Intern or Volunteer with a Grassroots Micro-Enterprise Organization in India

  India

• Other Cities in India: 
Jodhpur,  Udaipur

Term: Throughout the year 
Durations of Program: 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months, 7-12 months and 1-2 years
Typical Duration of Program: 3-6 months
Dates: Varies

Description: Examples of how you can support Micro-Enterprise initiatives in India:

* Study women's saving groups and recommend methods to enhance growth of microfinance schemes.

* Help to coordinate meetings and trainings for self-help groups which help poor communities build savings, credit and form linkages with banks.

* Support an organization's village development fund that is a common property resource created and controlled by villagers to provide them the means of realizing their development needs through financial lending.

* Assist a program that provides credit assistance for self-help savings, bank policies for the poor, and revolving funds for people in need.

* Create workshops and introduce the idea of micro-enterprise to those in tribal communities who already have a strong savings base intact.

* Support training of marginalized women in needlework and appliqué products. Finished goods are then sold under the 'Sadhna' label at one of two organization-run stores in Udaipur city.

* Empower women by helping to create village self-help groups in which they independently develop financial institutions that manage profit-making programs.

For more micro-enterprise opportunities, visit our website or contact us directly.

About FSD

The Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1995 to support underserved, international communities in a collaborative and sustainable manner. Our model incorporates three overlapping programs:

1. Sustainable Development Training Programs for Interns and Volunteers
FSD provides comprehensive training and immersion programs for interns and volunteers seeking hands-on experience in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Program participants come from countless professions and more than 300 universities worldwide to collaborate with our partner organizations on community-driven projects that reflect sustainable practices.

2. Grantmaking to Projects and Initiatives Led By Our Partner Organizations
Donations and grants given to FSD are used to support projects and initiatives implemented by our partner organizations, site teams, interns, and volunteers.

3. Sustainable Development of Community-Based Organizations
Our professional field staff, consultants, and program participants provide on-site technical training and capacity building to more than 200 community-based organizations.

Highlights: Community Issues Addressed by FSD in India
In India, over 260 million live in poverty. The poor are plagued by high levels of unemployment, low incomes, and significant debt. They can rarely offer collateral against their loans and therefore are continually denied access to formal credit institutions. Even when loans are awarded, high interest rates and unrealistic repayment schedules leave families unable to step out of the poverty cycle.

In Rajasthan, a significant number of families are forced to repay inter-generational debt. Mining is a common family occupation and in this type of bonded labor debt is passed down through successive generations. Additionally, many in Rajasthan have experienced chronic difficulty with underemployment and low levels of income. Tens of thousands of families struggle to rise above the poverty line, but they lack the essential financial resources to meet even their most basic needs.

Approximately one thousand Indian non-governmental organizations have emerged to help the poor acquire loans and increase their assets. FSD partners with locallyrun organizations in Udaipur who work with women to create financial self help groups. FSD also supports programs that educate the poor about local bank policies and works to establish revolving funds for those in need. With continuing help and financial support, these microenterprise/ microfinance non-governmental organizations can empower the poor through education, training, and micro-loans that will drastically improve their financial possibilities.

Additional Programs are Available in: Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru, Uganda, and Kenya

Program Work Addresses Issues in: Health, Community Development, Youth and Education, Environment, and Women's Empowerment

Minimum Education: High School

Cost in US$: Varies with Program

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: FSD supports participants who boldly wish to initiate the change they believe is necessary in the developing world. Interns are passionate about sharing their practical knowledge, heart-felt enthusiasm, and economic resources with communities abroad that suffer unnecessary hardship. They wish to gain hands-on, grassroots development experience because they believe change is most powerfully cultivated on a community level. The aim is to experientially learn how their work can empower the community toward applying sustainable development solutions, rather than increasing reliance on foreign aid. Participants choose FSD because the program structure enables them to design and implement their own sustainable projects in collaboration with their host organization. They are able to test their ideas and theories in the most direct way possible, giving them the experience and knowledge they seek. The flexibility of the host organizations allows for participants at all stages and levels of experience in international development to participate, thus opening the programs to a diverse group of capable applicants.

Age Range: 18-75

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to India Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently or in Groups of 3-10

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Phone Interview
• Resume
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Job and Internship Network

Foundation for Sustainable Development's Mission Statement: FSD supports the efforts of grassroots organizations in the developing world that are working to better their communities, environments, and the economic opportunities around them. We believe community development is only sustainable if it empowers the people to effectively use and cultivate their own resources in a conscious manner. Through our programs, we aim to raise international awareness of the economic challenges in developing countries and to support cross-cultural communities in finding more effective solutions to development issues.

Year Founded: 1995