Asides

Corporate Social Responsibility

An Enriching Experience!

derrick061095AsideLeave a comment

“The purpose of life is not to be happy, but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you have lived at all.”

–Leo Rosten


Since our childhood we are all in a rat race! Right from getting admission in the best college to bagging the best jobs! But difficult times always force us to think, so was I forced to think during the COVID-19 lockdown. Humans are supreme compared to all the other creatures on Earth. But what an irony that man was caged and all the other creatures were freely moving during the lockdown. With my mind flooded with such thoughts, I was pondering and introspecting about the sole purpose of our existence on this planet. It was when a thought of doing something for the society struck my mind. But how could a person who’s not allowed to move out of the home do anything for the society? Suddenly, I came across iVolunteer and understood how I could sit at home and virtually volunteer to many activities.

With full enthusiasm, I enrolled to a few opportunities available. Starting with small things like reading out stories for small children and making mathematics assignment questions for them, I also got a chance to make questionnaires for NGO’s seeking help in recruitment, creating KRA’s for employees and creating HR policies. Soon I was assigned a task to help ‘Seva Charitable Trust’ in making their annual reports. Seva Charitable Trust works towards conservation and preservation of mother earth, inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai. It also provides alternative livelihood opportunities to the tribals living inside the national park by teaching them skills for earning a living. I completed the annual report but I didn’t want to stop there. I wanted to help more. It was when I asked the Trustee of Seva Charitable Trust about the problems she was facing in managing the people at the NGO. After thoroughly understanding the situation, I realised that the major problem she wasn’t able to manage the interns was that their goals were not clearly defined which led to the delays. After getting in touch with each department head and after understanding their work, I made SMART goals for each intern and also implemented a system of weekly reporting. Additionally, I was assigned the task of managing the interns, giving them weekly targets and ensuring that they completed it. Sitting at home it was the best practical experience I could get because at workplace also it is all about managing people.

I wanted to do a more challenging task and explore something new, so I volunteered for another opportunity of teaching conversational English to the trainers of ‘Srujna Charitable Trust’ who help the trafficked young girls in developing new skills through trainings and workshops. The trainer could understand Hindi, so English had to be taught by explaining everything in Hindi. Initially it was difficult but with time it became easy. During the sessions, I understood that the trainer was afraid and lacked confidence. In every session I used to try to boost her confidence after which she started speaking in English. The best feeling ever was when I saw that trainer whom I trained started speaking in English. It was really an enriching experience!

As I cross more than 120 hours of volunteering virtually, I can proudly say that I’ve done my part in doing something for the society and have created a little impact in people’s life in every way I could. It wouldn’t have been possible without iVolunteer- the bridge between volunteers & NGO’s. Special thanks to Mrs. Aarti for her constant motivation & support.

#ivolunteer #anenrichingexperience

Corporate Social Responsibility · Employee Volunteering · Folunteering (Fun + Volunteering) · Volunteering in India

Transforming not just buildings but DREAMS

PriyankaS21AsideLeave a comment

Education has always been a focal point in anyone’s life and so it is for the people working towards social change. Education is not just limited to language, books, syllabus but it has so many different aspects and so the area of work is equally vast

iVolunteer, a pioneer in volunteering has always tried to come up with exciting volunteering opportunity where volunteers not just enjoy but go back with the satisfaction of doing something meaningful, something which will contribute towards social change at the same time we have to ensure that the activity has an outcome, an impact on the beneficiaries or even towards the society in general.

iVolunteer does a lot of painting and spot cleaning activities, it was through these small activities that we discovered a school transformation project. A project which is not limited to painting 1-2 classrooms or preparing teaching-aids but a combination of multiple activities contributing towards the transformation of the entire school.

Flower cells

This consist of activities such as

    • Painting of walls, whitewash and bright paint
    • Mural painting with images and messages appropriate for the class and the age group of students
    • Constructing a sports room or library,  which is generally missing in public schools and if they have a room for these it might not have the right types of equipment
    • Setting up a small kitchen garden which will help children learn the basics and importance of spreading greenery
    • Making Teaching –Aids which are not just limited to making a couple of posters but we have taken it a step ahead of where volunteers are engaged in making clay models for science projects which could be used by teachers for demo.

