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SPOTLIGHT
The Unsung Heroes
By Surita Banerjee
with Harveer Singh and Vinita Sheregar
Lisa Leonard at Govt. primary school in Noida
When an expatriate takes up
an assignment in India, his
main goal is to discover the
varsity of India through its
culture. But some expatriates
have gone the extra mile to discover
the real India by connecting through the
grassroots. They have got involved with various
non government organizations (NGOs)
which are non profi t organizations that work
towards the betterment of society in several
fi elds like health, women’s empowerment,
literacy, etc. As all the expats we spoke to
who have been involved in voluntary activities
here said that to get a feel of India you
need to touch its soul which lies in interacting
with NGOs and doing concrete voluntary
work.
India 12 years ago with just 5 kids little did
she know that it would turn into an NGO with
over 6000 benefi ciaries and hundreds of
volunteers coming forward many of whom
were foreigners. She had no building to run
her NGO from but as luck would have it a
donation by a German lady named Kristine
Makara enabled her to have a school building
from where she started her operations.
Her school evolved from the 3 E’s - which
she believed in – empowerment, education
and employment. Ever since, there’s been
no looking back.
“We have had expat volunteers helping us in
teaching English, computer skills, painting,
and administrative work, and in fund raising.
Being foreigners, the benefi ciaries are
forever enthused to learn from them and in
ALL THE EXPATS WE
SPOKE TO WHO HAVE
BEEN INVOLVED IN
VOLUNTARY ACTIVITIES
HERE SAID THAT TO
GET A FEEL OF INDIA
YOU NEED TO TOUCH
ITS SOUL WHICH LIES
IN INTERACTING WITH
NGOS AND DOING
CONCRETE VOLUNTARY