The district of Wayanad (North Kerala) extends over an area of 2,125 square kilometres and is famous for its tropical climate and lush green hills, valleys and forests. The district is emerging as the major location for ecotourism in Southern India. VANAMOOLIKA is an NGO that has been working for the improvement of the socio-economic development of the marginalised groups of the society in Wayanad for about two decades. In the region, very basic needs are at stake: VANAMOOLIKA is trying to improve food security, health and economic sustainability. The target groups are primarily the indigenous/tribal communities and the small farmers of the district.

VANAMOOLIKA's main activity is the promotion of organic farming and sustainable agriculture. This involves the organic cultivation of healing plants and the establishment of a health-care system based on traditional healing methods. In connection to these agricultural projects, a network for ecotourism and herbal tourism has been established. Tourism is used as a vehicle of economical development.

The GLEN participants have the opportunity to get involved in all the working fields of the NGO. They can set priorities according to their interests and abilities. They learn about the various policies and programmes of the government for rural development. Skills in informal communication, interaction and documentation are required.

The scheduled time for the internship is three months between July and October 2010.

The training and preparation seminars before the internship take place in English. The GLEN team will be composed of one German/Swiss and one French participant.

Proposed by: P.J. Chackochan (VANAMOOLIKA)

The State of Uttarakhand lies on the South slope of the Himalaya range. In the region’s subalpine zone lies Corbett National Park, India’s oldest National Park and home of the Bengal Tiger. The rapidly growing number of tourists is a big challenge in this remote region, creating strong contradictions: while the rural population still has only limited access to running water and electricity, the high number of visitors endangers Corbett’s ecological balance.

The Society for Mahseer Conservancy (SMC) works at grassroots level at the border of the Corbett Tiger Reserve. It addresses local farmers as well as tourism stakeholders in its strive for environmental conservation.

The GLEN participants work in SMC’s Forest Use Survey Project and in the Vultures Monitoring and Conservation Project. They also give courses on environmental awareness in the local schools. SMC suggests working in these three fields in chronological order. The first month is spent on accompanying SMC’s staff on field trips, collecting data on forest decline. The second month is dedicated to a study on the endangered White Belly Vulture. In the third month, the participants take part in the implementation of workshops for school children, creating a sense of ownership and responsibility for the local flora and fauna. The tasks can be adjusted according to the participant’s interests and abilities.

Participants need to be able to work independently and well-structured in order to collect accurate data. Working in the forest can imply difficult weather conditions, participants must be willing to adjust. Experience in teaching would be welcome.

The scheduled time for the internship is July to September 2010.

The training and preparation seminars before the internship take place in English. The GLEN team will be composed of one German/Swiss and one French participant.

Proposed by: Sumantha Ghosh (SMC)

The Functional Vocational Training and Research Society (FVTRS) is a skill promotion agency operating at national level. FVTRS offers finances and logistics to local NGOs who carry out training programmes for school drop outs and illiterate youth. The aim is to let young people discover their abilities and potentials by giving them access to vocational trainings. FVTRS also provides connections to possible employers and raises awareness amongst the stakeholders in the domestic and industrial sector for the need of providing training opportunities for the unemployed. FVTRS is also involved in micro-financing and in doing research on new educational methods for vocational trainings. The FVTRS is cooperating with the “Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit” (GTZ) and a number of other international partners.

The GLEN participants work together with the core team of FVTRS in Bangalore as well as with local NGOs in different parts of India. Participants can get active in the concrete training of vocational skills, as well as working on a more administrative level, which means coordination, fundraising and PR. Participants who have experience in vocational training are very welcome. There is high interest for exchange of ideas and teaching techniques.

The participants visit different NGOs in different regions of India. Therefore, they need to be flexible and willing to travel. The name and location of the partner NGOs in question will be clarified with FVTRS closer to the actual start of the internship.

The scheduled time for the internship is August to October 2010.

The training and preparation seminars before the internship take place in English. The GLEN team will be composed of one German/Swiss and one French participant.

Proposed by: Albert Joseph (FVTRS)