A new city guide on volunteering opportunities in Chennai

Curated by youngsters from diverse fields, Chennai has a new guide on where to volunteer

The Chennai Hub of Global Shapers Community, an initiative of the World Economic Forum, has launched a web app to help residents identify volunteering opportunities in the city.

The guide lists 100 non-governmental organisations with their details. The list of 100 straddles eight pillars of the social sector — education, environment, animal welfare, women’s empowerment, health, sports, housing and development.

This “volunteering handbook” has been curated by youngsters from diverse fields — there are data scientists, business analysts, IT professionals, policy specialists and marketers.

Smruthi Swaminathan, curator of the Chennai Hub, who has been in the volunteering space for five years now, underlines the lack of awareness about non-profits in certain segments of the social sector.

www.volunteerguide.in has provided sector-wise information which spells out the location, the possible impact, the commitment required per week, days of volunteering and contact details.

It also mentions whether the organisation gives certificates for those on a long-term committent with it.

Look out for the green tick on every listed organisation, which is the group’s guarantee that the details have been verified and cross-checked.