My Volunteer experience in India
Hey, my name is Morten, and I’m 19 years old. I’ve embarked on a volunteering journey to India. It all started with a long flight from Frankfurt to Mumbai and then to Mangalore. There, a friendly FSL staff member picked me up at the airport and drove me to Kundapur. The first thing I noticed stepping out of the airport was the intense heat and humidity. During the drive to Kundapur, I quickly realized that traffic rules in India aren’t as strictly followed as in Germany, leading to chaotic road situations.
Upon arriving in Kundapur, I was warmly welcomed by my host family, who served me a delicious chai and let me relax in bed. They were kind, making sure I felt at home during my first few days. The next day, I started my first seminar in India to learn more about the country and receive essential information for my stay. I had to do the seminar alone since I arrived later than the other volunteers, but the FSL staff members were very supportive.
After the seminar, I embarked on two long bus journeys in sleeper buses to Pondicherry, where my project awaited. We had a stopover in Bangalore, where I got to meet more people from the FSL office. Upon arrival in Pondicherry, I was picked up a bit late by my project contact person and taken to the project site. There, I was warmly greeted by the children at the Boys Home, where I would be working in the coming months.
My project involves the Boys/Girls Home and the Gypsy/Tribal Camp. In the Boys/Girls Home many children from difficult family backgrounds or poorer conditions live there. We help them with their daily live, schoolwork and accompany them to the government school they attend daily by bus. In the Gypsy/Tribal Camp, we are currently renovating the school building and building a playground to provide educational opportunities for the children there in the future.
Upon arrival, I also met the other German volunteer with whom I share accommodation. We got along well, and he showed me our room. After such a tiring journey, I fell into bed straight away. The next day, I was introduced to the entire project and all the people involved.
A typical day starts early at 7 a.m. when we look after the children before they head off to school. Then, we focus on the work at the Gypsy Camp, where we are renovating the school to enable future volunteers to teach there. Living conditions in the Gypsy village are challenging, with residents lacking essential resources like food, electricity, and adequate hygiene facilities.
In the Gypsy Camp, you experience firsthand the poverty of the people and realize how crucial our work is to provide these children with education for a better future.
After work around 1 or 2 PM, we have lunch. Often, I have free time until the children return from school. At 5:00 PM, we spend an hour playing with the children, trying to speak a lot of English with them and also learning Tamil. There are many games we play like Carrom, table tennis, cricket, and more. At 6:00 PM, study time begins where we often work on math assignments with the children until dinner.
The food at the project sometimes tastes good to me, sometimes not so much. It’s often spicy, which I don’t mind, but I miss the fresh ingredients that are sometimes lacking in Indian cuisine. I appreciate the flexibility of the project where you can contribute in different ways, like cooking for the children, which is a lot of fun.
Being flexible is crucial because there are often spontaneous changes in plans and communication can be challenging. Everything moves a bit slower here, but over time, you notice positive changes, especially in the children. Many become less aggressive and argumentative, traits they picked up from poor upbringing where clear rules were lacking, and physical punishment was common.
Over time, you see many children actively participating in schoolwork and better interactions among them. Of course, this process takes time and patience.
Working on the project can often be challenging but is possible. However, you have to be prepared that many people here are not as punctual with schedules and you need to adapt.
Now, let me tell you about life in Pondicherry.
There are many delicious restaurants with affordable prices, and you’ll find a juice stand on every corner. There are also restaurants offering non-Indian cuisine and restaurant chains familiar from home. The beach is nearby and definitely worth a visit.
There are plenty of recreational activities like soccer clubs, cinemas, street food markets, and more. Unfortunately, there are issues with waste disposal, so you often see trash in rivers and on streets. This is a common problem in India.
Traveling in India
After some time in the project, my project partner, another volunteer, and I planned a trip up north. We visited many cities like Mumbai, Udaipur, Jaipur, Delhi, Agra, and more. The long train and bus journeys were exhausting for me, so I recommend choosing AC trains/ buses. Trains can get very crowded. During our trip, we met many friendly people but also encountered some challenges like being asked to pay higher prices for tuk-tuk rides and constantly being approached to buy things.
If you can handle these challenges, I definitely recommend traveling through India. You get to experience many beautiful cities and diverse cultures. India varies greatly from region to region, offering something new to learn each time, whether it’s food, language, clothe, landscapes and more.
Overall, I’ve had both good and bad experiences in India. However, the positives have outweighed the negatives for me, and I’ve had a greate time here. It’s important to be flexible and adapt to the conditions. In the project, patience and dedication are key, but you also see the long-term impact of your work.
I hope my blog article could give you a brief overview of my time in India so far.
Thank you.