Women Empowerment Project

CODE: FSL - LTV 03 B

Work:

Bridging the chasm of India’s wide gender gap is increasingly gaining importance in the country’s developmental strategies, with a greater number of NGOs and government organizations putting women at the center of their projects A key component of many of these strategies is building the capacity of
women in financial self-management which will enable the creation of an environment where women can make independent decisions on their persona development as well as shine as equals in society.
In recent years, the government has extensively promoted the formation of Self Help Groups or SHGs as platforms to enable micro-credit options for the economically disadvantaged. Comprised primarily of women, an SHG is, in essence, a credit and savings group: each member regularly contributes a
fixed, small amount of money until enough capital is built within the SHG to begin lending.
The group then collectively decides which members should be lent money, based on the needs of each member. Repayment, at a predetermined interest rate, is ensured through peer pressure. hrough the years, SHGs have evolved into more than just community-driven institutions of micro-credit; they have also been crucial to mobilizing women’s empowerment activities at the grassroots level.
The LTV volunteers will be given opportunity to understand the social and cultural aspects of the community/Project they work. The volunteers will be given experience through interactions, workshops, exchange of ideas, baseline and endline survey of the projects with the support of the mentor. At the end of their projects the volunteers will present to the Universities about the outcome and impact of their projects. The project activity will consist of community service, development Learning, Cultural exchange, Project and personal evaluation. Volunteers will work extensively with SHGs and other women’s groups to implement capacity building initiatives in their communities.
Some of the activities they will be involved in include:
• Teaching English
• Building capacity in computer literacy
• Raising awareness on health and hygiene
• Promoting entrepreneurial initiatives and income generation activities that
increase family income
• Building the financial capacity of SHGs to actively manage their group, increase capital and
• fund entrepreneurial projects of their women members
The Info-sheet will have more information regarding the individual projects with schedules, and activities

Accomodation and food

Accommodation: You could be staying with local families near to the project. You could be sharing rooms with 2-3 volunteers or staying on your own. Sometimes, projects provide accommodation for the volunteers. The project will provide a room that is shared by other volunteers or with the staff of the project
Food: South Indian vegetarian or non-vegetarian food will be provided for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Safe, filtered water is available for drinking.

Location and leisure

Our projects are spread out across different regions in South India. Your project location could be in any one of the following locations - Bangalore, Mysore, Chennai, Kundapur, Udupi, Mangalore, North Karnataka or Pondicherry. You will be notified of the location of your project a month prior to your arrival. During the Orientation week, one can find out the leisure activities around your area. There are lots of things to do in south of India.

Project hosted by

FSL-India, (Field Services and Inter-cultural Learning - India) is a youth development organisation focused towards Inter-cultural Learning through Voluntary Services set up to promote Global Understanding by providing opportunities to the youth to work in different cultural contexts to appreciate Inter-cultural learning. Thereby, reducing boundaries and bringing people to work together in harmony by understanding the Inter-cultural aspects focusing towards development of people and society through youth mobility and volunteerism. Founded in the year 2000 and legally incorporated in 2001, FSL-India is a Trust under Indian Trust Act 1882. It was formed with the support of like-minded National and International Organizations with a primary purpose to bring about global transformation, progress and growth through youth exchange programs. FSL-India is headquartered in Bangalore, with regional offices in Karnataka (Bangalore, Mysore and Kundapur), Tamil Nadu (Chennai), and Pondicherry and is well equipped with experienced associates who support developmental activities across the country with the help of Local and Regional Partners. Annually, FSL- Indi a mobilizes movement of 1500 and more youths from across the globe with the support of International Partners and local NGOs

Directions to meeting point

Your project location could be in any one of the following locations - Bangalore, Mysore, Chennai, Kundapur, Udupi, Mangalore or Pondicherry.
The starting date of the program is the First Monday of Every Month. The on-arrival Orientation will be held in Kundapur volunteers whose projects are located in Kundapur, Udupi, Mangalore and North Karnataka. Bangalore, Mysore, Pondicherry and Chennai will have their Orientation in Kundapur Participants should make sure that they arrive in the Orientation place (Kundapur/Bangalore)on the first Monday of the month. All volunteers will meet at a common meeting point, where they will be picked up. Best way to come to Kundapur is to fly directly to Bangalore and then take an overnight bus to Kundapur or fly directly to Mangalore and then take bus or prepaid taxi to Kundapur. Kundapur is located 440 kms north-west of Bangalore, near the Arabian sea and 100kms north of Mangalore.
Specific information regarding your arrival and meeting point will be sent to you in a pre-arrival letter, which will send once we receive your application

Additional comments