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FAQs
Q. What are the requirements to be
a volunteer?
A.
1. Willingness to travel to Chennai, India at your own expense.
2. Command of English, Hindi, Tamil or Telugu essential
3. Good collaborative skills, ability to work in a team and with minimal
directions. Occasionally though,
4. Experience working in disaster areas is a definite plus
5. An ability to manage and adapt even when things don't work as expected
or in a manner that you are accustomed to
Q. Are there any specific skills that might be useful?
A. While it is enough that you meet the requirements listed
above, volunteers with these skills will be especially useful :
1. Medical professionals (doctors and nurses) who can speak Tamil
2. Medical professionals (doctors and nurses) who are well experienced
in disaster situations
3. Co-ordinators (who can speak Tamil)
4. Mental Health professionals (should be able to speak Tamil)
5. Community Health professionals
Q. I know I meet the requirements and can contribute effectively, so
now how do I get to India?
A. In most instances you will need a visa (unless you
are an Indian citizen or have a Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card).
For Indian consulate/embassy information in your country, visit The
Govt of India's Ministry
of External Affairs page. Make travel arrangements through your
local travel agent. An AID contact in India will be assigned to you.
Get in touch with him/her with your plans and travel arrangements. Arrange
to exchange a photo or description of yourself with your contact and
vice-versa
Q. I have landed in Chennai/Bangalore, what next?
A.Your AID contact in India (Chennai/Bangalore) will
take you to your overnight accommodation and direct you to your embassy
for registration before arranging for you to head to the field/orientation.
Q. What happens if my AID contact does not show up and I need help?
A. Here
is the contact information for AID volunteers in Chennai. Get in touch
with them and they will ensure that you are taken care of
Q. What should I carry with me?
A. You mean other than the clothes on your back and
the volunteerism spirit? We would suggest carrying comfortable, loose-fitting
clothes, sneakers and sandals. Carry some bug spray/any other meds you
require for the tropics with you (The Center
for Disease Control has a list of medicines that are needed for
India here. Also
if possible carry a day's supply of medicines/medical supplies of the
following medicines (Scroll down for list) for adult and children
relief effort.
Q. What type of duties can I expect/be expected to do?
A.You can expect to do public health service, relief
distribution,small mechanical repairs, minor carpentry and construction,
health
surveys, boat repairs/construction, menial tasks and others as the situation
warrants.
Q. What are the cultural norms that I should be aware of?
A. You may experience seemingly contradictory behavior
– a person of the opposite gender unwilling to shake hands, but
an old woman touching your face to bless you. People may offer you refreshments
more often than you are willing to accept – please accept a little
if you can.
Q. How long am I expected to be in the disaster areas?
A. Your trip will be most effective if you can commit
to at least four weeks. But any help you can offer during your stay
will be really appreciated.
Q. Will I be able to get in touch with people back home when I am in
the field?
A. We will provide a contact number in India for your
family/friends – most likely, this will be the place you are staying.
Internet/e-mail connections and calling facilities are easily available
in Chennai. In other areas, they may not be as easily available, but
in case of an emergency will be arranged.
Q. I think this FAQ answered most
of my questions but i would still like some clarifications. Who should
I contact?
A. Before setting out to India please contact the volunteer
coordinators listed here
to answer any questions that you might have.
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