Volunteer roles - Updated August 2011

Kalayaan is recruiting for part-time Volunteer Interns on a job share basis.

Commitment: to work 1, 2 or 3 days per week for a minimum of 6 months

Tasks: to provide integral administrative support (helpline/reception); significant amount of one-to-one client support work; assistance with ongoing project work.

For full details, and to apply, please download the following documents:

Intern role description

Intern application

Applications should reach Kalayaan by 5pm on 15th September 2011

Interviews will take place on Friday 23rd September

Volunteer Interpreters

Kalayaan works with domestic workers from all over the (non-EU) world, the majority of our clients being from India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka the Phillipines and Nepal. If you are able to interpret between English and any of the community languages of our clients and would like to volunteer for Kalayaan, we would love to hear from you. Initially you would be interpreting between Kalayaan clients and staff. As you build your experience you may help out interpreting for lawyers and at the police station if you feel confident to do this. The time commitment is flexible but the nature of our work means that you would need to be available for some time during the working week. If you think you are interested in the role, read the role description and then email the info address on the bottom of this document telling us why you'd like the role.

Advocacy Support Volunteers (currently not recruiting)

As an advocacy support volunteer you will work directly with Kalayaan clients, supporting them to report their passport stolen to the police or accompanying them to an appointment. This kind of practical volunteer support is crucial to Kalayaan's work as we are a small organisation and it dramatically increases our capacity. You need to be confident and able to advocate on someone's behalf in a non-confrontational way. The time commitment for the advocacy support role is flexible. We will organise individual appointments between domestic workers and volunteers as and when suits. The nature of the role means that you will need to be able to commit some time during the working week. If you think you are interested in this role, read the role description and then email the info address on the bottom of this document telling us why you'd like the role.

Volunteer English Teacher - recruiting

Kalayaan runs 10 English classes each week, 5 of these are led by volunteer English teachers. These classes are hugely popular amongst Kalayaan clients. Learning English enables people to get better, less exploitative work, access information about their rights and gain independence from their employers. It is also a good social opportunity for domestic workers who spend a great deal of time isolated in the private house. You need to be CELTA/TEFL qualified or have equivalent experience, and be able to commit to teaching a class every other Sunday for 6 months. If you think you are interested in the role, read the role description and then email the info address on the bottom of this document telling us why you'd like the role.

Helpline, reception and administrative volunteer (currently not recruiting)

Kalayaan is a busy community centre and office with clients calling and dropping in for advice and general support. We need an energetic, patient individual to help us by answering our helpline, greeting clients and undertaking administrative tasks in the office. You should be a confident person and be able to communicate with people who are using English as a second language. We need a commitment of 2-3 days per week from you. If you think you are intersted in the role, read the role description and then email the info address on the bottom of this document telling us why you'd like the role.

Volunteering at Kalayaan:

Katrin Nordmann volunteered at Kalayaan for three months. She left in January 2009. Here she writes about her experience of volunteering at Kalayaan: :

Asked what it is like to volunteer at Kalayaan immediately there is one word coming up in my mind:                                      

"supersupergut!!!!"

I really had a great time volunteering at Kalayaan and learned much more than I expected.
I heard about Kalayaan during my studies about migrant domestic workers in Germany. After finishing university I was very lucky and had the possibility to go to London and volunteer at Kalayaan for three months. I applied as a volunteer administrator, but I never ended up just sitting behind a computer doing only office work….
What I liked most about volunteering at Kalayaan:
it was always very different
Some mornings just started like:
sitting in a very quite and empty office entering data, checking job forms, ordering files or post.
Five minutes later:
ten people in the same office speaking at least two different languages, laughing or discussing serious and terrible experiences figuring out what is the best to do. The phone is ringing almost every ten seconds. Domestic workers coming in trying to get information about different issues.
Volunteering in such situations could also mean trying to answer questions, make an appointment for individual advice, support domestic workers reading job advertisements, help writing a CV, make copies, put names on English class waiting lists, give out forms, try to answer the phone or take messages.
But volunteering was also sitting in the social area drinking tea and talking with domestic workers and other volunteers, just enjoy spending time together. Thinking about reorganising noticeboards, making posters...looking back I really did and learned a big variety of things. 

These three months volunteering were an amazing changing and learning process for me until the last day.
I learned a lot about the situation of migrant domestic workers, their political struggle to change and improve their situation, the ways Kalayaan staff and everybody there is working really hard to give support and advice. I learned about charity work and heard about the research project. I also improved speaking English.
And... I got to know at Kalayaan really amazing people that made their way although most of them went through a lot.

I felt very valued, supported and invited to be a part of Kalayaan. Now I am sad to go back but I am happy about this experience that gave me so much and happy to know that a place like Kalayaan exists.