FHR is making new friends in India. The charity is offering four bursaries and working with local NGOs and councils to create work experience opportunities for public health professionals.

Friend of the Human Race is discussing potential hosts’ needs and capacities with a network of NGOs and councils in Tamil Nadu. It is envisaged that through these contacts, public health professionals on the FHR Register will be able to get involved in sanitation research, mapping, planning and development throughout India.

There will also be opportunities in health and safety, solid waste management, wastewater treatment, food safety and agriculture.

FHR will contact professionals on the Register to connect them with prospective hosts soon. Professionals signed up or about to join the Register are invited to express an interest in working in India.

The scheme will be replicated in other countries, on a range of public health topics. FHR is also offering four bursaries to Indian professionals, in two pairs. One pair will be offered through Peoples-uni, a provider of low cost e-learning on public health. FHR and Peoples-uni are already jointly offering a pair of bursaries in Haiti, and are still searching for suitable applicants.

The second pair of Indian bursaries will enable two individuals to undertake training in organic agriculture, following a request from an NGO. This will be offered as a five-day residential course, through the Biodynamic Association of India.

FHR secretary Stewart Petrie says: ‘The Register is still open to new people and still growing. It’s time to work hard to develop opportunities for our Register members, after all they’re offering their skills, time and energy, and they’re ready to learn.

‘This is the exciting part of the FHR programme. It will really help this network take off.’

He adds: ‘FHR is also expanding its bursary offer. We’re offering four bursaries in India and another in Haiti, to make that a pair. That’s six in total.

‘Bursaries are offered in pairs so students working in different but associated organisations can support each other. The goal is to foster inter- organisational learning and co-operation. It’s another way to improve networking and build capacity. ‘We hope students, workers and hosts alike will remain part of the FHR network as they grow as people and as professionals.’

> www.peoplesuni.org
> www.biodynamics.in
> friend-of-the-human-race.org/what-we-do

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