The volunteering experience as provided an excellent platform for intercultural learning to us. First of all, there is our work at the Community Seva Center, which offers the opportunity to get to know the way an NGO in India is working to us. The Community Seva Center tries to offer self-help to the „poorest of the poorest“ in the Kalvaryan Hills, a remote tribal area in the outskirts of Tamil Nadu, and in the villages around Pondicherry.

 

Both regions lack basic facilities like easy access to education, work and proper living conditions. The CSC tries to improve the situation of the people by doing „Seva“ for every generation. We had the chance to discover those various fields of work during the past five months. The most important project of the CSC are two schools in the Kalvaryan Hills, which enable children which would normally not have access to education to develop their skills, intellectual capacities and talents. Many preschools run by the CSC create a space for young children to do first steps of social interaction, to learn about basic English and the numbers and offer their parents to chance to work throughout the day. It was an amazing feeling to play with the children who were first scared of us but then started to take actively part in our games. Furthermore, the CSC is focusing on Women and tries to empower them in a sustainable way. We get the chance to visit several Women Self-help groups in which many young women gather to save money, ask for a bank-loan and finally start their own business. Some supplementary tailoring courses shall bring valuable skills to the women who then can start their own tailoring business. Besides those daily activities the CSC is trying to stage special events whenever the resources are there. Last December we could join a medical camp which was conducted by the CSC and the French organization „Mid-wifes without borders“. Throughout the camp we got an interesting insight into the CSC´s habit to collaborate with international stakeholders.

Part of our intercultural learning process is Indian culture which we experience for example throughout the festivals which take place during the year. The Pongal celebration which we experienced in the hills was fascinating for us: We could learn about traditions in Tamil Nadu like the Pongal cooking, the painting of the cow and the beautiful Kolams which shall invite Lakshmi to the houses of the people to bring wealth and luck to them. We learned how to drape the saree when we were in the hills and felt great happiness and pride to wear it after some first moments of feeling strange and different. Furthermore, we get to know the amazing hospitality which reigns in Tamil Nadu. Whenever we join SHG´s we are offered Milk Tea, fruits and sweets and are invited to watch the television along with the families. Last week, we visited our Indian friend Shanti in her house and were really happy to discover that family plays an important role in India: Six family members of her spent the afternoon with us and were quite open-minded and friendly. Afterwards, Shanti showed her church and favorite Hindu-temple to us. Throughout our yoga and Bharatanatyam lessons we learnt about Indian spirituality and dance practices. An important lesson about India for us is also to discover various changes in Indian society which globalization brought to this beautiful country: We sometimes see girls in Chennai wearing jeans and T-Shirt, fast food chains like KFC or McDonalds are mushrooming and there are so many bars and night-clubs in metropolis like Bangalore. All in all, we are enormously happy about all the experiences we could gain throughout our voluntary service and and are happy to have six months in India to remain.

Thank you FSL India!