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Institute for
Philanthropy &
Humanitarian
Development
20
15
INTERN
ABROAD
IN INDIA
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Welcome to ...
Institute for
Philanthropy &
Humanitarian
Development
“Striving to empower Jodhpurian
communities by connecting them with
international humanitarian workers.”
If you are reading this brochure, odds are it’s
because you are perplexed or inspired or
frustrated – and almost certainly captivated – by
issues of international community and sustainable development. We know we are!
Institute for Philanthropy and Humanitarian
Development envisions a world in which all individuals have the rights, resources, and opportunities to engage in the world in a manner that
is personally rich and meaningful to them. We
invite college interns and professional volunteers to share their expertise with our communities and nonprofit partners to help us achieve
this vision. Whether you are pursuing a career in
engineering, graphic design, health, sociology
or anything in between, you have a talent that
could be incredibly impactful to the communities
we work with.
Institute for Philanthropy and Humanitarian
Development is based in Rajasthan, India.
Rajasthan is known for its rich cultural heritage,
vibrant artistry and numerous celebrations, and
draws thousands of foreign tourists each year.
However, many of the state’s rural communities
remain impovershed, underdeveloped, and in
need of resources and specialized knowledge.
By collaborating with our interns and volunteers, these communities can begin to shift from
surviving to thriving.
This brochure provides an overview of our
intern and volunteer program and our current
organizational effort. If you want to learn more,
feel free to contact us at jodhpurmadhu@gmail.
com.
CONTENTS
Welcome to IHD
why work with us
WORK PATHWAYS
FOCUS AREAS
Our LOCATIONS
OUR TEAM
HOW TO APPLY
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WHY WORK WITH US?
WORK PATHWAYS
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Do you have a need that you are particularly passionate about? Maybe you see yourself doing
analytical research for an HIV/AIDS activist network. Or you want to contribute your engineering
expertise to an agricultural technology problem. Or maybe you social media and marketing skills
and you can train promote a new women’s empowerment enterprise. We at IHD are looking for a
diverse range of skills and capabilities that will help empower the lives of underserved communities. But before we ask you to share your talents, here’s a little about who we are.
OUR MISSION...
is to provide community development education services and
research opportunities for the local
and international community, using
practical project based studies,
that contribute to well-being, integration and self-sufficiency.
OUR VISION..
is to provides countless opportunities for interns, professionals,
and academics to get involved in
sustanable development projects
that provide meaningful support to
the communities we serve.
OUR PRINCIPLES
We’re about community partnerships.
We believe strongly in empowering community members as a means of strengthening
communities. We see interns, academics, and
volunteers as having essential skills, knowledge, and resources that, when employed
in thoughtful ways, can have a tremendous
benefit to our partner communities. We believe
partner organizations and community developers should engage in projects with mutually
agreed upon and beneficial objectives and
outcomes in mind.
We’re about commitment to community development principles.
IHD’s programs are set within a rigorous experiential education framework which draws on
current principles of community development
in developing countries. These frameworks
guide us in the creation of professional partnerships, support networks, and communication channels through which we conduct our
work. We have special facilities and agreements with certain villages in Rajasthan for the
realization of research and field work.
COLLEGE
INTERNSHIP
PROFESSIONAL
VOLUNTEER
ACADEMIC
RESEARCH
In our most popular pathway,
undergrads and postgrads
complete meaningful fieldwork
and cultivate essential skills
while working for nonprofits in
an international con¬text.
From engineering know-how
to social media savvy, our
mid- or post-career volunteers
provide our partner communities with invaluable skills
and expertise in their field of
passion.
Postgrads complete community development research
projects in an IHD affiliated
host com¬munity, with or
without the oversight of an
IHD affiliated nonprofit.
SKILL DEVELOPMENT
ORIENTATION
IHD participants take part in
a customized orientation program that provides a practical
introduction to the Indian/
Rajasthan context. It explores
aspects of local culture that will
influence field work, basic Hindi
lessons, an overview of IHD’s
field work philosophy, and
more. The orientation program
will feature guest speakers
related to intern/volunteers
project work, and visits to relevant organizations.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
COMPETENCIES
IHD values its interns and
volunteers role as a community
developer. and wants them to
feel supported and empowered in when taking on this
role. To fulfill this, IHD offers
unique and specific workshops
that build “key competencies” essential for successful
community engagement and
project implementation.
