Student Volunteer Programs Overseas

Advocate government policy change

Bangalore is the third largest city in India with a population of 6.1 million. Bangalore is capital of the state of Karnataka, located in South India and is a modern city with access to all modern amenities. The primary language spoken in Bangalore is Kannada, however English is spoken widely throughout the city.

An internship in Bangalore provides a unique opportunity for volunteers to improve their research, academic, teaching, marketing or technical skills. YCA supports youth to develop skills and knowledge in their field whilst also developing a cultural understanding and contributing to community development. We work in partnership with Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy in Bangalore, an organisation that supports citizens to identify, act and resolve social, infrastructure, political and environmental issues in their communities. YCA collaborates with Janaagraha to identify areas of research or projects that would suit each Intern.

This project involves working with Janaagraha through its core programs in citizen training, research and advocacy. The work of a volunteer with Janaagraha will involve both working as a team, and as an individual on specific projects. The core programs of the placement include:

Bala Janaagraha: The Bala Janaagraha is a citizenship education program focused on moulding children into responsible citizens. It attempts to empower children with the knowledge, skills and values necessary to develop a deep sense of ownership and responsibility toward their society. Volunteer participation is vital to Bala Janaagraha’s success and crucial in implementing the program’s activities. Volunteers:
Participate in class room sessions - teaching, interacting and assisting the children in discussions

Guide the children with their civic project duties
Organize events such as the civic exhibition

Yuva Janaagraha – Yuva Janaagraha functions on the belief that today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders. A genuine interest and willingness to become involved in civic and social issues needs is instilled in them. Yuva runs a wide range of youth-based activities including local government experiences, education-based college workshops and neighbourhood programs. Accordingly, there are lots of opportunities for volunteers varying from project managers, design volunteers, training facilitators and speakers corner facilitators (free speech forums).

Citizen Awareness Program (CAP): The CAP program is focused on informing citizens on the importance of engaging within their local community and providing knowledge on Government mechanisms.

Volunteer Appreciation Event: YCA volunteers will prepare for an annual volunteer appreciation event for local volunteers to Janaagraha, and to promote volunteerism throughout Bangalore.

Communications: YCA volunteers may be involved in writing articles, reporting on events, making short films, updating the Janaagraha website and other communication initiatives.

Ward Infrastructure & Services Assessment (WISA) – Janaagraha’s unique WISA program aims to ensure government decision-makers receive the right information. This will be done by assessing the quality of life of an urban citizen through ward (local council) studies on public goods delivery and objective infrastructure and service indicators. 7 main urban indicators will be focussed on: Mobility, Water, Electricity, Public Health, Public Safety, Public Amenities and Environment & Ecology. Volunteers can contribute to this program by working as ground-level data surveyors, project facilitators, research associates or urban planners.

Jaago Re! One Billion Votes Campaign - This ambitious campaign seeks to awaken the youth of India to the importance of exercising their right to vote and their potential influence. Like other Janaagraha program’s the One Billion Votes Campaign relies heavily on volunteer support and the roles they fulfil. Volunteering areas have greatly varied from research, surveys to website design and development to project mentors, city team members and facilitators.

CityConnect—Bangalore City Connect is a non-government organisation comprised of Bangalore-stakeholders, such as Janaagraha, interested in lobbying the government for the improvement of infrastructure and development. You can contribute towards developing resources on infrastructure or conduct mobilisation drives to get the youth to register to vote. Additionally there’s the option to teach children, work on branding and communications, engage in research and reporting in the areas of public policy, among many others.

IT—Janaagraha is always looking for motivated individuals interested in social awareness and keen to help out. If your only experience is in IT, Janaagraha will still have a place for you to help. There are numerous ways you can assist the organisation such as by updating the centre’s website, improving their current layouts or systems or focus on administration and other communication initiatives

In the past two decades, India has been making sustained progress on a scale, size and pace that is unprecedented in its own history. The global financial crisis has, however, not left the country unscathed. The slowdown is likely to have a large and immediate impact on employment and poverty. Existing problems are likely to be exacerbated and India will be hard pressed to address its most obvious needs: improving infrastructure, developing the small and medium enterprises sector, building skills, and targeting social spending at the poor. Social problem areas such as the rampant inequalities faced by women are unlikely to see any improvement.

Development Statistics

Adult literacy rate: 61% (2005)
Government spending on education: 3.8% (2002 – 2005)
Life expectancy: 63.7 (2005)
Mortality rate, under-5/Infant Mortality Rate per 1000: 74 (2005)
Human development Index (HDI): 0.419, ranked 128^th out of 177 developed and developing countries.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): 3,452 (2005)
Economy: India's service industry accounts for 54% of the country's GDP while the industrial and agricultural sector contribute 29% and 17% respectively. The economy of India is the twelfth largest economy in the world by market exchange rates.
Biggest Agricultural exports: Rice, wheat, sugar, fish and tobacco.
Gender Equality: The OECD ranks India 96^th out of 102 non-OECD countries in its Social Institutions and Gender Index. Laws protecting women’s rights are thorough but lacking in application. It is important to bear in mind the number of women subjected to discriminations: India is home to some 500 million women.
Population living below the national poverty line: 28.6% (1990 – 2004)
Population using improved water source: 86% (2004)

Country Overview

Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan
Capital: New Delhi.
Population: 1,166,079,217 (July 2009 est.). The 2^nd highest population in the world.
Religion: Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census).
Languages: English is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication yet Hindi is the most widely spoken language and primary tongue of 41% of the people; there are 14 other official languages including Bengali 8.1%, Telugu 7.2% and Marathi 7%.
Climate: Varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north.
Government: Federal republic. Pratibha Devisingh Patil is the president of India and the first woman to hold the office.
Currency: Therupee

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