HOW WE WORK
HOW WE WORK
JAYANA VOLUNTEER HOME
provides accommodation to volunteers who travel from within India and abroad to work at the
Gandhi Ashram. GMSP funded the renovation of the volunteer home.
volunteers
served
per year
120
Volunteers
are provided accommodation for
up to one year in return for their services
CHALLENGE
The Jayana Volunteer home is steeped in history. It is housed in the Gandhi Ashram— one of the main centres from which Gandhi launched the struggle for freedom and self-determination in India that inspired civil rights movements around the world. Today, the Ashram serves as a national homage to cultural heritage and community work.
The Jayana Volunteer Home hosts volunteers from across India and the world who come to offer their time and services at the Gandhi Ashram. The volunteers spend between three and 12 months working on a variety of projects including farming, health, sanitation and the arts.
Over the years, the building began to deteriorate and reached such a state of disrepair that volunteers had to be turned away due to the lack of safe accommodation.
ACTION
Essential renovations have brought the Jayana Volunteer Home back to life. Work was undertaken on the building to repair the roof and sewage system. Paint and plaster work was done and new furniture was brought in. The restoration work has allowed Jayana Volunteer Home to provide safe and comfortable accommodation to the volunteers, who are now able to stay at the Ashram for longer periods and better serve the community.
These volunteers are critical to the work of the Gandhi Ashram and its affiliated organisations that work to improve the lives of underprivileged communities throughout Ahmadabad, Gujarat.
Moreover, working at the Ashram is life-changing for the volunteers themselves. By working with local communities and with fellow volunteers in close proximity over extended periods of time, many say their world outlook was reshaped by the experience.