In the month of September 2019, FSL India hosted 16 Long Term Volunteers from Germany at our CEL (Centre for Experiential Living). The volunteers underwent different practical, theoretical and outdoor sessions for their successful journey in India and actively took part in each session.

The sessions included conflict management, roles and responsibilities, culture and Indian life style, safety guidelines, information and project introduction and also, preparation with their coordinators. The roles and responsibilities session started with asking questions on the definition of volunteerism. Energisers and group bonding games were a lot of fun during the Orientation. Every evening, we organised different events for the exchange of ICL (intercultural learning) like Henna application and watching a Bollywood movie.

We also had a Peace session, where all our volunteers meditated for a short while, with meditation music softly playing in the background. We turned out the lights and asked them to share their definition of peace in the form of a drawing. All the drawings were put up on our Peace Wall, to remind us of what peace means to different individuals. We also took them on a cultural tour and showed them the local sights, in their free time.

In the second part of the session, our volunteers went on a project visit to a nearby local school and they presented their country by preparing charts. They also taught the children some games and songs. The volunteers enjoyed their time with the children and said it was a lot of fun.

In the afternoon, our volunteers were asked to discuss their roles and responsibilities towards different stake holders, i.e. FSL India, their project and HF. After the volunteers’ presentation, FSL India’s facilitator presented the Roles and Responsibilities of our Coordinator, Project and HF towards the volunteers. We assured our volunteers of our guidance, feedback, enough work, support, food, safety and constant support to make their journey in India a memorable one.

Volunteers’ feedback:

• Good vibes
• Best kitchen gang
• Loving atmosphere
• Awesome time at CEL
• Thank you CEL
• Thanks for your kindness
• Positivity
• Exhausting but exciting