NEWBEGINNINGS CHARITABLE TRUST

Do.No: 53-1-275,
Christurajapuram,
Vijayawada 520 008, AP, India
Email: newbeginnings@sify.com ; Tel. +91 866 249 7559

Date: 02.08.2010
Dear Friends,
Greetings from NewBeginnings Charitable Trust!
I am very happy to meet you all with this first bulletin It has been our way of meeting our volunteers,
since we began our work. You will be kept informed and educated on various issues, any law that affects
foreign nationals, code of conduct, and general suggestions, etc.
Since this is our first bulletin to you from NCT, I would like to make it a more general and informative
The word India may conjure up psychedelic imagery for
you... Shiva, Ramayana, Mahabharata, ancient country,
Gandhi, bodhi tree, ganesha, chicken tikka masala, IITs,
technology, diversity so on and so forth. But to sum it up
in a word, its bhel-puri. Bhel-puri is a popular street
chaat (junk food) item in India. Several ingredients go
into it... and eventually a new flavour emerges out of the
combination yet allowing each ingredient to retain its
own individual flavour.

India is a stunning chaos. You will enjoy every bit of it.
The overflowing trains, crowded streets, unending traffic
jams, the hawkers lining the street on one hand and the
warmth of people, the attitude of sharing and caring, the
friendliness on the other.

We Indians are the most diverse lot you have seen so far. Across the length and breadth of India, about
24 languages (and their multiple dialects) are spoken of which Hindi, English, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Oriya,
Gujarati, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Punjabi, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu
are spoken widely than the others. There are multiple religions here - Hinduism, Islam, Christianity,
Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism being the prominent ones.

NEWBEGINNINGS CHARITABLE TRUST
Do.No: 53-1-275,
Christurajapuram,
Vijayawada 520 008, AP, India
Email: newbeginnings@sify.com ; Tel. +91 866 249 7559


Geographically speaking too, the diversity
is obvious with the mountain ranges,
rivers, deserts, plateaus and plains dotted
all across the country. No two villages are
the same here... the languages (dialect at
least), landscape and dress code seem to
change from village to village. The
costumes too keep changing according to
the place, climate and season. The food
too has great variety and is known to have
different spices, something India is known
for internationally.

The people here are warm by nature, friendly, shy and inquisitive. They love to talk and share thoughts,
ideas and of course food in their lunch boxes. If you come to India, you will most likely have different sets
of friends under labels like building friends, train friends, office friends, school and college friends... Its a
country that is crowded yet welcomes you with open arms.

To conclude, it would be fine to say India is like a beautiful mosaic with many different hues, smells,
tastes and each moment here is a different experience. Its dynamic. Its a mystery that needs to be lived
and experienced first hand for it to unfold
before your eyes. When you come to India,
you become one amongst the crowd. India is
truly a melting pot.
The development sector in India is as large
as the country itself with approximately
anything between 1 to 2 billion NGOs
operating in various capacities across
different sectors. This sector has many
opportunities and challenges to offer which
makes it all the more interesting to work in. There are different types of NGOs based on what the work
NEWBEGINNINGS CHARITABLE TRUST
Do.No: 53-1-275,
Christurajapuram,
Vijayawada 520 008, AP, India
Email: newbeginnings@sify.com ; Tel. +91 866 249 7559

done and development issue supported. And, it is interesting to note, no NGO works on any single or just
two issues. You will find each NGO is
working on multiple issues and target
groups.

A non-governmental organization (NGO)
is any non-profit, voluntary citizens' group
which is organized on a local, national or
international level. Task-oriented and
driven by people with a common interest,
NGOs perform a variety of service and
humanitarian functions, bring citizen
concerns to Governments, advocate and
monitor policies and encourage political
participation through provision of
information.

Here is an indicative list of the kind of
NGOs you will find in India.

Advocacy
These NGOs basically work on advocacy
or campaigning on issues or causes.
Consultancy / research organizations
These NGOs work on social and
developmental research & consultancy.

Training / capacity building organizations
In the NGO Sector, training is usually
called Capacity Building. Some NGOs
only work on capacity building of other
NGOs.
Poverty in India is widespread with the nation
estimated to have a third of the world's poor.
According to a 2005 World Bank estimate, 42% of
India falls below the international poverty line of $1.25
a day (PPP, in nominal terms Rs. 21.6 a day in urban
areas and Rs 14.3 in rural areas); having reduced
from 90% in 1980. A study by the Oxford Poverty and
Human Development Initiative using a Multi-
dimensional Poverty Index (MPI) found that there
were 421 million poor living under the MPI in 8 north
indian states of Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkand, Madhya
Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West
Bengal. This number is higher than the 410 million
poor living in the 26 poorest African nations. Poverty
rates in rural Orissa (43%) and rural Bihar (41%) are
among the world's most extreme.

