INSTITUTE FOR INDIAN MOTHER AND CHILD
VOLUNTEER APPLICATIONS 2017-18
Open: 19th March 2017// Close: 3rd April 2017
To apply, please fill in the application form below and return by email to with subject heading: 2017-18 IIMC APPLICATION
Applications close 11.59pm AWST on the 3rdof April 2017.
No late applications will be accepted.
The Institute for Indian Mother and Child (IIMC) is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation based in Kolkata, West Bengal. IIMC has a range of facilities including 23 schools with over 2000 students, a child sponsorship programme run in conjunction with the schooling programme, 5 rural health outreach clinics treating over 50 000 patients each year, 6 microfinance banks, and a centre for disabled children including a school and lodging. IIMC is managed by local volunteers, and mediates a variety of empowerment projects including Women’s Empowerment groups and Peace Council groups.
IIMC has a long tradition of accepting medical students from around the world as volunteers, and each month there are between 10 and 22 volunteers from around the globe who work alongside local volunteers on the ground. This is an application form to volunteer at IIMC, in December 2017 or January 2018. Four (4) UWA/ND medical students will be selected for the month of December and six (6) UWA/ND medical students will be selected for the month of January.
Medical students from all over Australia have volunteered at IIMC in the past.Based on their experiences, we aim to provide preparation prior for all volunteers prior to attending the year. Prior to going, the group will undergo some basic upskilling in vaccine administration and wound dressing with previous volunteers as well as fundraise for the project. It is hoped that prior to departure, volunteers consider some health education that they could impart to the mothers and children, in village settings, schools and at the clinic.
In Kolkata, there will be an opportunity to work in the rural health clinics providing basic health care. However, the structure of IIMC includes opportunities aside from health care, including education, advocacy, sewing school uniforms, caring for disabled children, visiting villages, observing the micro-credit program and visiting schools. These differentiate IIMC as a multidisciplinary project.
For more information on the activities IIMC is involved in, please visit or the IIMC Interhealth webpage
In 2013, two Danish volunteers made a short documentary about IIMC. This gives a fantastic idea about what to expect at IIMC. To view the documentary please see below:
You can find a similar one about the volunteer experience here:
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How much does it cost to volunteer at IIMC?
Volunteering with IIMC is very affordable. The main expense is the airfare to India, which is usually between $1,200-$1,400. Volunteers are also asked pay a small registration fee of $22, and contribute $220 towards their accommodation costs for the month. Food & public transport is generally cheap and it’s possible to live on around $5 a day if you’re on a budget.
Are there grants or scholarships available for volunteers?
Interhealth doesn’t offer grants or scholarships to students as our main focus is on raising money for IIMC. You can apply for a grant through the medical indemnity company MIGA. They offer $2,000 towards the cost of travel & accommodation and make a $1,500 donation towards the visiting organisation. However, keep in mind this is a competitive process & you would need to be able to fund the trip yourself if you weren't successful.
I’m a medical student studying on the east coast (UMelb, UQ, Griffith, etc.). How can I apply for the program?
Applications for IIMC are decentralised with each state running their own application process. Interhealth coordinates applications for WA students at the University of Western Australia and Notre Dame, Fremantle. Please contact the University of Melbourne coordinator Rebecca Roberts () or the national coordinators Steph Collins & Puneet Sandhu () for information on East Coast applications.
When can I volunteer at IIMC?
IIMC usually accepts volunteers for one month starting at the beginning of each month. This year, we are looking for 4 students to go in early December, after exams, for a minimum of 3 weeks. Another 6 students will be selected to go in at the start of January for 4 weeks. Whilst departure dates are reasonably flexible, it is recommended that a minimum of 3 weeks at IIMC is needed to get the most out of your experience. Please also bear in mind exam dates (including supplementary exams) and when semester starts.
What can I expect to do at IIMC?
IIMC is a not-for-profit, non-government organisation that focuses on social and economic development. As such, you can be involved in a variety of areas including:
●Giving educational presentations to children and rural communities
●Visiting rural communities to see microfinance programs
●Sitting in on women's peace council meetings
●Partaking in cultural activities (including Bengali lessons, traditional dancing and singing)
●Interacting with children from the daycare and handicap centres
●Helping the local volunteers with day-to-day activities, including running small errands such as shopping, organising events, packing meals etc.
●Conducting basic ward rounds of the inpatients – thisinvolvestaking basic vital signs and general observations. Most in-patients have skin infections or wounds that require dressings.
