Institute for Indian Mother and Child Applications 2016-17

INSTITUTE FOR INDIAN MOTHER AND CHILD APPLICATIONS 2016-17

The Institute for Indian Mother and Child is a not-for-profit non-governmental organisation based in the rural outskirts, south of 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 a month of your time at IIMC, in December 2015, Jan 2016 or Feb 2016. Four to five Australian students will be selected for each month.

Although medical students from all over Australia have volunteered at IIMC in the past, this year’s application process aims to assist a group of volunteers to have some cohesive preparation prior to attending. Prior to going, the group will undergo some pre-placement preparation with previous volunteers and fundraise for the project. It is hope 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. 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.

As a medical student you have a chance to leave something very valuable behind.

For more information on the activities IIMC is involved in, please visit

For information on what to expect as a volunteer, please visit

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

Please fill in the application form below with subject heading: 2016-17 IIMC APPLICATION and return by email to by 11.59pm AWST on the 10th of April 2016.

APPLICATION FORM

Surname:

First Name:

Date of Birth:

Gender:

Address:

Email:

Phone Number:

University:

Faculty:

Year of study:

MD/MBBS:

Preference for Placement Month

1st

2nd

3rd

*Please keep answers to below questions to a maximum of 150 words each

1. What is your motivation for applying for IIMC? What do you expect to gain from the experience?

1. 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.

1. 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).

1. 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 response to many changing factors, thus it is important that volunteers demonstrate flexibility and initiative during their stay. You are part of a team that has been selected to attend a meeting in Dhaki, a remote location that is 3-hours by car. You are ready to leave at 7am but find your means of transport has been taken by another group of volunteers. The bus driver, who speaks limited English, tells you that you will not be able to travel to Dhaki to attend the meeting.

1. What do you think is important in your response to this situation, taking into consideration your team members and attendance at the meeting?