In short, all these activities contribute towards a complete transformation of schools.

A couple of years ago when iVolunteer started these transformation project people used to wonder how this transformation will happen but now after transforming 100+ schools across India we know it needs the same old recipe which an expert like iVolunteer 🙂 backed by a team of volunteering experts, a very good plan in place, a supportive school administration and a bunch of enthusiastic volunteers who will create the MAGIC.

School Transformation has been picked up by many other organizations and now they too and doing a great job, meanwhile, we know of Rural Schools who are looking for similar support. Also considering the current scenario with Covid-19 we all need to be extra careful for the next one year and probably this will be the right time to focus on Rural parts of the country or outskirts of big cities such as Mumbai, Bengaluru or Delhi as these are less impacted by the virus at the same time any huge gathering in cities will not be advisable. It’s high time we start focussing on the rural communities and help them grow. We will be more than happy to partner with corporations who are ready to take those extra miles and help us create Magic and Transform Rural Schools.

Interested corporates can write to us at info@iVolunteer.in or priyanka@iVolunteer.in

 

#PowerInYou · Folunteering (Fun + Volunteering) · Impact Volunteering · skill-based volunteering · Volunteering · Volunteering in India

Nostalgic Moments | Sachin

Communications TeamAsideLeave a comment


I have been part of iVolunteer for the last 10 months, and worked as a part of various campaigns and projects.

The world is facing a pandemic and the whole nation is under lockdown to break the chain of Covid-19. We are caged in our homes for our own safety, and for the safety of others. Our offices are shut, social gathering is not allowed and we cannot go out to have quality time with our friends or families. At this moment, we are desperately in need of something which can make us feel better, strong, and yes, motivated

iVolunteer being an organisation which promotes volunteering has initiated various virtual opportunities for all the passionate volunteers who can give back something to the society.  One of such opportunities is recording audio stories for visually disabled children. 

One day I got mail from my team member about these stories which were recorded by a few lovely volunteers.
I was asked to create videos out of these stories for our youtube channel, which can be used for blind children or NGOs to use at their centres for educational or fun activities.

Image courtesy: http://www.myagilepartner.com

I saw the attachment and downloaded the audio files, listened to the stories and felt a rush of nostalgia! I was transported back to my childhood where I recall reciting these stories during my school days! I was amazed with the stories like Akbar Birbal, Three Little Pigs, Winnie The Pooh and many such. During lockdown what can be more beautiful than the experience of working from home, and the work is to create videos of these stories. I don’t think it’s some kind of task for me because it brings back my emotions of carelessness, happiness and a time without worries. 

I always feel the world is changing, and we are or will be always part of this. 

Let’s embrace every moment and believe in sharing happiness. 
This is what makes us human beings with beautiful souls! 
Thank you to all volunteers for sharing such lovely stories in  your sweet voices!

Checkout created videos on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeQ7kDT1ujWJrPZNbP_4ZS3m6Zn-oK__A

Citizenship · Corporate Social Responsibility · Folunteering (Fun + Volunteering) · Volunteering · Volunteering in India

Superheroes without capes but with masks and gloves!

TanveerAsideLeave a comment

The lockdown meant 24 hours of home confinement. It meant locks on offices and factories. The roads deserted. The bazaars silent. There were no hawkers vying for your attention. There are no corner shops hosting small addas

This silence has brought gloom to many. And it has been dreadful to those without savings, scary for the daily wage earners, and a cruel joke on the homeless.

In between this, there were a few who stepped out of their homes. Superheroes without capes but with masks and gloves. The community volunteers came forward to ease the plight of the most vulnerable and food insecure people in this pandemic. Such people are all around us, only if we care to stop and watch out for them.

The Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC) and Swiggy joined hands with iVolunteer for their newest initiative, Sabki Rasoi.

