Volunteering at Root Institute
Thank you for your interest in volunteering at Root Institute! Volunteering with us is a wonderful opportunity to live in the blessed environment of Bodhgaya while benefiting others.
Dharma Centre Volunteers
Each winter Root Institute seeks seasonal volunteers to work alongside the Centre Director and Spiritual Programme Coordinator to form a team of dedicated FPMT students working to fulfil Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche's wish for students to meet and practice the Dharma in Bodhgaya.
Opportunities for winter 2010-2011
Administrator for Tara Children's Project required.
* Drafting and creating policy in regards to the care, support and protection of the children
* Cultivating donor support and reporting to donors
* Budgeting and financial management
* Overseeing the development of infrastructure as the project expands
* Management of current staff as well as recruitment of staff
* Research and development of legal protocols and processes in accordance with the Guardian and Ward Act and Juvenile Justice Act
* Case management of children and assessment of prospective admittees
This is a very diverse role, but ultimately a very rewarding one.
Resident Sangha Members
Working closly with the Director and Spiritual Program Coordinator, the role of resident sangha within Root Institute is to be involved with daily meditations, organise pujas, meet and advise new students, run short workshops, lead pilgrimages to the holy sites around Bodhgaya and general help with the spiritual program.
The quiet summer and beautiful months offer an opportunity for retreat.
Position: Kitchen Manager
6 months from September 2010 to March 2011 reporting to the Director
Do you have an interest in food, cooking and the Indian way? If so, we need you to run our kitchen and dining hall.
The responsibilities and challenges of the Kitchen Manager are to oversee a team of local staff, to plan an exciting and nutritious menu while working within a budget and limited variety of foods available here in Bodhgaya. The peak of the season, December and January, will prove to be the most challenging with up to 200 guests to feed at once.
An interest in food, a creative eye for detail, confidence, patience, and a sense of humour are essential to making this position work for you.
Position: Office/Housekeeping
6 months from September 2010 to March 2011, reporting to the Director
The office positions can be very demanding roles so good organizational skills and focus on the job are essential to make the position work. You will also need to be prepared to be on call after hours on a roster basis.
The job entails overseeing the room reservations, welcoming guests, short tours/introduction of the institute for new comers, keeping track of guest accounts, laundry, meals, etc. There will be some data entry and monitoring of the general email account, answering enquiries, etc. so computer literacy is useful.
You will be working closely with our Staff Manager for ground and room maintence and housekeeping, and with our SPC for student and teacher reservations.
The role starts off during the quieter months of September and October with preparation of the rooms, updating the database, emails and reservation chart and while it's still a little bit quiet, helping out around the Institute for whatever is needed to set up for the season.
During the busier months, November through January, the job will be based in the office overseeing all the students and guests needs.
This job requires patience, flexibility and an easy way of looking at things when problems inevitably arise.
All positions require you to work 6 days a week and in return you will either receive a private or shared room depending on length of stay, plus three vegetarian meals a day.....and a whole load of merit!
To apply for any of the above positions, please email director@rootinstitute.com and state which position you are appling for, add your current CV highlighting any relevant experience, a covering letter explaining why you’d like to work here and a brief summary of your Dharma history. Please also provide email addresses for two referees.
Health Programme Volunteers
The Shakyamuni Buddha Community Health Programme has long benefited from the service of volunteers who have come from other countries. Nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists work alongside our Indian staff and help to create systems that sustain the programme long-term.
Nurse and Physiotherapist
The role of the nurseand physiotherapist volunteer with our health programs are two-fold: providing direct care to clients in conjunction with Indian staff and helping to develop sustainable systems that will support the program long-term.
Some of the daily nursing responsibilities include providing daytime care for patients in 8-bed “hospital” unit; assisting with general medical clinic (TB, Diabetes, HIV); aiding in the development of our village-level health promotion program; helping to manage the pharmacy and working closely with staff to aid in their professional development.
Experienced nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists are welcome year-round for a minimum stay of 6 months. If you are unable to commit to this length of time, or are inexperienced in these fields, you are welcome to observe our work in the on-site clinic and the village health programme on a short-term basis.
People with a strong interest in the Dharma and preferably a connection with Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche are encouraged to Contact Us for additional information.
All on-site volunteers receive accommodation plus three delicious vegetarian meals per day and a great deal of satisfaction and merit (positive energy) from benefiting so many people.