●Assisting in medical outreach clinics. Note, the work in medical clinics is basic and generally involves taking blood pressure from patients, applying topical skin creams, and giving intramuscular injections (gluteal or deltoid). Some clinics are located in the outskirts of Kolkata in rural areas, and therefore require travel (up to 4 hours each way).
●You may have spare time to conduct and run your own project or assist the organisation in a unique way – takethe initiative to contribute in your own way!
It is important to be aware that IIMC’s focus is through social development and empowerment of the disadvantaged. As such, you will have opportunities to participate in areas of development outside of healthcare. You will work alongside other volunteers from around the world – agreat opportunity to make new friends!
For those attending in January, IIMC’s annual Children’s Festival is held during this month. It is their biggest event of the year and a source of great pride for the organisation, inviting children and their families from all over the region. The Festival runs for a day and involves providing breakfast for up to 4000 children, followed by a parade, a cultural show with dances, sports, and providing dinner to around 1500 children and their parents. It is tradition that all volunteers who are at IIMC during the festival take part and perform on stage during the festival. This means you will be taught to dance and sing some traditional cultural dances and songs. It’s a great experience and something that you’ll enjoy and cherish as a memory of your trip! You may also be helping with planning and setting up of this festival too.
WHAT IS REQUIRED FROM YOU AS A VOLUNTEER
●You will be expected to plan and facilitate your own fundraising projects. The Project Coordinators and previous volunteers can assist where they can, but the onus will be on you to drive the fundraising programs. Examples of past fundraising ideas include planning and running Bunnings BBQ events, conducting bake sales and running raffle draws. Note – thefunds raised are NOT to subsidise the cost of the trip and are donated directly to IIMC.
●You will need to plan flights, visas, visit your GP for immunisation advice and liaise with IIMC closer to your time of arrival.
●Interhealth will organise a training/education workshop to prepare you for your time at IIMC – itis recommended that you attend. More details on this will be provided at a later date.
●It is recommended that you think about health education talks that you can give to school children and local communities whilst volunteering, as part of IIMC’s community outreach and education program.
●Be prepared to volunteer in a variety of capacities whilst at IIMC – thismay include non-medical activities include assisting local volunteers with day-to-day operation of the organisation.
●Be enthusiastic, participate, be open-minded and show initiative as a volunteer. You will only get out of this experience what you put into it.
APPLICATION PROCESS
●Complete and submit the application form below and email to before 3rd April 11.59pm
●Applicants will be shortlisted and invited for an interview
●Successful applicants will be notified via email once all interviews have been completed
INSTITUTE FOR INDIAN MOTHER AND CHILD
VOLUNTEER APPLICATIONS 2017-18
APPLICATION FORM
Open: 19th March 2017// Close: 3rd April 2017
To apply, please fill in the application form below and return by email to with subject heading: 2017-18 IIMC APPLICATION
Applications close 11.59pm AWST on the 3rd of April 2017.
No late applications will be accepted.
Surname:
First Name:
Date of Birth:
Gender:
Address:
Email:
Phone Number:
University:
Year of study:
Course:
Preference for Placement Month (please tick)
December 2017 (straight after exams) - minimum 3 weeks
January 2018 - 4 weeks
*Please keep answers to below questions to a maximum of 150 words each
- What is your motivation for applying for IIMC? What do you expect to gain from the experience?
- What relevant knowledge and experience do you have and how are you going to use this to contribute to IIMC?
During your stay at IIMC you will be working with a large group of international volunteers. You will often find yourself working with different people in new and challenging situations.
- Describe a situation where you've had to work in a team and the role that you took. What is important in your opinion when working in a team?
During your stay at IIMC you will be staying in a guest house with 15-20 other volunteers. The facilities are basic (cold showers, wooden beds, dormitories, communal cooking and small living spaces).
- What do you think are the most important qualities in living with a group of people from different cultural backgrounds in these sorts of conditions?
IIMC is a vast project that operates in many different fields (not just medical), thus it is important that volunteers demonstrate flexibility and initiative during their stay. It is 10pm on Thursday night and you are part of a team that has been in Kolkata less than a week. Instead of providing medical care as you had expected, you have been learning traditional Bengali dance and language intermittently between long breaks. You have been sick with gastro since arrival and are feeling tired. The last train leaves in 10 minutes and you’re not going to make it in time.
- How would you handle this situation, emotionally and practically?
- What is your previous travel history to developing countries? If you’ve had no previous travel to developing countries, what do you need to consider before choosing to travel to India? (e.g. food, sanitation, public transport, large crowds)