FSL’s support for long-term volunteers

FSL’s support for long-term volunteers

LTV-GTG-September
Our September get-together group in Kundapur had a strong cultural focus. Volunteers visited the famed Murudeshwara temple and the beautiful beaches of western Karnataka.

Months away from home, in a country not of your own, among people and cultures unfamiliar to you can be challenging, if not difficult to handle. But the rewards are worth it: the intercultural exchange and self-exploration it facilitates can be life changing. In fact the voluntary sector works to not only bring about this change at an individual level, but also to bridge cultural gaps that strengthen solidarity among nations.

At FSL, it is this very transformation that we work to bring about in our volunteers, especially when they are placed in mid- to long-term projects lasting from 1 month to 1 year. Guiding them through the challenges of working in the social sector in India forms a major focus of our long-term volunteering (LTV) team.  Every month, we organize ‘get-togethers’ (GTGs), so that volunteers have an encouraging space to share and evaluate their experiences. A coordinator is assigned to each international volunteer throughout their stay in India, to address any difficulties they may be facing. The GTGs also enable volunteers to have one-to-one talks with their coordinator; they are organized from our offices in Bangalore and Kundapur, in the state of Karnataka, and often include opportunities for intercultural learning, where volunteers visit famous temples, site seeing places etc.

LTV-GTG-September-2
The Bangalore get together focused on motivation, experience sharing and yoga for stress relief.

Our September GTGs took place both in Kundapur and Bangalore, with a total of 13 volunteers participating. Topics such as loneliness, project challenges, cultural differences, among others, were some of the topics discussed. The LTV team regularly follows up with volunteers, especially in the first month, when they need support the most support.  ‘GTGs are very important part of what we do,’ says Arvind Thunga, Senior Chief Coordinator of our LTV program. ‘They are a platform for volunteers to share and learn from the experiences of others. They designed to generate new ideas and motivate volunteers through their project term.’

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