Navdanya Internships

Info here:

The duration of an internship is a minimum of 3 months, begining in June, October or February. The deadline for submission of internship applications is one month before the internship begins (i.e. for internships beginning in June the deadline is May 1st, for those beginning in October the deadline is September 1st and for those beginning in February the deadline is January 1st). Internship orientation occurs during the first week of each of these months. Please be aware of visa processing times according to the Indian Consulate/Embassy in your country. Some positions require a longer time commitment than the minimum 3 months, and this is stated in the job description below.

If you do not already speak and understand Hindi, we strongly recommend that the first 2-4 weeks of your stay in India (if coming from abroad) be devoted to intensive Hindi language classes or self-directed study. This will deepen your ability to learn and share knowledge and ease communication with staff. There is a Hindi language institute 40 minutes from Bija Vidyapeeth in the hill station of Mussoorie. Please see their website at: http://landourlanguageschool.com/.

The interns are part of a larger community on the farm that includes short term and long term volunteers, staff and visitors, and must be able and willing to participate with enthusiasm in the life of the farm and for the betterment of the community. All Interns will become an integral part of the life at the farm and participate in the community activities as well as their own specific tasks.

Multi-tasking is an essential skill for all interns, and although there are specific job descriptions below, interns who match these positions will not be limited to only these tasks, but will partake in other projects and activities as they arise and according to their time, ability and energy.

Interns are not limited to the following jobs. Navdanya is open to self-directed projects and/or learning objectives. Please contact the intern coordinator if you would like to create a position or project that suits you and your skill set. Below are job descriptions for both Bija Vidyapeeth and the Delhi office.

Bija Vidyapeeth

Internships at Bija Vidyapeeth provide in-depth, hands-on experience with ecological agriculture. Interns integrate into daily life at the farm, joining the diverse community of farmers and volunteers in activities such as planting, harvesting, and threshing rice. Please see below for Bija Vidyapeeth Internship Job Descriptions.

Documentation Intern Team (Hindi speaker and Documentation expert):
Time Commitment: 6 months minimum (June-November and December-May)
Job Description: This team will work together to document the growth progress of the crops at Bija Vidyapeeth farm, of the crops of the farmers that are trained, and other farms associated with Navdanya. The documentation at Bija Vidyapeeth needs to be done from the time of sowing the crops until the time of harvest of all the different crops and varieties. This process needs to be scientific, quantitative and qualitative. The data collected will then be put into reports for Navdanya and to be used internally as well as externally. It is important that there is a fluent Hindi speaker to be able to interview farmers, and the second person must have experience and knowledge in scientific documentation and recording. Preference will be given to an Agricultural graduate.Travel is necessary throughout India although a base can be established at Bija Vidyapeeth.

Waste, Compost, Recycling Management
Time commitment: minimum 3 months
Job Description: We are looking for someone to come to the farm and set up a waste management system that is sustainable and simple to maintain after their stay. This would include research into the waste and recycling facilities of the area as well as of the farm (composting systems). The greenest of systems is sought after, so the ideal candidate would have knowledge about the various systems that exist and how to implement such a system in a rural site.

Librarian:
Time Commitment: minimum 3 months
Job Description: This person would be in charge of the library and the documents, books and multi-media that are stored in the office. A coherent system for loaning books to interns would need to be created, along with an organization system within the library. This system should be transferable to the next intern who takes this position and not reliant on the personal knowledge of one specific person. The librarian will catalogue all the books in the Bija Vidyapeeth and the Dehradun office libraries with an index card cataloguing system. In addition, the librarian will upload Naydanya´s materials, books, and publications onto its website. Therefore this intern must have sufficient knowledge in webpage design and feel confident with computers and working with the internet. It is not necessary to be either a trained librarian or someone who has experience as such, but must be someone who is meticulous and extremely organized.

Food Coordinator
Time commitment: minimum 3 months
Job Description: The Food Coordinator will be the liaison between the kitchen and the volunteers and interns. The idea is to share cultures and cooking techniques using organic ingredients from the farm. Weekly dinners or special dishes can be made. If extra ingredients need to be purchased, the coordinator would organize and budget for this.

Graphic Design Intern:
Time Commitment: minimum 1 month (for this specific project, and afterwards they will be incorporated into other projects according to their skill-set). This could also be a virtual intern (distance).
Job Description: There is a short-term, immediate need for a person who has graphic design experience or knowledge. They would be working on the design of an Atlas (on the land grab in India) and working closely with Shreya and other interns who are working on the Atlas. If this position is filled immediately, there will also be work on an Urban Agriculture Manual. Other jobs may arise throughout his/her stay.

Medicinal Herb Garden Intern
Time Commitment: minimum 3 months, preferably 6 months (October-April, April-October)
Job Description: This intern should have knowledge of medicinal herbs, their cultivation, uses and preparation. In addition to sowing, maintaining and harvesting the herbs, the Medicinal Plant intern will offer workshops in their field to the Bija Vidyapeeth community as well as visitors.

Soil Laboratory
Time Commitment: minimum of 3 months
Job Description: Currently, the soil lab is out of use but has the potential of being used by interns for their own projects or for educational programs that interns create. The soil lab intern will be charged with maintaining the lab and giving demonstrations of the activities that could be carried out (soil testing, remediation, etc.).

New Delhi Office

Interns at Navdanya’s main office have the opportunity to work on dynamic projects related to the political, educational, and urban aspects of the organization’s campaigns. Projects include research for upcoming publications, urban garden construction, event planning and documentation, and teaching in New Delhi schools. Interns are often given a single long-term project as well as short-term projects that arise with current events.

Multiple interns are needed for each of the following positions, as each requires a team. They will be living and working in Delhi. Delhi interns are required to find their own housing. Please a lot at least the first week of your stay in India for house hunting.

Urban Agriculture Innovator:
Time Commitment: minimum 3 months (starting in November)
Job Description: Navdanya needs a person who is an expert or has experience in Urban Agriculture or who has sufficient knowledge in permaculture, or similar endeavours in order to offer advice and help sustain and improve the various urban agriculture projects. This person would need to bring some expertise, although there is no minimum experience required. Some travel to other locations in India would be required.

Event Planner:
Time Commitment: ideally 6-12 months
Job Description: This intern would work closely with Shreya to organize upcoming Navdanya events. These can range from the annual Grandmother´s University event or the Gandhi and Globalization course, to a one-time event or course that happens. Experience in event planning and coordination would be essential, as well as strong communication skills and the ability to work independently and with initiative. Other interns will be available to work alongside the Event Planner, and organization is necessary for appropriate delegation.

Business and Marketing Intern:
Time Commitment: minimum 3 months
Job Description: This intern will work alongside our marketing expert in the Delhi office. She or he will need to follow direction but also have some business experience to offer. The main focus will be development of marketing strategies for Navdanya products as well as other organizational strategies and non-profit management.

Media Intern:
Time Commitment: minimum 3 months (6 months preferred)
Job Description: This intern will be bilingual in English and Hindi and able to translate speeches, debates, articles and publications if necessary. She or he will be responsible for writing press releases for Navdanya events as well as arranging media events as they arise. Speaking with the media and with other interns and staff must come naturally, and knowledge of the Indian and international media is essential.

Also available sometimes: Volunteer Coordinator Job at the farm, with free room & board.