Diverse, intoxicating, engaging – these words describe India on the first sight, very good for me.

I’ve never been to a country, where, depending where you are, the landscape, the culture itself, the food and the whole life is so different and still the same. That’s why I was completely overpowered when I arrived. Everything was loud, everything was colorful and everything was full. To be honest, this can be quite exhausting, so I was quite happy when I arrived in my project because, of course there is also the Indian Life, but it is also a bit structured and quieter.

My project is an orphanage at Chennai, where I live together with my project partner Veronika Michel, in a newly built retirement home, which is also part of the campus. Our everyday life starts already in the morning. We supervise the children during their duty time, where they have to do small jobs like sweeping or go for a walk with the dog. Afterwards, we learn with the children if a test is due or play until it is time for the breakfast, where we help to serve the food.

Then, we go to school with the van, and we usually have free time until we pick up all children in the afternoon again. Once done, we play outside, then it’s teatime, and snacks are distributed before the study time starts. The study time lasts one and a half hours a day, and we support the children in English and Math.

I enjoy especially teaching Math, and it astonishes me over and over again how much one can communicate with each other without a common language to speak. Because, even though the children have made real progress in English over the months and I also understand more and more Tamil, fluent conversation is still very difficult. But, despite everything, the communication works and I’m totally happy when I realise that they’ve understood something new, or we can laugh or joke together.

But now, on to the daily routine. After the study time, we pray together and eat subsequently. Afterwards – that is usually at around 9 pm – the children have to go to bed and our workday is usually over.

So, the daily routine, but added on is the Sunday worship in their own church on the campus, as well as the children there and also, often on Saturday, have no school, so that we can spend even more time with them. So, we have, for example, already done a lot of handicraft things, written a play together and rehearsed it, baked and decorated German biscuits with them, and designed a wall together.

In addition to life in the project, I also experience a lot on my travels, because everyday life there is so different and so exciting. For instance, I’ve been diving in the Andamans, swimming in the sea, hiking in the mountains, or riding a camel in the desert. It never gets boring, and even if I am always looking forward to a new journey, I will still miss my new home here in India and I am glad when someday, I will see my new family again.

All in all, I have experienced and seen so much this year and this country has shaped me extremely and I hope it won’t be the last time that I will experience this country.