Children Walking Tall - UK and India

The UK Charity - Children Walking Tall

The UK Charity is managed and administered by the trustees who receive no payment or fees for the work we do. The only areas where we have sought outside assistance are in developing and maintaining our website, in compiling and publishing our newsletter and in undertaking the required Independent Examination of our accounts. We are happy to report that these are done on a voluntary basis. If there are occasions when we need additional voluntary help we will publish information here or make a request via our newsletter but at the present time the UK Charity has no requirement for volunteers.

The Indian Trust - Children Walking Tall

Our partner organisation the Indian Trust Children Walking Tall based at Mango House near Mapusa, Goa does have a volunteer programme. The volunteer pages on this site have been provided by them and any links and correspondence will direct you to the Indian Trust. The UK Charity accepts no liability for any matter arising at the Indian Trust but before reading the information from them please read our thoughts about volunteering for them below.

Our thoughts about volunteering for the Indian Trust

Obviously we know our partner very well since we work extremely closely with them. If you volunteer for them there are a few things we think we should point out. First of all the Indian Trust based at Mango House is a separate organisation to the UK Charity. The Trust has its own trustees and is responsible and liable for its own operation. We agree plans and budgets with the Trust and monitor monthly activity and expenditure but we cannot and would not wish to seek to control how they carry out their operation on the ground. Having said that if any volunteer becomes aware of any serious matter at the Indian Trust which they think we should be aware of we would wish to be informed.

The Trust and its staff are Indian and will conduct themselves accordingly. Standards of Health and Safety are a long way from those you would expect to find at home. Do not expect that the Trust would have insurance in the same way that a Western Charity might – it won’t so if you do decide to volunteer then make sure you have adequate personal insurance. Most of the work that the Trust carries out is in the slums – it can be dirty, wet, humid and hot – all at the same time even. You will probably see things you find disturbing and distressing and they may not be dealt with in a way you would expect at home.

The Trust operates from their base at Mango House. The house was originally set up to be a day care centre for approximately 50 children. The licence to operate as a day care centre expired in late 2008 and has not been renewed. Despite numerous inspections and appeals, incredible as it may seem, no final decision has been made yet about the licence one way or the other. At the time of writing - October 2011 - a fresh application has been made for a licence for Mango House. Volunteers should be aware, however, that Mango House presently operates as a base, office, storage centre and kitchen. Volunteers and staff all work from there but unless the licence situation is resolved, much of a volunteer's day will be spent working in the slums. However, out of every negative comes a positive and we can report that over the last three years, while it has not been possible to have children in Mango House, the Trust has expanded its operation and now supports approximately 100 children.

We hope you do not consider the above remarks negative in anyway – we just think it important that you are aware of the realities of the situation. In the same way as we have we drawn your attention to the above points we would also say that the staff at Mango House are kind and generous people who do an amazing job for the children they are trying to help and we are proud and happy to support them.