Dear Village Volunteers community,
Village Volunteers was recently introduced to Sri Mayapur Vikas Sangha (SMVS), a non-profit organization in India, and we were immediately impressed with their progressive approach to sustainable development. SMVS implements holistic programs focusing on sustainable development, poverty reduction, public health, general and vocational education, and women’s empowerment.
They currently serve 34 villages in Mayapur, West Bengal. After one month of communications, I was on a plane to West Bengal, India. Upon arrival in India, I had no idea what to expect of the region or the SMVS organization. My anxieties disappeared, however, as soon as I arrived in the beautiful and peaceful area of Mayapur and met the friendly faces of Bishnu Karmakar (Project Officer), Pradyut Banerjee (Program Assistant), and Jayanta Kumar Saha (Director of Operation).
As a Village Volunteers representative, I met with the SMVS directors, toured 10 rural villages, the SMVS primary school, non-formal education center, health center, homeopathic clinics, and observed other projects started by SMVS. My goal was to set the foundation for Village Volunteers’ new partnership with SMVS and the villages they support.
Each day I visited several villages where community meetings were arranged by Bishnu Karmakar and Pradyut Banerjee. At the meetings I would introduce myself and inform the women of the mission, philosophy, and programs of Village Volunteers. The women would then stand and share their concerns and their hopes for the future. Common obstacles to economic development expressed were labor exploitation, inadequate schools and skill training facilities, poor healthcare, and lack of access to low-interest loans. Despite the cycle of poverty, I found these women to be extremely inspired and eager to learn new skills, start development projects, and act as agents of social change.
Volunteers would be sincerely welcomed and well taken care of. Volunteers will also have the unique option to stay either on the secure and comfortable ISKON campus (where the SMVS office is located), a short distance from the villages, or directly in the villages. Currently, volunteers have the opportunity to work in the areas of micro-enterprise development, formal and non-formal education, allopathic and homeopathic medicine, public health, and vocational and business training. Additionally, SMVS is an innovative and intelligent organization open to new project ideas and planning.
We are so excited to add India as a Village Volunteers partner organization. I have no doubt that future volunteers will be captivated by Mayapur’s beauty, Sri Mayapur Vikas Sangha’s dedication and brilliant staff, and the villager’s enthusiasm. Please continue to check back as we update the website with detailed information on the new India Program.
Dhanyavad (Thank You),
Maria Carter, 2006