ELI offers volunteers opportunities with one of Chennai's most effective women's empowerment programs. The organization is funded by a number of Indian Christian organizations, but does not proselytize.  In fact, most of the women who use its services are Hindu. You can request to work in any of the following areas.

Family Counseling Center and Short Stay Home

The center reaches out to women, adolescent girls in distress and provides professional counseling and offers a short-stay home where they can develop confidence and gradually join the mainstream of normal life. The physical, emotional, psychological needs are met and safety is ensured at all levels. The Short Stay home works to educate and reintegrate abused women into society. Women have the chance to enroll in vocational classes and take advantage of employment assistance programs.

Client "M" is an unwed mother. At the age of 17 years, she had fallen prey to her father's sexual advances. She expressed this matter to her mother who turned a deaf ear. She left her home town and came to Chennai to her sister's place. Her sister, instead of helping her, handed her over to her paramour. Since there was a contract between her sister and the man, he had sexually harassed her. She was not aware of the consequences and became pregnant. She left her sister's home without telling her and was referred to MCCSS by "Comforter", an NGO.

She was given shelter and provided pre-natal care in MCCSS. Then she was referred to Christ Faith Home for confinement and adoption of her child and came back to MCCSS. She received emotional and supportive counseling. During the stay she was encouraged to complete her Plus 2 Examinations. She was also sent for four-wheeler driving and is awaiting license. With her consent, MCCSS informed her parents about her stay. After two years, they met her, were so thrilled, happy, and thanked MCCSS. She is still staying in the home and has been selected to undergo a six month tailoring and embroidery course at Usha Training Institute in New Delhi.
                                                -MCCSS 2005-2006 Annual Report

Women In Development

This program concentrates on women's leadership within the community through a self-awareness process. The women are being helped to form self-help groups to address their issues and problems at micro and macro levels by themselves. There are 400 self-help groups in the city slums of Chennai. These women are involved in a variety of activities including credit unions, entrepreneurial development programs, mobilization of resources, and procurement of basic amenities. There is a component of transparency, social accountability, humanness and self-governance in the women's development project; the project merely facilitates and guides by imparting appropriate counseling through the training sessions. Some of the community groups have succeeded with projects such as renovating roads, starting profitable group businesses, and neighborhood improvements.

STD/HIV/AIDS

Prevention and Control among Slum dwellers This program offers accurate, scientific knowledge and information about healthy sexual behavior to the public especially to the city slum population and persons with high-risk behavior. The center runs an STD clinic with a resident Allopathic Medical Practitioner and para-medical staff to screen persons infected with STD/HIV/AIDS and offer counseling, treatment and referrals.

STD/HIV/AIDS

Prevention and Control among Women In Prostitution This program offers counseling and tries to rehabilitate women in prostitution and integrate them into mainstream society by taking up appropriate jobs /ventures based on their own capacities and skills. The program collaborates with other NGOs and institutions to help the unwanted children of unwed mothers and children of prostitutes get safely placed. Staff works with Peer Educators, former prostitutes who have now become role models. Their goal is to promote dignity and respect among the prostitutes who desire to revert back to a normal lifestyle.

Volunteers will help with activities such as home visits, group meetings, community meetings, exhibitions and street plays with puppetry, school intervention, adolescent training, peer promotion, workshops, care and support for the infected, and other educational campaigns.

Prevention of Trafficking in Women and Children

(Relief and rehabilitation) This project provides protection, shelter, legal, clinical assistance, counseling and skill based training to rescued women and children with the aim of reducing the incidence of trafficking in women and children in Chennai and other cities in the periphery. This service requires close cooperation of the police, the public and other networks. This project should be expanded to the entire city in the future.

There was an advertisement in the Tamil Newspaper "Thina Thanthi" on May 1, 2005 for the post of a "secretary". The salary would be Rs 7000, and the qualification required was Higher Secondary or a Graduate. Only the name of a person and his mobile number were given as contact details in the advertisement.

On information from a young girl, it was determined that it was a regular feature for the advertiser was to abuse women under the pretext of a job offer. With the help of the Assistant Commissioner of Police Anti Vice Squad, one of the MCCSS staff went as a job seeker.  She contacted the trafficker for employment, and she was asked to come for an interview at a particular spot. A team consisting of an inspector, a sub-inspector, and constables in plain clothes reached the place escorting the staff. During the interview, she was promised that her salary would be more than Rs 20,000 per month if she cooperated with them. Just then, the police barged into the room and questioned the trafficker and the MCCSS staff without revealing her identity before the trafficker. She narrated what had happened. The police searched the entire house and confiscated blue film cassettes, CDs, pornographic pictures, and a diary containing the details of various girls. The trafficker was arrested under the Goondas Act (Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act).

                                                -MCCSS 2005-2006 Annual Report

Volunteers will be able to assist with the administrative work associated with these projects.

Start Dates

The start dates for the India programs are completely flexible.  

Program Includes

*Pre-departure Materials 

*Airport Pick Up in Chennai

*Orientation

*City Tour 

*Accommodation Provided by the Organization

*Most Meals

*24/7 In-country Support

Program Does Not Include

*Round Trip Airfare to India

*Return Trip to Airport

*Required Travel and Medical Insurance

*Visa Fees

Insurance is not provided. Other organizations sometimes include insurance, but charge you much more. We prefer to let you decide what you need. Please see our insurance page for some ideas.

