A brief history
Kerala Link was founded in 2001 as a very small charity organisation by volunteer Caroline who, together with her family, previously lived in Kerala for 5 years, overseeing the work of the charity there. Kerala Link was registered by the Charity Commission in the UK (Registered Charity No. 1096687), was run by a small team of dedicated trustees and other volunteers from the UK, and a branch office was established in Kerala with one employee.
To mark the 10th anniversary of KL UK, the UK trustees decided to shift the entire operation of KL to Kerala itself - they felt decisions could be more easily made locally, funds apportioned more easily and therefore establishing a local trustee body made sense. Hence Kerala Link India, registered as a local Indian trust, was born in 2011, with charitable aims identical to those of KL UK. For the time being, the two trusts are running side by side, with the aim of winding up KL UK once KL India is fully established.
Caroline, although stepping down as a UK trustee, will continue her role as International Volunteer Coordinator for KL India.
Kerala Link's work
Kerala Link works in partnership with just two organisations in Kerala, Jyothis Special School in Mavelikara and the Sevika Sanghom Women's Centre in Thiruvalla. As we work on such a small scale we can ensure our volunteers are very well informed and that our placements are extremely well-run. We have excellent relationships with our partner organisations and can readily adapt our programmes to suit their changing needs.
Kerala Link is proud to have a wonderful local Volunteer Coordinator, Kerala Link's only employee, based in Thiruvalla, Kerala, who is the first point of contact in-country for all volunteers.
