by Joshua Immanuel

08 September 2008

Chennai, India: The UN's International Literacy Day falls on 8 September. UNV is helping to improve literacy around the world, for example by supporting The Times of India newspaper's ambitious 'Teach India' campaign. 'Teach India' is mobilizing thousands of volunteers to change the lives of millions of Indians: here one of the national UNV volunteers working on the project gives an insight into his role.

The idea behind the 'Teach India' initiative is simple. It aims to build the nation through improving literacy and encourages stakeholders to carry the message of how important education is for children in India.

The Times of India is doing this by matching an enormous pool of volunteers to relevant NGOs, and a small team of UNV volunteers like myself are assisting the process.

In terms of our daily responsibility as UNV volunteers, we actively engage with NGOs, corporate affiliates, people from the general population, students from different types of institutions and also Government.  We work with other volunteers to support our NGO affiliates in managing the campaign, aiming primarily at its sustainability. Our interns at The Times of India also work closely with NGOs making sure that each and every volunteer that has applied to join this campaign doesn't miss the opportunity to make a difference.

My responsibilities as a UNV volunteer in the field are demanding and varied. I update the heads of NGOs on the campaign's progress; meet campaign coordinators to help prepare daily reports; liaise with people at learning centres to find out how the volunteers are doing; and talk to volunteers themselves to find out their experiences and concerns.

Moreover, at the 'Teach India' cell level, we match the pool of volunteers with NGOs, and disseminate information to all interested parties. We coordinate the volunteer database and respond to feedback from volunteers. The team is also involved in building links between NGOs and the corporate sector, including some major Indian companies like Tata and Wipro and internationals such as Nokia and American Express.

As UNV volunteers and development professionals, we make a strong impact with the campaign designers as well as with the implementing partners. Working with the campaign management at The Times of India on a day-to-day level has opened our minds and helped us to gain knowledge on project planning, design and implementation. The scope UNV gives us to learn both from the inside and the outside of the campaign, and experiment with what we learn, gives us a platform to further build on.

Thus my colleagues and I at UNV help bridge the literacy gap by creating connections between those with a desire to teach the underprivileged and the NGOs that work with them. Though the 'Teach India' campaign only started in July 2008, it has already brought many changes. It has opened people's eyes and made them realize that they have something to give back to society - in a sense, this has been education for the literate. It has made people aware of communities in need, especially those children deprived of educational opportunities and facilities.

Taking people with different social, political, economic and educational backgrounds, the campaign has started breaking down stigmas and discrimination. Furthermore, it has engaged corporations and activated thinking about development and social activism.

Millennium Development Goal number two, achieving universal primary education by 2015, will require the involvement of not just the government but also the citizens of the country. 'Teach India' demonstrates that citizens can be leaders and contribute to the country’s development through volunteering; and it provides a platform to members of society who, irrespective of their personal and professional status, feel a strong desire to give back.

Being a UNV volunteer with 'Teach India' has inspired and strengthened my own life in many different ways. I have explored my management capacity and adapted to different situations with an open mind. Last but not least, volunteering influences my life on a day-to-day basis in such a way that I will be a constant learner and an agent of change visible in other lives.

Visit the 'Teach India website here.

Read more about the UN and literacy here.