Volunteer with the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata in July anyone?

Hi-I'm planning to volunteer with the MCs in Kolkata beginning at the end of June. Was wondering if there is anyone else who is planning to do this too? Thanks, H

Hi, Hel - I just wanted to wish you the best with your volunteer work there; I may do some of the same, but I won't be in Kolkata until at least September. However, I do hope you will post your experiences here. (I've noticed somewhere on this site that there are others looking for travel partners in India -- perhaps someone listing there could be of help to you?) - My best to you, punzelle

I am bringing a group of people from Chicago to volunteer with the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata. We will be there from October 15th until at least mid November. I hope that you have a great trip and I'd love to chat with you when you get back so that I can prepare for our own visit there this fall. Peace and love. -Bridget

Dear Hel,

I am an Indian Lady. I am a housewife and I have done my masters in Political Sociology. I am currently staying in Kolkata with my husband who works in a MNC. We moved to Kolkata in March, 2009.

I wish to work in The Missonaries of Charities. But I do not know how to go for it. Please provide me some information. If possible, we can work together and volunteer for The Charity.

Thanks

Hi there Hel,

My name is Shareen and I am currently in Bangalore. I am looking at going to MC's in a week or so. I have been in India 2 months and am just looking at different options but most people have advised this organisation. I am from NZ and plan on being here for 6 months. Where are you at the moment? If you are already in Kolkata then I would like to hear from you and if you could let me know what it's like.

Thanks Hel,

Shareen

Thanks for your replies! Sorry for not getting back to reply until now!

Kolkata is an amazing, challenging place to volunteer. July is a busy time with many volunteers.

Please pm me if you want any details of my time here.

To voluteer with the MCs in kolkata you need to register on a Mon., Wed., or Fri at 3pm at Shishu Bhavan close to the Mother House on AJC Bose Road.

Best wishes to all!

Like hel said, you just turn up at the house in Bose rd. on the days for registering, and then they work you.
They often start you off on easy stuff, bathing reassuring feeding etc, and then a bit more when you get used to the place.

There are also a lot of other places to volunteer in Kolkata, just as needy, and just as deserving. If you google volunteering in Kolkata, a feast opens to do all good stuff.
Cheers, x x x

Hi yeslifeisgood,
I was thinking of various ways to utilise my week-ends for quality purposes as I don't have any friends here in Calcutta.
I finally stumbled upon Missions of Charity and have been trying to get various informations on how to become a volunteer when I happened to see your 'an Indian staying in Calcutta' who also has a similar thought.
If okay for you and your husband, I wish to join you two in this initiative.
My user id here is 'serve the needy'.
Please do respond.
Thanks & regards,
serve the needy

Hi there,

Can you let me know how your experience was? I heard it is VERY hot in Kolkata. I may be looking at going at some stage but I am based in Bangalore at the moment. I would love to hear about your experience in Kolkata though and how you got on with accommodation and daily costs etc.

Thanks!

Shareen

Hi Hel, I can't seem to PM you but could you please email me at freebirduk@yahoo.co.uk as I would love to ask you a few questions about your experience at MC's.

Thanks heaps!

Shareen

Hel, I'd just love to know a good place to stay in Kolkata! I'm going in November to work with the MC's and I'm keen for somebody to give me an idea who has some experience...

Thanks in advance, Hope you're having a great time!

Pat

p.hourigan@live.com.au

Hey guys, if you do a search for older post there is some information on registration but I have been told to just turn up.

I hope that anyone getting involved with missionary social work in India, think about it well before hand. I have had first hand experience of missionaries and the harm that they do. You should remember that although they present their charity face to the world, almost always, their real motivation is to lure people away from their own religion to their particular sect or cult, (wolves in sheep’s clothing).

I was in a beautiful valley, in the north of Thailand recently. The Lanna people have lived in peace and harmony around their temple for centuries, sharing a beautiful and deep culture and spiritually together.. Now three missionary groups have moved in and are tearing the place apart. The Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists and the Jehovah’s Witnesses (these are no worse that they others) vie with each other to ‘purchase’ the villagers for their sects. School children who ‘convert’ are given new bicycles. Homes are visited every night and people cajoled and bullied into accepting an alien faith, for money. Yes, all converts get some support from sponsors in the USA and elsewhere. Villages told me that the Mormons are the best payers, if you join them, you will be looked after. I asked one poor woman why she had gone over to the Christians, tears filled her eyes and she said “What can we do? We are so poor and the missionaries have money”

The missionaries often come from culturally backward places, like the bible belt of America, and have no respect for or understanding of the culture that they are destroying (or any other culture, for that matter). They will stop at nothing, to pick up a convert. The religions that they represent are often cultural, spiritually and intellectually inferior to those that they seek to destroy.

I would advise anyone, wishing to help in poor countries to avoid missionaries like to plague and settle for secular and more professional NGO. We should remember that Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism etc are in no way inferior to foreign faiths. It is only the racist bigotry of missionaries who think so. No one is helped by being lured away from their cultural origins. I respect every religion, and wish none of them any harm, but I hope that people doing social work would have the same respect for the religion of those that they wish to help. These are just the personal thoughts of one who has seen this at first hand

Hi there,

Yeah I didn't have the best experience either with a missionary place here in India. I am not saying they are all bad but they were very driven by their religion and although it was all for a good cause I wasn't happy there and I left. I didn't like the way they treated the children. They seem totally focused on getting the money in from the US but I don't know if that is such a bad thing as where else would it come from? This money is helping sending these children to school. The only thing I didn't like is how religious they were and although I am a Christian myself they seemed to miss the basic understanding of love and happiness with these children.

In saying all that I also visited 2 centers yesterday. One was a center for mentally handicapped children and the other was for HIV patients. Both these centers would cost a lot to run, not to mention the medication cost. From what I seen these places need more support and the people who are working there are loving people. As a volunteer I would be giving my time to these people and that does make a difference. If however I was going to donate money I would surely like to know exactly where this money is going.

hi all! I am Yao from Beijing, China. Going to Calcutta next Monday. Hope to work at MC. Anyone going at the same time as well?