Every year, people all around the world suffer from various natural and environmental disaster ranging from earthquakes, floods, cyclones, fire, etc. “Preparedness is the only way we can combat the disaster.” Caritas India takes a step forward towards preparing themselves for a timely response during a disaster. 5 days Volunteers Training program was organized for the newly enrolled volunteers under the PEACH program of Caritas India. Participants hailed from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, MP, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala.

Volunteerism is all about giving a part of you. It is not about giving something spare and something which is not useful to you. It is not what is there in for me; it is about what I can give to others. The World is running not on the profits earned by the corporate, or by the schemes run by the government but by the people who give to others selflessly. Caritas India too understands volunteering as a powerful and practical way to reach out to the most marginalized sections and reduce poverty and inequality. It believes that it is only when people step forward – either as local or national citizens – the sustainable change happens. By enabling people and the communities to play a more active role in development by volunteering, the essential pre-conditions for systemic and sustainable change such as ownership, participation, empowerment, and inclusion – can be realised.

The programme began with Fr Faustine Lobo, Pastoral Centre KRCBC, Fr Lourd Raj, Regional Youth Director, Karnataka Region and Fr Sagaya John, Director, NBCLC lighting the lamp and leading the participants in prayer. Fr Faustine in his inaugural address mentioned the importance of volunteering in today’s world. He emphasized on “unless you give, you won’t receive, and volunteering is all about selflessly giving”. Post-inaugural the context of the training program was set by Ms. Priyanka Pinto, Officer, Disaster Risk Reduction Program of Caritas India. The inaugural day focussed on “Why volunteering?” and “What is the impact of Volunteering?

” Participants were oriented on Caritas India’s volunteering policy and expected code of conduct for Caritas India volunteers. Post lunch Ms. Antoinette Lopez from Accenture shared her experiences of working with different types of volunteers during her work with Accenture.

The participants were oriented on Sphere Standards including Humanitarian Charter, Core Humanitarian Standards and Protection Principals to be practiced during Humanitarian Aid as a volunteer with Caritas India. Fr Chetan Machado, National Director, CCBI Youth Commission motivated the participants on being an active contributor as a volunteer.

The training was filled with rich experiences from the field when Caritas India volunteers visited St Mary’s school. The school comprised of children residing in nearby slum developments. The volunteers conducted art and craft workshops, life skills workshop and conducted games for children along with engaging themselves in the cleaning of the school campus.

Mr. Prateek Pal from St John Ambulance Association steered the First Aid Module for the volunteers and briefed about the first aid principles, the structure of the human body, dressings and bandages, fractures, wounds and bleeding and many other basics techniques to be used to address emergencies in our daily lives.

The training concluded with volunteers preparing an action plan on different themes and curbing social evils prevalent around their residential cities. As they departed from a journey of enrichment and motivation towards volunteering, each participant committed to executing the prepared plans.

Jadi Naveen, a young volunteer from Adilabad shared that it was a very knowledgeable training session which helped the participants to build their inbuilt capacities in developing the humanitarian society through sessions, exposure visit, and team building activities.