91723541_2789704144418710_6574779723908382720_o

While IPAC has no experience in the food industry at all, they rose to the occasion and started cooking food, packaging it and giving it to the swiggy delivery champions.

They then deliver it to the communities in five slum pockets of Kolkata. After that the local community leaders and chain of volunteers serves the needy people. The volunteers are key in identifying the most vulnerable in the community.

This initiative served 1000 people everyday for 11 days. There were 63 volunteers across five locations in Kolkata.

Together we could come and stand beside a few people. A thousand people who were otherwise facing hungry. It reminds us of our privileges, our blessings. We feel humbled and grateful that these thousand people allowed us to stand beside them. They allowed us to serve them

#iVolunteer #Covid19 #Seva #FoodForPoor #Food #IndiaFightsCornona #StandTogether #India #FightCorona #WHO #Pandemic #Precautions #FoodSupply #Donate

To Volunteer / Contribute, Login to http://www.iVolunteer.in!

Corporate Social Responsibility

A Day at the Tetwali Village…..

ujshinde08AsideLeave a comment

Gloria Steinem, world-renowned feminist, journalist and activist once explained, “The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.”

International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. International Women’s Day is all about unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy and action – whatever that looks like globally at a local level.

iVolunteer in Partnership with Srujna celebrated Women’s Day with the Women Artisans of Tetwali Village of Palghar District on March 08, 2020. Srujna is an organization that provides skills and knowledge to underprivileged women through trainings and workshops, to transform them into independent, confident and contributing members of their families and communities. Srujna also encourages and supports bamboo artisans of Tetwali Village in Palghar district. The main purpose of the initiative was to understand the bamboo art made by the women artisans; to give a tribal exposure to the volunteers and spend time with the women; and also, to understand the culture and lifestyle of the women.

The day began with meeting the volunteers at Andheri Station. A total of 11 volunteers participated for the activity.  Out of 11, 5 volunteers were from ‘Hum Badlenge India’ and others from various fields viz; corporate, dentist, social sector, etc. We all gathered at Platform no. 8 of Andheri Station, Eesha from Srujna Charitbale Trust also joined us. Our journey began with boarding the 7:38 train to Palghar. We reached Palghar station at 9:10 am. 5 volunteers from ‘Hum Badlenge India’ joined us at Plaghar Station out of which 2 volunteers came from Umbergaon which is Maharashtra and Gujarat border. We had tea and snacks at Palghar Station and then walked to the city bus stop. We then took the local bus to Tetwali which dropped us at the village at 11:30 am. The moment we were out of Mumbai we seemed to have entered a new world. It was a mesmerizing journey to the village. As soon as we got down from the bus, we saw beautiful hut and houses made by the men artisans at the entrance. There were no city crowds, no maddening din of the work-a-day world.

We were welcomed by Mr. Panduranga dada who is the Upasarpanch of the village. He called the women of the village and we introduced each other. The women were very shy. They welcomed us by a group song which was sung beautifully by the women. Eesha from Srujna Charitable Trust gave orientation about the organization and also told how Srujna helps the women artisans in marketing and sales of the products. Ms. Namita (women artisan) gave introduction about the products being manufactured there. There was a small exhibition of the products arranged for us by the women; various bamboo products from small earing box to big study table were kept for sale. Volunteers bought different products as per their wish. The women taught us how to make bamboo tray and paper weight and then we realized that it takes a lot of effort to make a simple bamboo product. The women of the village started learning bamboo art since April 2019 and were taught them by the Keshav Shrusti Organization. Initially it was very difficult for them to learn the art and broke their nails learning it. The women were so dedicated that they learnt the art within few months and are now called as professional women artisans. There was a strange expression of calmness, contentment and courage on every face. We all then gathered for the lunch. Delicious lunch was made by the women, which included daal, rice and sabji.

After the delicious lunch, we played a team building game with the women and the children. Everyone enjoyed the game as it was something new for the women and the children. The day was ended by a group photo and feedback of the volunteers, women and Eesha from Srujna.

