Feedback from volunteers

SAVI
Unity Pavilion
International Zone
Auroville 605101
Tamil Nadu, INDIA
email:
Study@auroville.org.in

Information on volunteers and students coming from outside

AVIS (Auroville volunteers & Internships Service) has made a socio-economic survey of the “demand” for volunteer work, carried out by a French student, Pierre, during his internship. Here is a short summary of some of his interesting findings.

• The number of applicants (recorded by AVIS only) follows a spectacular growth from 75 applicants in 2004 to more than 400 projected for 2009. Not all of them find a placement, obviously, and the total number of volunteers and students actually in Auroville, for the time being, is not known (we are trying to track this figure too).

• In terms of origin, besides India which supplies more than ¼ of the applicants, four western countries bring half of the inflow: USA, Germany, UK and France; the remaining quarter being split into a large number of countries.

• There is a majority of students (54 %) versus professionals (46 %), of female versus male (60/40), and they are mostly (56 %) under 26 years old, even though elder above 34 years are 20 %.

• Their intended length of stay ranges from 1 month (27 %), 2-3 months (35 %) to longer periods up to one year.

• More qualitative features, like wished work areas, motivation and feedback on their experience of Auroville are documented in the complete report, available on request at study@auroville.org.in

AVIS team proceeds now with the survey of the “offer”: we will interview units & services from Auroville about their needs for temporary human resources; this survey will be carried out by Louis another French intern. When this work is over, we will let you know the results in a similar way. Meanwhile, your feedback and suggestions are most welcome. Contact Dominique at study@auroville.org.in, or 2622121 (AVIS is based in Unity Pavilion).

The soil ceremony for the 40th anniversary of Auroville

Sandra from USA came to Auroville in December 2007 to work as long term volunteer in Transition School.

She writes:

Living in Auroville has been a life changing experience: to get out of one's culture, one's comfort zone, one's world, and into something so different, yet so right.

Being a city based on the idea of human unity, Auroville welcomes you like a second home. Arriving in December, I came just in time to enjoy the winter holiday before beginning volunteer work at Transition School . For the last term, I worked mostly with the 1st grade classes, but also help around the school in a few other classes as needed. The children have been wonderful. During the summer, I volunteered to work at the annual Auroville Nature Camp in the Palani hills near Kodaikanal, which was also wonderful. It is a nice break from the lovely summer weather in Auroville, and a chance to see more of India while still participating in Auroville. In July I'll begin working with the fourth grade class, something I'm very excited about.

Coming to Auroville was something of a gamble, never having been to India before. But I decided to come anyway, dedicating eighteen months to volunteering in Transition School as well as other children oriented activities around Auroville, such as the summer Nature Camp. I am appreciative of the support available in the community, the beauty of the environment, and the connection with people from all over the world all interested in the idea of human unity.

Maria from Portugal has been in Auroville as professional volunteer in 2006/2007.

She just had finished her education as a medical doctor. Maria worked in the Health Services. She writes:

I am very grateful for my experience in Auroville. It gave me a lot, especially personally and socially. I kept learning every day, from the job I was doing to all the workshops/ lectures and all the meetings that would just happen.

I enjoyed very much working for the Health Services. The people were lovely, like a family. I had the opportunity to work in all kind of things, from education into organizing workshops, contacting traditional healers, working as a doctor in the Moratandi clinic, getting aware of differences and learning to work in a totally different setting. Moreover, I got in contact with traditional and alternative medicines, from aryuveda to yoga
and energetic healing.

Mitra hostel is a nice lace to begin with. It is nice to meet other guest s and volunteers and you make friends quickly.

How to contact us?

Email Study@auroville.org.in and indicate your interest, intended time of visit and length of stay and other relevant details about your group or programme. We will dialogue with you to explore the optimal arrangements to meet your requirements within the context of Auroville.