How to Apply

Below is our application form. To apply for this program, please fill out the application and return it to us along with a copy of your resume or CV and the $100 application fee. The fee is non-refundable unless we are unable to make a placement for you. You can send your application to us at:

ELI Associates

ELI offers volunteers opportunities with one of Chennai's most effective women's empowerment programs. The organization is funded by a number of Indian Christian organizations, but does not proselytize.  In fact, most of the women who use its services are Hindu. You can request to work in any of the following areas.

Family Counseling Center and Short Stay Home

The center reaches out to women, adolescent girls in distress and provides professional counseling and offers a short-stay home where they can develop confidence and gradually join the mainstream of normal life. The physical, emotional, psychological needs are met and safety is ensured at all levels. The Short Stay home works to educate and reintegrate abused women into society. Women have the chance to enroll in vocational classes and take advantage of employment assistance programs.

Client "M" is an unwed mother. At the age of 17 years, she had fallen prey to her father's sexual advances. She expressed this matter to her mother who turned a deaf ear. She left her home town and came to Chennai to her sister's place. Her sister, instead of helping her, handed her over to her paramour. Since there was a contract between her sister and the man, he had sexually harassed her. She was not aware of the consequences and became pregnant. She left her sister's home without telling her and was referred to MCCSS by "Comforter", an NGO.

She was given shelter and provided pre-natal care in MCCSS. Then she was referred to Christ Faith Home for confinement and adoption of her child and came back to MCCSS. She received emotional and supportive counseling. During the stay she was encouraged to complete her Plus 2 Examinations. She was also sent for four-wheeler driving and is awaiting license. With her consent, MCCSS informed her parents about her stay. After two years, they met her, were so thrilled, happy, and thanked MCCSS. She is still staying in the home and has been selected to undergo a six month tailoring and embroidery course at Usha Training Institute in New Delhi.
                                                -MCCSS 2005-2006 Annual Report

Women In Development

This program concentrates on women's leadership within the community through a self-awareness process. The women are being helped to form self-help groups to address their issues and problems at micro and macro levels by themselves. There are 400 self-help groups in the city slums of Chennai. These women are involved in a variety of activities including credit unions, entrepreneurial development programs, mobilization of resources, and procurement of basic amenities. There is a component of transparency, social accountability, humanness and self-governance in the women's development project; the project merely facilitates and guides by imparting appropriate counseling through the training sessions. Some of the community groups have succeeded with projects such as renovating roads, starting profitable group businesses, and neighborhood improvements.

STD/HIV/AIDS

Prevention and Control among Slum dwellers This program offers accurate, scientific knowledge and information about healthy sexual behavior to the public especially to the city slum population and persons with high-risk behavior. The center runs an STD clinic with a resident Allopathic Medical Practitioner and para-medical staff to screen persons infected with STD/HIV/AIDS and offer counseling, treatment and referrals.

STD/HIV/AIDS

Prevention and Control among Women In Prostitution This program offers counseling and tries to rehabilitate women in prostitution and integrate them into mainstream society by taking up appropriate jobs /ventures based on their own capacities and skills. The program collaborates with other NGOs and institutions to help the unwanted children of unwed mothers and children of prostitutes get safely placed. Staff works with Peer Educators, former prostitutes who have now become role models. Their goal is to promote dignity and respect among the prostitutes who desire to revert back to a normal lifestyle.

Volunteers will help with activities such as home visits, group meetings, community meetings, exhibitions and street plays with puppetry, school intervention, adolescent training, peer promotion, workshops, care and support for the infected, and other educational campaigns.

Prevention of Trafficking in Women and Children

(Relief and rehabilitation) This project provides protection, shelter, legal, clinical assistance, counseling and skill based training to rescued women and children with the aim of reducing the incidence of trafficking in women and children in Chennai and other cities in the periphery. This service requires close cooperation of the police, the public and other networks. This project should be expanded to the entire city in the future.

There was an advertisement in the Tamil Newspaper "Thina Thanthi" on May 1, 2005 for the post of a "secretary". The salary would be Rs 7000, and the qualification required was Higher Secondary or a Graduate. Only the name of a person and his mobile number were given as contact details in the advertisement.

On information from a young girl, it was determined that it was a regular feature for the advertiser was to abuse women under the pretext of a job offer. With the help of the Assistant Commissioner of Police Anti Vice Squad, one of the MCCSS staff went as a job seeker.  She contacted the trafficker for employment, and she was asked to come for an interview at a particular spot. A team consisting of an inspector, a sub-inspector, and constables in plain clothes reached the place escorting the staff. During the interview, she was promised that her salary would be more than Rs 20,000 per month if she cooperated with them. Just then, the police barged into the room and questioned the trafficker and the MCCSS staff without revealing her identity before the trafficker. She narrated what had happened. The police searched the entire house and confiscated blue film cassettes, CDs, pornographic pictures, and a diary containing the details of various girls. The trafficker was arrested under the Goondas Act (Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act).

                                                -MCCSS 2005-2006 Annual Report

Volunteers will be able to assist with the administrative work associated with these projects.

Start Dates

The start dates for the India programs are completely flexible.  

Program Includes

*Pre-departure Materials 

*Airport Pick Up in Chennai

*Orientation

*City Tour 

*Accommodation Provided by the Organization

*Most Meals

*24/7 In-country Support

Program Does Not Include

*Round Trip Airfare to India

*Return Trip to Airport

*Required Travel and Medical Insurance

*Visa Fees

Insurance is not provided. Other organizations sometimes include insurance, but charge you much more. We prefer to let you decide what you need. Please see our insurance page for some ideas.

How to Apply

Below is our application form. To apply for this program, please fill out the application and return it to us along with a copy of your resume or CV and the $100 application fee. The fee is non-refundable unless we are unable to make a placement for you. You can send your application to us at:

ELI Associates