The project is already over. I feel still a bit sad to be all alone again in this big country. Everybody went different places, to move on, sometimes in a new destination, sometimes to go back home.

In the last week of the project we finished painting the school. We finished a beautiful nature, vegetables and fruits wall with colourful and nice drawings of a carrot, a strawberry, a banana and many more. And also on other side of wall we made nice pictures of the numbers and the alphabet. It made the children laugh and everybody felt good about it. We also tried to finish the garden, but we couldn’t buy the banana plants, because the store was closed. The fence is ready now for the next FSL India Work Camp volunteers, who will have to finish planting the banana trees. I hope that will work out.

Of course we played and sang with the children. I saw one of the books where the children learn from. It was very special to see, because there were portions which I didn’t even understand. But it was interesting to know that children could understand. They are very smart! At the end some children sang for us and they danced. It was very beautiful. We all felt so sad to leave this nice place. But we are happy at least these children will not be forgotten. And they enjoyed our candies and cookies.

In addition to the work, we have done so many nice things. We went again to the neighbours, who were so nice to us. I even played a game of table tennis and on the last Thursday we went for shopping and later we went to a nice restaurant for a nice meal and a few drinks. And of course we went swimming again in ‘our own’ bath. Thanks also to Noorulla who was a great host for us.

I cannot say how much I have loved en enjoyed doing this project. I’m very happy that I have changed my plans, because I was not supposed to be here at all. I wanted to go earlier to Indonesia, which I will do now this Thursday. I will never forget the wonderful friends in this project: Ariane and Thomas from France, Justin, Stella and Tae Jin from South Korea, Laurance and Mylene from Canada, Erin from Canada and Prinson and Dinesh our top leaders. Thank you all again! Feeling a bit lonely but with a full heart of memories I will go on in my life. I will never forget this. Thanks to FSL India.

Karel the Dutchman