Rural Organisation for Social Elevation (ROSE)

Website: www.rosekanda.info
E-mail: jlverma.rosekanda@gmail.com or jeevanverma@rosekanda.org
Phone: +91 5963 241081 or +91 94121 67186 (mobile)

Who they are

Rural Organisation for Social Elevation (R.O.S.E.) also known by its Hindi name Koormanchal Seva Samsthan (K.S.S.), was founded in 1981 by a small group from the Kanda community as a non-governmental, non-profit organization.

It works at a grassroots level, appealing to the community to become active participants in developing a better life for themselves. It is the goal of K.S.S./R.O.S.E. to improve the health, education and quality of life of the rural poor in this region while maintaining cultural integrity and ecological balance. This goal is realised through a programme which brings travellers and volunteers to Kanda to live with the Verma family, experience local Kumaoni culture and assist financially (administration fee, rent & optional donation) and physically, through the rural development projects of K.S.S./R.O.S.E.

What they do

ROSE has worked on a host of previous projects including: the installation of twin-tank latrines, construction of earthquake-proof homes, community educational programmes on sanitation and employment generation for the rural unemployed.

What they offer

ROSE offers a range of options such as: Long term voluntary service, Eco village tourism, Eco development, construction, organic farming, treks, nature watching tours, study tours, volunteer hosting and work camps. There are also cultural tours of local villages and temples to learn about Kumaoni culture, religion and art. nature watching tours, study tours ,volunteer hosting and work camps.

Volunteer Opportunities
All volunteer opportunities and projects are subject to the realities of the rural environment and the season they take place. Current ongoing Opportunities include:

Building the community Centre
- This ongoing project is intended to provide emergency shelter to families whose houses are unusable due to seasonal flash floods and mud slides. It is also intended to be a meeting place and cultural centre. The upper storey of the community centre will be a fair price shop.
Building a Fair Price Shop
- This ongoing construction will be housed in the community Centre. It will provide affordable, locally sourced and ecologically sound produce for local families. It will also keep money in circulation within the community.
Building latrines
- R.O.S.E. has researched and developed a twin tank composting toilet that is easy to build and maintain and yields a nutrient-rich compost that can safely be used in the fields. A grant in the 1980’s allowed R.O.S.E to construct 40 of these latrines in the Kanda community which was, and continues to be, a great success. In addition to sanitation, these latrines offer privacy to women who are dangerously taught to wait until the cover of night to relieve themselves, no matter how many hours away that may be. With adequate funds, R.O.S.E hopes to continue with this important project.
Eco developments
- R.O.S.E. supports the regeneration and improvement of the environment both directly and indirectly in all of its projects. Deforestation has led to erosion, low soil fertility and water shortages.

Internships
ROSE offers an opportunity for interns to work here on a voluntary basis (unpaid). Interns can gain skills through work in sustainable agriculture, rural development and construction.

Interns receive practical training from farmers, artisans and international students in a range of skills. In exchange for these learning opportunities, interns are expected to complete farm work, assist in teaching skills to shorter-term guests, develop training materials, and to assist with organisational and guest support.
Interns will gain practical skills from working with draft animals, using farm machinery and planting, cultivating and harvesting crop rotations. There is also the opportunity to learn about woodworking, metalworking and blacksmithing.

Construction interns learn both traditional and modern Indian construction techniques, while working on construction projects that will be of great benefit to the local community.

Location

Jeevan Verma
R.O.S.E.
Sunargaon, Kanda
Bageshwar-263631
Uttarakhand, India

By road: Make your way from Delhi to – Haldwani – Kathgodam – Almora – Bageshwar – Kanda and then to Sunargaon.

View on Google Maps

What you need

- Sleeping bag
- Mosquito repellent & repellent
- Torch
- Towel
- 1st aid kit
- Toilet paper

Accommodation & Amenities

Homestay with local village family. You will have a private room with a bed and mattress.
Bucket shower and indoor hand flushing squat toilet.
There is electricity.
Local kumaoni organic fresh cooked vegetarian food.
One time entry, administration and registration charges to cover the cost incurred by the organisation to set up yor placement: INR 6000 ($US 130.00).
INR 600 (US$13.00) per person per day.
This includes:
Boarding and lodging
Organic vegetarian breakfast, lunch & dinner
Evening tea with snacks
Clean and hygienic toilet facilities
Bathing bucket-shower facilities (shared)
This cost excludes:
Any expenses of a personal nature such as, phone calls, laundry, tips, portage,taxis etc.
Porters and guides are also available at an extra cost.