Social and health awareness activities with kids from the slums of Chennai

  India

Chennai (Madras)

Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Dates: June 2 - June 15, 2008

Description: Chennai is a large commercial and industrial centre, and is known for its cultural heritage and temple architecture. Chennai is the automobile capital of India, with around forty percent of the automobile industry having a base there and with a major portion of the nation's vehicles being produced there. Chennai is also referred to as the Detroit of South Asia. It is a major manufacturing centre. Chennai has also become a major center for outsourced IT and financial services from the Western world.

Three volunteer teams will be joining the project in the following time periods:
June 2 - June 15, 2008
August 11 - August 24, 2008
October 6 - October 19, 2008

The volunteers will be teaching the slum kids in the non-formal school, will do house visits and meet slum people, giving information and raising awareness about health, education and hygiene. The volunteers can also take the children out in the city e.g. for picnics, providing exposure visits and city walks.

Chennai is reachable by air from all over the world and by train from main cities of India like Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi and Calcutta.

There is an extra fee of $175 US for participation in this project, intended to support the hosting organization.

Cost in US$: $290 US

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: motivated to work voluntarily within an international team, tolerant, open-minded and cooperative young person with adventurous spirit

Age Range: 18 and over

This Program is open to American and Canadian Participants.

Participants Travel to India Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups

CADIP - Canadian Alliance for Development Initiatives and Projects's Mission Statement: CADIP is an independent, non-governmental, non-religious, not-for-profit Canadian organization based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Through various youth initiatives, Cadip promotes peace, cooperation, tolerance and understanding in international, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural surroundings. The organization also promotes patterns and examples of civil activities focused on serving others, on building social ties and strengthening communities, on supporting civil society development. Aims and general objectives: " To promote volunteering as an expression of civic contribution " To strengthen the international contacts among young people " To build tolerance and understanding in multicultural and multi-ethnic surroundings " To promote multiunderstanding among youth all over the world " To facilitate the individual growth of the volunteers through the acquisition of work, life and learning skills " To work for the recognition and promotion of non-formal learning " To support the community initiatives and assist in community development.