There are thousands of people in the world who are affected by disaster and are in urgent need of support to restore their dignity. By working as a volunteer, one expresses our solidarity with these people and one becomes a member of the community of the people and organisations helping most in need. But our will and enthusiasm to help won´t be enough. If we want to become a useful volunteer for the team of humanitarian organizations a volunteer will need basic knowledge and skills. Caritas India is one of the largest humanitarian aid organisations is working towards building a force to create social impact.

The third chapter of the PEACH volunteers training was held in Seva Kendara, Kolkata, from 15^th-19^th July, 2019. The training began with the lighting of the lamp by Rev Fr Franklin Menez, Director Seva Kendra. In his inaugural address he spoke about how volunteering brings about a social change in the world. He also added that it is always important to give selflessly and to share the privileges one enjoys in our daily lives. Ms Jenny Joy, Officer Volunteering & Resource Mobilization set the context of the training post the inaugural ceremony. The first 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. The second day of the training, 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.

Day three was filled with hands-on experience of volunteering, when the volunteers visited the “Tangra slum” community of Kolkata. In small groups volunteers interacted with the slum dwellers. The community shared the functioning of different committees which have been formed within the slum for their development. Volunteers had also prepared a street play for the slum dwellers in order to spread awareness on the importance of education and harmful affects of drugs and alcohol.

Fourth and Fifth day focussed on training on First Aid conducted by Mr Prateek Pal, St John Ambulance Association. Two days of first aid encompassed first aid principles, structure of 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 comprised of participants from Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Manipur, Jharkhand & Agartala. With the group’s diverse cultures and backgrounds, participants not just learned from the resource persons but also from fellow participants, as shared by Mr Maheshwar Das, Bihar that “It was indeed an enriching experience, attending this training; it was something which I had never experienced in my life”. Ms Zomowoi, Agartala also added that “if all of us will try to make a social change, it will happen”. She also added that by bearing the torch of volunteering in her state she will increase the number of volunteers, spread the social cause and make the place a better place to live.  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 execute the prepared plans.