Suas Volunteers primarily act as teaching assistants, working alongside local teachers and staff in under-resourced schools in India. The main function of the Volunteer is to act as a support to the teacher, bolstering the teaching of the English curriculum and bringing new ideas, energy and enthusiasm to the centres they are working in. Volunteers work alongside staff in one of our Partner organisations to bring something new to the classroom and, although most Volunteers are not qualified teachers themselves, the benefit they have added over the past number of years has proven to be very positive for teachers.

"Having teaching assistants in my school was very helpful,  the children gained
great confidence in English" - Gargi, Teacher, Makalthala School, Kolkata

Volunteers work alongside a teaching partner from their team to deliver a valuable service to the children in our partner organisations. As well as supporting the teaching of the English curriculum, past Volunteers have also taught a number of different subjects such as Maths, Science, Music and General Knowledge and have gotten involved in extra-curricular projects such as sports, Children's Parliament, coaching and choir. Suas Volunteers add something truly unique to our Partner schools, and each year the Programme builds on the good work of the Volunteers from previous years.

To see what a day in the life of a Suas Volunteer with Sabuj Sangha looks like, click here.

To see what a day in the life of a Suas Volunteer with DAS looks like, click here.

For a taste of life as a Suas Volunteer in the Sundarbans, click here.

 

Indian Placements

Suas works with 3 Partner organisations in India - Vikramshila, Sabuj Sangha and Development Action Society (DAS). Our Partners believe that every child has the right to access quality education and Suas works alongside these organisations year round, supporting them to make this a reality for the children with whom they work. In 2012, Suas ran a pilot placement in a rural region of West Bengal called the Sundarbans, working alongside Sabuj Sangha to deliver a quality service to the children and teachers in this remote area. The success of this placement last year means that we will be sending a team to the Sundarbans again in 2013, and we are also currently exploring other opportunities to work with additional Partners in India. More on Overseas Placements..


Global Perspectives

A central component of the Volunteer Programme is the creation of a network of young people who will work for change upon their return. By its very nature the Programme exposes Volunteers to new experiences and to development issues, and throughout both the preparation and overseas placement Volunteers are encouraged to think about these issues and increase their knowledge of development. This is achieved through the Global Perspectives aspect of the Volunteer Programme - a central learning thread that runs throughout the Programme in the form of lectures, debates, workshops and in-country field trips. The Global Perspectives theme aims to get Volunteers thinking about their own perspectives before they travel, question what they are seeing on placement, and reflect upon their experience on their return. More on Global Perspectives..