The need in many developing countries for volunteers and willing hands is immense. In Kolkata alone, there are countless places for you to lend a hand. Within the Missionaries of Charity, a handful of sites exist where you can spend your time volunteering. This is a sampling of some of the places I am the most familiar with.
Kalighat (Home for the Dying)
This is where I spent most of my time during my month in Kolkata, and the location I have the most knowledge of. Kalighat (Nirmal Hriday) is a hospice for those sick and dying, taken off the streets. It is connected to a Hindu temple where the goddess Kali is worshipped. At Kalighat, both men and women are cared for, but is divided by the sex and volunteers usually tend to those of the same gender. Nursing skills are needed to clean wounds, but the presence of a volunteer alone can make a difference as well. During the time that I volunteered at Kalighat, I developed a routine where I would sit with patients, rub lotion on their bodies, and have the willingness to "listen" to their stories in Bengali. Changing bedpans, doing laundry, washing dishes, distributing medication, and giving lunch to the patients were some of the main tasks a volunteer would help out with. Kalighat is said to be Mother Teresa's first love.
Shishu Bavan
Tara with a baby at the orphanage
Shishu Bavan is the orphanage the Missionaries of Charity run in Kolkata. At Shishu Bavan, short term volunteers are not allowed to work with the infants and children that are "normal" and adoptable. The other half of the children at Shishu Bavan are physically handicapped or mentally disabled, and are the children that short term volunteers can work with. I spent one afternoon here, and volunteers are needed to just play with the babies and help with physical therapy for many of the toddlers that have different debilitating diseases. Volunteers also help to feed the children.
Shanti Dan
Kristie with her students
Shanti Dan is located in an area of Kolkata called Tangra, and consists home for mentally disabled and abused women, as well as a school for children who are malnourished or have tuberculosis. About two hundred or so women reside here, and have established a community of sorts, where they grow their own garden and keep to themselves. Once again, women at Shanti Dan love just being around the volunteers, spending time "conversing" and being the center of attention. The school for children is located on the same grounds, and volunteers need to be there for over two months in order to work with the children as their teacher.
Prem Dan
Prem Dan is a long term facility for the sick and mentally retarded. It is quite large, with probably over a couple hundred patients at any given time. There are many more volunteers needed at this site, and it has a much less intimate feel to it compared to Kalighat; however, many of the tasks are the same. Volunteers are needed to wash an infinite amount of laundry, distribute medication and hand out lunch to the patients.