WEEKEND WORKSHOPS
• Democracy in India
• Role and Ethics of
Community Developers
• Human RIghts
• Indian Caste System and
the Development Process
• Communication Skills
• Project Implementation
• Research Topic
Knowledge
• Using a Translator
• Hindi Language Skills
• Understanding and Working in a New Culture
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PROGRAM
POSSIBILITIES
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EDUCATION
MICRO-ENTREPRENERSHIP
Low literacy rates exist amongst women due
to early marriage and the practice of purdah.
Girls are not encouraged to go to schools
after completing fifth grade, and schools
employ few female teachers. There are low
initial enrollment rates in secondary school
and college, and high dropout rates before
completion. Physical education is rarely
available for boys, and nonexistent for girls.
There are very few microenterprises in
Bhikamkor. Instead, community members
travel to Jodhpur or other nearby cities to
shop. Few opportunities exist for women
to participate in microenterprises due to
a lack of formal education and cultural
norms. Community members have expressed a strong interest in starting microenterprises given the appropriate training
and financial capital.
MICROFINANCE
ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
Many in Bhikamkor lack access to traditional banking systems due to poverty. This
is especially true for women who, due to
cultural pressures, have little control over
household finances. Additionally when loans
have been borrowed for businesses, people
have found they were using them for more
urgent needs, perpetuating the poverty
cycle. Community members have expressed
a strong interest in a developing self-help
group styled microlending program.
Bhikamkor is located at the edge of the Thar
Desert. Drinking water is a significant issue.
Although agriculture is the main source of
economic activity in the community, farmland is arid and no irrigation facilities exist.
Farmers still depend on rainwater for sowing
and cultivation. The practice of growing
cash crops like bajra, jawar, maize, and oilseeds has resulted in a lack of diet diversity.
HEALTH
WOMAN’S RIGHTS
Bhikamkor don’t have a government or
private hospital, only a small pharmacy. The
lack of doctors, especially female doctors,
is a problem, especially since health clinic
are difficult to reach. Only serious health
conditions are considered cause to travel
to cities for treatment. Many community members suffer from anemia. Family
planning facilities are not available; male
children are strongly preferred over female
children.
Women’s empowerment encompasses a
number of social empowerment categories
including health, education, and economic empowerment. Women are frequently
treated as second class citizens. They
have little access to reproductive healthcare, financial services, and education and
entrepreneurial opportunities. Culture often
dictates that women are married early and
outlines strict roles for women’s placement
in the family and community.
JODHPUR
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BIKAMKOR
LIVING
CULTURE
EXCURSION
IHD participants live with
Jodhpurian families, providing
a total cultural immersion experience. Host family facilities
are basic yet comfortable.
Participants have their own
private room inside host
families houses. Three meals
a day and filtered water are
provided. Participants will
have the opportunity to join
their host families in cultural
and religious holidays as well
as other celebrations, such
as weddings. Host families
are carefully selected for their
openness, hospitality and security. Professional volunteers
also have the opportunity to
stay in a hotel or find their
own living accomodations in
the city.
Institute for Philanthropy and
Humanitarian Development is
headquarted in Jodhpur, Rajasthan’s second largest city. Its
close proximity to the Thar Desert has led some to nickname it
the “Sun City”; others call it the
blue city for the vivid blue-colored houses in the old city that
surround Jodhpur’s famous
Mehengar Fort. Other historical
landmarks include the Umaid
Bhawan Palace, home of the
royal family, and the Jaswant
Thada, a white marble memorial
dedicated to Maharaja Jaswant
Singh II.
Jodpur has several vibrant
commercial centers, which
feature everything from textiles
and handcrafts to fresh food
markets and restaurants. Cultural celebrations are abundant due to the city’s diverse
religious and cultural heritage.
And if this weren’t enough, its
position in the center of Rajasthan positions it well for travel
to other cities around the
state including Jaipur, Udaipur,
Jaisalmer, and Pushkar.
The IHD community development model involves intensive
partnership with an underdeveloped community for a significant period of time in order
to ensure that community recieves the resources necessary
to complete its development
objectives and flourish. Over
the next four to five years, IHD
will be partnering exclusively
with the village of Bhikamkor,
overseeing a range of development projects.
