Non-governmental
Organizations (NGOs) bridge the gap between the haves and
have-nots in the society. They provide a platform for addressing
and solving the needs of the community. Volunteers are the
key to success of any NGO. This article provides an insight
into the management of volunteers by studying the existing
best practices in the field of volunteering and devising a
suitable manual/guidebook. This work was carried out at the
Byrraju Foundation, Hyderabad (hereinafter referred to as
`the Foundation').
The
Foundation distinguishes itself from other NGOs
by its approach and emphasis on creating `soft
infrastructure' to capture and systematize the knowledge process
that goes into the design and implementation of the rural
initiatives. In the Foundation, the methods and practices
are designed, based on `the need identification process',
conceived through solutions and measured experience. In the
larger framework, the creation of knowledge process can be
done which inturn can be replicated with needful minimal customization.
The
backbone of all activities of the Foundation is a dense network
of volunteers-the Foundation calls them `Change Agents'. The
change agents are a committed pool of volunteers who have
a passion for making a difference to, rural India. The Byrraju
Foundation believes that the task of Rural Transformation
is big enough to accommodate anybody who wants to contribute
positively to the benefit of the community. |
