Centres of activities
The “historic”centre of Volontariat initial activities was under a coconut grove, in Ouppalam, behind Pondicherry station, on the way to Cuddalore. As the years went by and with the inexorable development of the town, the grove became a section of the town and is now developing into a residential area, sometimes. Volontariat has also developed and diversified its range of activities and new programmes are being introduced to meet the new needs.
To date, activities are located in different parts of Pondicherry or in the outskirts:
1. Selva Nilayam, Oupalam,
was inaugurated in 1982. It has been reorganized and extended since then. It comprises the following activities:
Central administrative Office
Central kitchen
Dining hall where sponsored children and others have their midday meals
Amudham dining-room for the staff, voluntary workers and guests
Amaidhi Illam. home for the elderly
The dispensary and the dental clinic
Some rooms for godparents or visitors
2. Sakthi Vihar is
in the centre of Oupalam where all the initial activities of Volontariat took place. It was built thanks to a cofinancement programme with the ECC and inaugurated in 1995. It is especially used for children, for apprenticeship and vocational training.. The following activities are located here:
Crèche and nursery school, a small dispensary
Classrooms for evening classes and extra-curricular activities, and a hall where milk and snacks are distributed before evening classes
Two rooms for computer classes: beginners’ course and further studies,
Liege Carpentry and craft apprenticeship, Kalai art (cards and other handicrafts), Minerva (costume jewelry made of glass pearls), Tarini (tailoring section)
A training place Uyarvu where notebooks distributed by Volontariat are made and Minnal for elerctricity,
Parrainage administrative office (children files, check up and translation of letters)
Meeting hall, library, meeting room for teachers
Navin Centre: showroom of Volontariat’s handicrafts made in Volontariat
The Dome of Silence
3. The Community Centre, was the first permanent centre. It was inaugurated in 1968 and it has been reorganized since. It is now used for meetings and audio visual programmes and evening classes. The first floor is used as a marriage hall for people who live locally and cannot afford to rent a marriage hall in the town.
4. Souriya centre,
behind the Basilica Sacred Heart and near the Railway station, was inaugurated in 2003 to house “street boys”. A crèche occupies part of the building.
5. Touttipakkam Farm, about 20 kms from Pondicherry, started in 1967. It is an agricultural farm growing rice, coconuts, mangoes, bananas, and vegetables. There is a small dairy farm and a poultry farm. Almost all of the needs of the Central kitchen of Volontariat and the Tripti Shop (for chickens) are met.
It also houses Nila Illam, a centre for children, under the supervision of foster mothers. It is similar to a children’s village.
There is produced the Spirulina, thanks to the contribution of a French company. We also start the production of aloe vera plant which is known in the cosmetic industry. Also a group of women start a small unit of soap making.
6. Atelier Shanti, Dubraypet, close to the sea and the lighthouse, started in 1966. The land had been given to Volontariat by the Mayor of Pondicherry. The first buildings, made of permanent structures were built at the end of the seventies and the current buildings in the nineties. They are allotted to the various activities connected with weaving, as well as ready made garments and embroidery. Several houses accommodate handicapped workers who work in the Atelier.
7. In front of Atelier Shanti, there are six small houses – Thendral Illam. They accommodate retired workers from Atelier Shanti.
8. Also, in front of Atelier Shanti, OM Shanti, is located. It comprises a crèche, a nursery school, a dispensary and an office for the social workers.
9. The other programmes helped by Volontariat are Infant India at Muthialpet, a suburb on the East Coast road and very recently, Sandesh Illam at Thangaithittu, 1 km south of Oupalam.