Bhikamkor is located 65
kilometers north of Jodhpur,
Rajasthan, at the edge of the
Thar Desert. The surrounding landscape is marked by
gentle sand dunes and thorny
shrubbery. Over 500 years old,
Bhikamkor has a rich history
and several notable historical
landmarks including one fort
and three castles. Its 5000
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inhabitants are mostly farmers
who harvest grains that
flourish during the monsoon
season. Cows, buffalo, camels, goats, and oxen are also
commonly raised. Bhikamkor’s neighborhoods are
largely organized by caste.
Roads and railways allow
transportation to and from the
community.
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OUR TEAM
HOW TO APPLY
ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
IHD has a two part admissions process: an
online application and a skype interview. This
process allows the IHD team to ensure that applicants are a suitable match for our program.
Madhu Vaishnav is the
founder and Executive Director
of IHD. She has ten years’
experience working with civic
organizations and international
students in urban slum and village development projects on
a wide array of areas including
microfinance, women’s empowerment, HIV/AIDS awareness,
community need assessment,
and sex worker education.
Madhu holds a Master’s Degree in Indian History and Hindi
and completed post graduate
coursework in community and
social welfare at University of
California, Berkeley.
Suzanne Blair is a Busi-
ness Consultant and an Advisor
for IHD. She has founded, run
and sold several businesses in
Australia and has spent extensive time worked in the Indian
subcontinent, Africa and Central
America. Her chief interests are
business development, micro
enterprise, marketing and microfinance in developing countries.
Suzanne holds graduate and
post graduate degrees from
universities in Australia, Canada
and UK.
Ben Shorofsky in an Advisor
for IHD, working on program
expansion, program design, and
Communications. He holds a
Master’s Degree in Environmental
Engineering and is focused on
making an impact as a sustainable
development professional. Presently, he lives in rural Rajasthan
outside of Jodhpur, where he is
working on alternative wastewater treatment as a Fulbright-Nehru Fellow. Ben has additional
experience traveling and working
abroad, loves helping students
pursue their passions, and is committed to all things sustainability
Online Application
All applications must be completed online.
The following outlines some of the application
questions:
- Education experience
- Industry expertise
- Closest related experience to IHD work
- Preferred work assignment
- Language skills
Our online application can be accessed at
http://ihdindia.com/apply/.
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Interview
Following application review, elidgable
applicants will be contacted by an IHD team
member to conduct an online skype interview
regarding their goals in working with IHD and
skills they see themselves contributing to IHD
communities. IHD team members will answer
program questions and may forecast job placement when applicable.
Letter of Acceptance
IHD will distribute offical letters of acceptance
to the program via e-mail within 2 weeks of the
interview process.
Passport Requirements
Depending on your country of origin and the
length of time you plan on working with IHD,
you may require a passport. Applicants who
do not currently have a passport should apply
for one 10 weeks prior to travel to ensure the
process is completed on time.
From Our Interns
Abigail Singh is an Advi-
sor for IHD. A former intern in a
grassroots Indian charity, Abigail
understands well the excitement,
frustrations and hesitations of
those embarking on an internship
to India. She has many years of
experience in the travel industry,
specializing in the Indian Subcontinent. Her experiences put her in
a great position to provide guidance and assistance to foreigners
during their travels.
Megan Harrington is an
Advisor for IHD. She spent six
months in India working with
three nonprofit organizations under Madhu Vaishnav’s guidance
and has additional experience
working in Rwanda, Thailand,
and the Dominican Republic
while studying international
community development. She
received Bachelor’s degree in
International Affairs from Northeastern University.
“I learnt so much from [the] women [I
worked with during my time in Jodhpur]
and took such heart in their strength
and happiness despite their struggles.
I’m positive that I have learnt more from
them than they have gained from me,
and I can only hope that the state government takes my report seriously and
takes active steps to create change in the
lives of these women and their families.”
Elizabeth Blair
Intern 2014
Apply online and start making
a difference today.
Institute for Philanthropy and
Humanitarian Development
T: 91-9413144484
E: [email protected]
http://ihdindia.com/
You can also connect with us through social media:
facebook.com/internshipforhumanitariandevelopment
twitter.com/ihdindia
http://ihdindia.com/blog/
Institute for
Philanthropy &
Humanitarian
Development
Produced by Marketing and Communications, Institute for Philanthropy and Humanitarian Development, April 2015. IHD reserves the right to make alterations to any
information contained within this publication without notice.