It was totally a new exposure for iVolunteer team and the volunteers, for a moment we forgot our city life. The experience was like a rebirth. We all enjoyed and left for the day with a lot of learnings. It was indeed a day of joy for all of us, a day on which we really lived.

Corporate Social Responsibility

STAY CONNECTED

mohdsaleem456AsideLeave a comment

Volunteer without leaving home

Volunteering is a great exercise to meet new people and network who have similar interests to you. The great thing about volunteering is that you are doing good for others and the community, which provides a natural sense of accomplishment.

Virtual volunteering or Online volunteering usually refer to volunteer activities, using the Internet or other Internet-connected device, such as a smart-phone or a computer. VA convenient form of volunteering, it helps volunteers transcend geographical and man- made borders and contribute to a cause or a non-profit that you care for. No longer is it necessary to work from an NGO’s physical office to make a positive impact. 

Examples of virtually volunteering 

  • Blogging 
  • Report writing 
  • Grant writing
  • Research
  • Social media management
  • Fundraising
  • Building a website
  • Designing Newsletter & reporting template
  • Designing a logo 
  • Translating a document

Importance of Virtual Volunteering

Virtual volunteering empowers a wider group of participants to give back, regardless of age or abilities. Most virtual volunteering opportunities are skills-based and virtual volunteering is that it’s easier to connect and find even more opportunities amongst a network of peers. Not only can you more easily volunteer around your own schedule, but you don’t need to travel or even change your clothes. you just need to pick up your phone or open a laptop saving your time and energy to devote to the actual act of volunteering. 

How Virtual Volunteering helps during Covid-19

When you picture volunteering, you may think of donating something, cleaning up and teaching  a child. But did you know that you can make a difference without leaving your home? It’s called virtual volunteering. 

How to get started

Considering your skills and passions, iVolunteer created a number of virtual volunteering opportunities.  All you have to do is just click on the given below link and register yourself and you can start your Volunteering.

https://www.ivolunteer.in/govirtual

What will you gain

If you want to learn something new but don’t have the time, you can do so through virtual volunteering. You can explore new sectors that you’re unfamiliar with yet interested in, without the pressure.  

Instead of sitting ideally for a few hours, you can use your time more beneficially. 

Corporate Social Responsibility

My Experience to Lead a Team Virtually

Shahnawaz KhanAsideLeave a comment

Communication can get muddled if teams never meet face to face, trust and collaboration suffer when workers are siloed, and sometimes it’s hard to tell if employees are tasked with too little or too much. Despite these challenges, virtual teams are here to stay. Remote work allows companies to compete in an increasingly globalized society, so the real challenge becomes adapting to the new workplace.

Working with iVolunteer i got a chance to lead a team in the corporate project i.e Cummins India Coach Them Young-2018 (Cummins CTY). The opportunity I got in my very first three month working with iVolunteer Delhi Team. The team which I lead includes the interns major cities of India (Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune) where we must get permission from different schools in respective cities to conduct the Waste and E-waste management session.

Virtual team is different from Traditional Team in Selection of Team Members, Organization Structure, Leadership Style, Knowledge Exchange & Decision-taking, Relationship Building, Psychological Contract. Leading a Virtual team is challenging in comparison to traditional teams. With Considering the challenges posed by the virtual teams, it is necessary to pay special attention to the communication, collaboration and cultural issues. Where I learn how a team leader should follow a distinct management approach which focuses on building trust and cohesion amongst the virtual team members to harness the advantages of a successful virtual team.

To work on this project and lead it virtually, I get the inspiration from Neha Srivastava, Head of Corporate who leads all the 7 centers of iVolunteer virtually and Mohd Saleem Sr. Relationship Manager. In the four month long Cummins CTY project, we as a Virtual Team was able to reach out to 259719 students pan India and spread awareness on ‘Types of Pollution & their adverse effect on environment’ amongst the young change-makers.

It was a great achievement for me and the whole team despite the few challenges faced in the initial stage of the project. We as a team all worked together towards in one vision and accelerated pull our shocks up and meet the target at the end.