Phiren Amenca

STUDENT CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT OF INDIA 2016-2017 INFO PACK European Voluntary Service – Project: “Change! ¡Cambia! – Management and training tools for international volunteering”

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  The Student Christian Movement of India (SCMI) is a students’ movement with Christian ethos which maintains a fellowship of students, teachers and senior friends with commitment to translate Christian Faith into action. SCMI over the years has been inspiring several students across generations, regions and languages to participate in transforming the Church and society, has been nurturing the values of ecumenism, unity, peace & justice and has been in the mission of shaping young leaders with integrity and commitment. SCMI encourages inclusive partnership of all church traditions, people of all faiths, and varied social, economic and political expressions including other youth ecumenical organizations like YWCA, YMCA, AICUF etc. It is affiliated to the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF), a student federation of several SCMs across the globe for mutual solidarity and networking.

SCMI has its main seat in Bangalore. SCM House is a big structure with staff offices, staff flats, a chicken, other rooms for different uses and a big hall that can be rented for any kind of private celebration. SCMI is active in many other parts of India and has a collaboration network with many other local and international organizations. The main seat has a central position in Bangalore, near to a big park. It is possible to move around the city by feet or with “ape-taxi”. The city is pretty safe, anyway it is important to be careful. Next to the building it is possible to find fruits, eggs and milk. To buy other food it is necessary to move a little, but with public transport it is possible to reach fruits market and other facilities. The main problem of the city is the high level of pollution. Furthermore the sanitary living conditions are low and often population suffer from illnesses. The work in the office is from 9:00 to 16:00/17:00, with lunch break from 13 to 14. The volunteer works from Monday to Friday, but the regular staff work also on Saturday morning. The day starts with 30 minutes of study Bible for those who wish to participate. The office’s tasks are to publish newsletter, monthly newspapers, coordinate events and initiatives that are organized in the different region for the sensitize the college students to social issues.

STUDENT CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT OF INDIA 2016-2017 In the first phase of the service the volunteers will help the secretaries in the office work, she/he will support them in the daily tasks. Every time there will be a seminar, a conference or an event in some region of India the volunteer will have the chance to participate in it. This first phase will help the volunteer to better understand how the organization is structured and the works is organized. This first time will also be helpful to let the volunteer and the staff member understand how will it be possible to activate the volunteers skills, interests and abilities to be used later during the service. After this first phase the volunteer will be proposed some more structure activities also according as for example spend some weeks in some colleges in other region of India. Here the students has a very low level of English and they not used to meet other cultures. The volunteer will spend some time organizing activities for students (theater, sport, leisure activities), supporting them in the learning of English and promoting the cultural exchange. Sometimes there are also course aimed to teach the students the use of basic computer programs (ex. power point). For this kind of experience the volunteer will be asked flexibility about the working time, that will change according to the nature of the activities and/or visit in other regions of India. The Indian society is very strict and traditional, therefore the challenge is to transmit to the local young people the values as diversity, freedom, justice and the idea that there many different way to live and to do things. The volunteer will be able to organize workshops to involve young people in activities that will raise awareness about social issues. The main tasks of the volunteers will be: -support the staff member in the office work (administration tasks, newsletter, communication of initiatives) – support in the management of the SCM House -participating and support in the organization of seminars, events, conferences. -visiting and organizing activities in college for students (leisure activities, activities of non-formal education, workshops, training courses) -organizing activities for students in Bangalore to promote active citizenship and cultural awareness and to activate students regarding social issues.

 

STUDENT CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT OF INDIA 2016-2017 The volunteers taking part in these project will be three, two Italian and one Hungarian. They will leave in the same SCM House. They will be provided with an apartment, where they will have rooms, their own kitchen and bathroom, in order to let the volunteer have their autonomy. The volunteer is required a minimum knowledge in English. It is preferred to have had already some experience in a foreign country. The cultural distance is very high, it is important to remember that this EVS doesn’t take place in Europe but in one other continent. The volunteers has to be prepared to face a big cultural difference, the way of understanding the work, time, relationship, organization, free time is very different and it takes time to understand and accept it. This part is mainly evident in the first moment of the experience and it is also an essential learning experience. The volunteer will receive at the beginning of the service all the pocket money for 9 months on a personal bank account. This will of 55 euro per 9 months, which means 495 euro. The travel costs will be reimbursed up to a maximum of 1100 euro. The student Christian Movement has a website: www.scmindia.org a blog: www. communicationscmi.wordpress.com