Despite significant economic progress, one quarter of
the nation's population earns less than the
government-specified poverty threshold of 12 rupees
per day (approximately USD $0.25). Official figures
estimate that 27.5% of Indians lived below the
national poverty line in 2004-2005. A 2007 report by
the state-run National Commission for Enterprises in
the Unorganised Sector (NCEUS) found that 77% of
Indians, or 836 million people, lived on less than 20
rupees (approximately USD $0.50 nominal; $2 PPP)
per day. According to a recently released World Bank
report, India is on track to meet its poverty reduction
goals however, by 2015 an estimated 53 million
people will still live in extreme poverty.

NEWBEGINNINGS CHARITABLE TRUST
Do.No: 53-1-275,
Christurajapuram,
Vijayawada 520 008, AP, India
Email: newbeginnings@sify.com ; Tel. +91 866 249 7559


Networking organisations
These NGOs provide vital network opportunities for NGOs in a specific field

Mother NGOs
These NGOs are recipients as well as givers that
is they receive funds as well as disburse funds.
They have a work focus, but instead of
implementing projects, they identify projects and
monitor, evaluate and build capacities of
participating NGOs.

Grassroot organisations
These NGOs work directly with the community
e.g. any NGO that works with underprivileged in
slums or with farmers in a particular village.

City based organizations
These NGOs restrict their focus to cities

National organisations
These NGOs have national presence

International organisations
These are part of international NGOs. Like Mother NGOs, these NGOs receive and disburse grants.

Self Help Groups (SHGs)
They are not typically termed as NGOs. These are formed by beneficiary communities, typically women
who come together in a group of 10 plus.

Reference: PRIA
NEWBEGINNINGS CHARITABLE TRUST
Do.No: 53-1-275,
Christurajapuram,
Vijayawada 520 008, AP, India
Email: newbeginnings@sify.com ; Tel. +91 866 249 7559


As an international volunteer you may come from backgrounds as diverse as finance, marketing, banking,
education, social work or even diplomatic services and each one of you has a lot to contribute to the
development sector of India. You can teach children or help an NGO create and maintain its website. You
could work for on marketing and corporate communication for an NGO. If rural India interests you, then
you can head to the hinterlands and work
at the grassroot level, helping farmers get
a better agricultural produce. If you come
from a technical background, you could
help an NGO setup a renewable energy
project. You name it and you shall have a
challenge that appeals to you.

People volunteer for a variety of reasons.
Some are motivated by philanthropic
values; some seek social justice while
others see service as a way to enable the lesser privileged in a society.

Many of us volunteer because we want to give something back to the society that has given us so much.
Most times, we strongly believe in or care about certain issues or causes. Whatever the reason,
volunteering transforms you and the world around you.

Volunteers form a powerful group that development sector organizations leverage to implement projects
and create community participation. 'Volunteerism' in today's context is not confined to students,
housewives, youth, elderly or any other such groups. It is also the professionals with management /
engineering / doctorate background working in corporate houses contributing their knowledge and
experience to the development sector.

The reason for promoting volunteering is:

First, Volunteering does not require a special degree or prior experience. It is simply a willingness to help.
Your interest, skills, enthusiasm, willingness, and commitment are wonderful assets to any organization.
volunteering makes an important economic contribution to society. If it weren't for volunteers, many
NEWBEGINNINGS CHARITABLE TRUST
Do.No: 53-1-275,
Christurajapuram,
Vijayawada 520 008, AP, India
Email: newbeginnings@sify.com ; Tel. +91 866 249 7559

activities would have had to be supported by state or private funding. Volunteering helps channelise these
funds into other areas.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, volunteering helps build strong and cohesive communities. It
fosters trust between citizens and helps develop norms of solidarity and reciprocity, which are essential
for stable communities to flourish
Volunteering has its share of delightful perks - chance to travel, meet new people, and acquire life &
career enhancing experiences and skills.

A volunteering experience in India has a great deal to offer you as an individual. It will be challenging yet
rewarding in several aspects. You will also get to be a part of the melting pot of cultures and traditions
that India is known for.

In a nutshell, as a volunteer, you will have a new experience each day in India. There will be lots to learn
and lots to teach-HAPPY VOLUNTEERING
Take carekeep smiling


With kind regards,
Ravi Sebastian
Chairman & CEO