ culture
• Adaptability – an ability to be flexible in the face of changing circumstances, unforeseen hurdles, new challenges, etc.
• Creativity – being able to think ‘outside the square’ to overcome language and cultural barriers to work to achieve positive results
• Patience – when things take longer than planned, when answers aren’t forthcoming, when messages don’t seem to be getting across
• Sense of fun and ability to laugh when things don’t go as planned
• Willingness to live outside ones comfort zone
Factors we look at while processing an application
There are a range of factors we take into consideration when processing an application, apart from qualifications, work experience and the personal attributes mentioned above. For example, we consider:​
• Travel experience
• Volunteer experience
• Level of prior interaction with foreign cultures
What kind of skills do we look for?
We look for volunteers with a variety of skills in a variety of areas. Currently we are looking for volunteers with the following skills or experience (in no particular order):​
• Teaching English as a foreign language
• Tamil language speakers
• Librarian skills
• Environment and conservation
• Curriculum development
• IT technology and training
• Community development work
• IGP training and program development
• Project management
• Medical service and healthcare
• Health promotion
• Office and financial administration
• Public relations and marketing
• Recreation program coordination
• Early childhood education / child care
More importantly than the skills you bring is the attitude you bring. Sometimes the best volunteers are those who come unsure of what they will do during their volunteer placement. But by being positive, creative and open-minded, such people often end up making an outstanding contribution.
