Guidelines for Volunteers

Welcome to Sarvodaya Suwasetha Nutrition Centre!

In this information letter you can find all the needed information about the Nutrition Centre.

There are four groups in this Centre:

• The toddler group: Children from 2 and 3 years old
• The baby group: Children between 6 months and 2 years
• The baby group: Babies between 0 and 6 months
• The toddler group: Children from 2 and 3 years old

There is free play between 9 – 11 am. In this period the children play inside or outside.
All the toys are organized in boxes with pictures of the toys in them. The children can choose a
maximum of two boxes at a time and when they have finished playing, the toys have to be sorted out
and put back in the right boxes again.
Between 9 – 11 am there is also the possibility to do other activities with the children. In the group you
can find two boxes filled with creative materials.

There is also the possibility to offer the children puzzles and books to play with.
For all these kind of activities we highly recommend to do it in small groups on the table. This way it is
easier to give the children some individual guiding.

For the rest of the day the caretakers appreciate it if you help them in feeding, washing and dressing the
children, cleaning soiled nappies during the whole day and cleaning the group after meals.
The children sleep between 12 noon to 3 pm. At 7 pm they go to bed again after having their dinner.

The baby group: Children between 6 months and 2 years:
There is free play between 9 – 11.30 a.m. It is important to get the children out of bed so that children
can all play on the floor during this period. Sometimes they go outside to play.
Between 9 – 11 a.m. there is also a possibility to do creative activity with the children, again, in small
groups. You can use the creative materials from the toddler group.

For the rest of the day the caretakers appreciate it if you help them with feeding, washing and dressing
the children, cleaning soiled nappies during the whole day and cleaning the group after meals.
Between 12 noon to 3 p.m. the children are sleeping. At 7 p.m. the children have their dinner and after
dinner they go to sleep.

When it is not sleeping time, and children are not tired, it is important to let them all play on the floor. The baby group: Babies between 0 and 6 months:

In this group the feeding and sleeping times are different for each baby. In general, most of the babies
sleep when needed, but they always go to bed between 12 noon and 3 p.m.
When the babies awake, it is important to take them out of bed, cuddle them and let them play on the
floor.

It is also important to feed the babies while sitting on the couch with them, instead of feeding them
while they lay in bed. This way, they get some extra physical attention.
Also, in this group the caretakers appreciate it if you help them with washing, feeding and dressing the
children, cleaning soiled nappies during the whole day and clean the group after meals.

Expectations:

There are a few activities the caretakers expect from the volunteers:
• Proper clothing, meaning shoulders and knees covered.
• They appreciate it if you help them with feeding, washing and dressing the children, cleaning
soiled nappies during the whole day and cleaning the group after meals.
• They appreciate it also if you come up with innovative ideas to do creative and other activities
with the children.
• It is important to always discuss your plans with the caretakers first.
• It is not necessary that you have to be with just one group the whole day. You can walk around
sometimes to see where you are needed for help.