AIPC Pandora meets FSL-India!

AIPC Pandora meets FSL-India!

From the 30th of June to the 20th of July, a team of 6 teens from Spain arrived in Bangalore, and started their summer camp journey with FSL-India.

The teen group, composed of Paul, Rosa, Martha, Pablo, Manuel and Raquel along with FSL-India’s Manjesh, delved deep into Indian life, with tasting the Indian dishes, riding in the local transport and experiencing the typical Indian lifestyle.

Right from the very beginning, the group had a very positive attitude towards Indian life and between the group of teens, a strong bonding was created.

The Spanish teens had the occasion to prepare meaningful activities relating to Health and Hygiene issues for the children of the orphanage in Bangalore. Moreover, they also could participate in the cultural visits at the temple and at the church, as well as in the Kundapur market, where they bought some special gifts to bring home.

The group reached FSL-India’s Centre for Experiential Living at Kundapura on the 5th, where a huge welcome was waiting for them. Here, the teens could relax, enjoy the peaceful surrounding, trying out special food and also interact with FSL-India’s long term volunteers Alex, Linda and Hanan.

A varied and special schedule was ready and waiting for them. First thing in the morning, they had a Yoga session, followed by a tasty Indian breakfast, and then in the afternoon, a tour of the Centre, while getting to know about the on-going projects.

The group involved themselves into agriculture work, planting vegetable seeds covered by leaves in order to keep them wet. Even when heavy rain was present almost every day because of the monsoon season, the group did not give up and they completed the work with a lot of enjoyment.

Moreover, a toilet construction was planned at Neralakatte Government School, so the group could participate in all the masonry procedures and helped in carrying the stones, as well as the cement for the base. Even if the work was hard and a lot of patience was needed, the teens worked very well, and the toilet structure was completed. After that, the best part was waiting for them: painting!

During one rainy day, the group helped in the paddy cultivation. Everybody took off their shoes and waded into the watery field. The rain was extra heavy that day and everybody was so wet while planting the rice plants, but all the hard work could not take the smile from their faces. An amazing lunch was waiting for them, featuring delicious chicken curry, served to them on banana leaves. This culinary experience was a ‘first’ for them and everybody recovered their energy very soon.

A surprise was waiting for the teens: a Host Family visit. Everybody was warmly welcomed by an Indian family, where they enjoyed themselves a lot while playing and having fun with the house parents and house siblings.

The teens honed their presentation skills while creating country presentations, debates on waste management and politics in multiple colleges and schools. The highlight was a climate action protest, where the group joined one hundred students to say and emphatic “no” to plastics. It was a powerful experience for all of them to speak up in the community.

The group had an amazing experience, as did all the students, teachers and schools they interacted with and everybody sadly left Kundapura, with a lot of memories and learnings to take back home.

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