I’m Johann, and I am 20 years old. I’m in Pondicherry, India with FSL India for my volunteering experience.

In September 2023, I landed in India with two other volunteers. Immediately after arriving in Kundapur, we were taken to a party where we were warmly welcomed. In general, you can say that most of the Indians I have met so far have been very friendly and helpful.

I was placed in a project close to Pondicherry, together with one more volunteer. Our project is run by an organization Centre for Environment and Agricultural Development (CEAD), which aims to empower deprived sections of the society like farming communities, through promotion of skill development and education.

In the beginning, my main tasks were to water plants and transfer them into grow bags, to do weeding and cleaning soil. Our project runs a college for agriculture and horticulture. Since the students do not know much English, another volunteer and I started to take English lessons, sometimes.

Our first project was to draw signs with slogans like “don’t waste food” and “switch off the lights for the canteen in our house (the college students come to our house 3 times a day, to eat). In future I would like to plant my own plants, like aloe vera and any sorts of cereals. I had really different experiences from what I knew so far, and also, life in a rural area is new to me.

In my current Voluntary Year, I am also in the middle of the wealth of cultural festivals and exposure to traditions. Every day, I experience a variety of celebrations. These festivities and traditions make my association FSL India particularly a lively time.

The colourful stories, customs and traditions that I discover not only shape my current experiences, but also influence my view of the world. The different cultural festivals and traditions not only open up new perspectives for me, but also enrich my own cultural horizons. It is fascinating to see how these celebrations not only strengthen communities but also keep cultural identities alive. My current volunteering experience with FSL India is therefore a unique journey through different cultural worlds, which not only deepens my understanding of cultural diversity but also promotes my appreciation for the importance of traditions in society.

For example, in the beginning we went to seek ration with our boss or we were invited to Dasara from FSL India to watch it in a cordoned off area. This was very interesting because we were able to take a closer look at everything in peace. In general, we are taken to a lot of parties here and we are introduced to a lot of new people. Like right now, for example, it was just Diwali. That day the boss gave us a lift from another volunteer. We were just at the birthday party of the Chief Minister of Pondicherry. Afterwards we went to our farm and got something to eat there. At the end we watched the fireworks from a roof terrace.