A home away from home: Volunteering with ECF

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                                         Srisruthi (in red) with Team ECF

Srisruthi Ramesh  from Santa Clara University (California, USA) volunteered with us from August to September, 2016. She shares her experience of working with Team ECF:

 

” In December 2014, I happened to read about Equal Community Foundation in a National Public Radio article. Never would I have imagined more than a year later, I would have the opportunity to be with them on the ground contributing to their revolutionary work.

 
My time at ECF was brief but so rewarding. ECF’s volunteering model is exceptional because they invite contributors on board only with a specific, designated purpose and measurable goals. I didn’t waste a minute of my 5 weeks there. I reached out to ECF with a general volunteer interest, but they took my background in online systems and created a project building a partnership management tool. I was able to make a tangible impact in the organization that benefited us both.

 

At the same time, I was exposed to every aspect of ECF – from an in-depth understanding of their Action for Equality programme, to getting to a chance to observe sessions in the villages of West Bengal. I was simultaneously purposeful and constantly learning, whether on my own project or by the work of others.

 

Above all else, the ECF office felt like a home in a city where I did not know a single person or speak a word of the language. The folks here are uniquely warm-hearted and welcoming people of all backgrounds. While diverse, their shared passion for bringing about a gender equitable India is a bonding force you feel every day in the office. I was and continue to be constantly humbled by their dedication to the cause, progressive, constructive, and intelligent conversations, and their culture of respect.”

 

To know more about Srisruthi’s experience in Pune, click here