We recently asked volunteers in our mid- to long-term volunteering (MLTV) projects what they appreciated about India, and received some interesting responses. We share them with you here, to give you a glimpse of what you might enjoy in India:

‘I appreciate…

• The Indian people their open- minded and caring way of treating us volunteersThe chance to live in a family to get to know the culture quite closely
• Yoga
• Helping people
• Delicious food
• Happiness of the children when we play
• Relaxed way of living
• Development
• Social contacts
• Culture (food, way of living)
• Flexibility
• Friendly/ open minded Indian people

These impressions were captured in our get together (GTG) in the month of October.

What is a GTG?

Mid- to long-term volunteering (MLTV) engagements last from 1 month to 1 year. It is often a transformative, yet challenging period for volunteers, as it requires them to be away from home for an extended period of time in a culture and country not familiar to their own. At FSL-India we aim to provide constant support throughout this period, organizing GTGs each month, where MLTV volunteers meet for discussions and experience sharing. Some activities are also motivational exercises and help the volunteers to overcome challenges. The GTGs in October took place in Pondicherry and Kundapur.

Intercultural exchange is often a key point of focus in many discussions that take part in the GTGs. In October, for example, country presentation was one of the major activities of the GTG in Pondicherry. Here, volunteers talked about their country and highlighted their culture; it is a particularly interesting experience for children and close to 60 of them viewed the presentations.