Our Friends

Who are They?

We have friends from India, and all around the world who help us to help people from communities help themselves.

They are volunteers who are students and young professionals from the fields of education, medicine, social work, and development. Apart from our Indian volunteers, they come all the way from US, UK, Spain, France, Netherlands, and many other countries.

A Symbiotic Relationship

Volunteers from India are usually from the field of social work, but they have also been from other streams. They have volunteered their skills by doing photography, documentation and other similar projects for us. Some social work students seek concurrent placements and work with us through the year by putting in two to three days a week working on our field projects . This is an enriching learning experience for them, and serves them well in their future careers.
Since the past six years, a group of 10-12 international students from Mahindra United World College, Pune, have been coming to CSI for their annual project week. They usually divide their time between all the projects of CSI to get a first hand view of NGO functioning and also to gain insights into the major local problems and concerns.
Overseas volunteers put in anywhere between two weeks to three months with CSI. They stay with a host family wherein they not only get the taste of hospitality and warmth of an Indian home, but also get an intimate peek into the Indian culture and family value system.
Particularly for those interested in HIV/AIDS, primary health care and gender issues, helping in our work has given instructive exposure to our diverse projects that use innovative approaches for different groups, geographical areas, and situations.