This week, Her Campus caught up with Miranda Hudson, head of Snehalaya UK. Miranda studied English and Theatre Studies at Leeds Uni and was also part of LSR.
What does Snehalaya do and what are its long term goals?
Snehalaya – means ‘Home of Love’ and is just that for India’s hidden population. It gives rescue, rehabilitation and rights to women, children and people from LGBT communities. It works in slums, rural and red light regions seeking to stop abuse and provide access to healthcare and education for all its clients. Snehalaya’s long-term goals are to bring equality to all Indians. It does this through awareness campaigns and working at societal level to break down stereotypes. It wants free access to education for girls who are often forced into early marriages. It is currently fighting to ensure justice for women experiencing sexual and domestic violence and to provide support for abandoned and enslaved children.
It also strives to bring awareness of the rights of LGBT in a country where the ‘sodomy law’ creates prejudicial treatment of people based on sexuality. Snehalaya wants to make India healthier and happier and it is doing so through ensuring its most marginalised people have a voice and are heard.
How does Snehalaya raise public awareness and funds?
In India we conduct street plays and road shows. We also have a radio station and put pressure on local government, medical professionals and police to be more aware of the issues people are facing – often at the hands of the law. We want them to take responsibility in the hospitals, police stations and court rooms to end poor treatment. We also run youth conferences and rallies. In the past, we’ve teamed up with other non-profits to run campaigns like #HerVoice.http://www.hercampus.com/school/leeds/hervoice
We raise funds in all kinds of ways – crowdfunding is a big one. We also encourage individuals to fundraise in fun ways – like color me rad, abseils, bake sales, cycle rallies. We offer full support and a platform to collect funds and even give you some tips on successful fundraising!
What was the career path that led you to Snehalaya?
I have always been a producer of sorts – a fixer. After graduating with a Theatre Studies Degree, I did costume production and toured Europe for a few years. I enjoyed being agony Aunt to the dancers as much as I did dressing them. I knew I liked supporting people. I then worked in commercials (TV and print) and animation, moving on to set up and run a photography studio. Later I trained in interior architecture and worked as a project manager and interior designer at an architectural practice for seven years, taking the same work freelance from 2011.
I actually took the role at Snehalaya without having any prior or formal Third Sector training. In 2009 I had visited as a skilled volunteer teaching their beneficiaries photography and loved the experience. I knew I had a lot of applicable skills and decided to go for it .We formed Snehalaya UK in 2010 after a huge fundraiser and then registered as a charity in 2014.
What advice would you give students who’d like to become involved with an NGO?
Go for it and remember you can’t walk in and ‘fix’ the worst problems straight away, especially when there are cultural and language barriers. You may not be the best person on the ground but other skills can really help NGOs. Blogging and social media are really useful tools.
Prepare and research what issues and problems an organisation is facing, then approach RAG and get involved. Working with their staff to develop or support them is essential too. Think about English conversational practice and explaining the benefits of posting on social media. Think of support you can give to an organisation as a whole. Such practical support can be far more beneficial then giving your time directly to the clients as you will have limited time and may have to leave them before you can do enough.
If you’d like to get involved in supporting Snehalaya, you can join their Color Me Rad team on the 16th of May. http://www.colormerad.co.uk/images/cmsfiles/2015_racedoc-leeds.pdf Snehalaya can also offer support for other fundraising efforts, such as cake sales.
Sources
All images provided by Miranda Hudson