In retrospect my decision to go to India and become a volunteer was quite spontaneous. And now Ican say: “that was the best decision I could have ever made!“ Throughout my time here in India I experienced so many things. It was full of fun, people, trips,music, colours, festivals and more. There also used to be tough times in which I struggled. But I never felt left alone. There were other volunteers helping me, who I could talk to. And…
We were in Mysore, India, last weekend with Mr. Dinesha. We met him at the railway station and took the overnight train. We checked in at the guest house to get some sleep for a couple of hours. Then we visited the Shri Chamundeshwari temple in the morning and got to experience the first temple visit of our lives. There was a local guy who showed us the temple and explained the rituals and customs of the temple. So, we…
My time in India was very wonderful. I got to meet very nice people and learn a lot about India and about myself. The project where I worked and lived gave me this opportunity. I am working in an agricultural project. The project belongs to the Mount Rosary Institute, a Catholic organisation. Here, they grow coconut and arecanut trees as well as various plants from beautiful flowers to vegetables like ladyfingers and cucumbers. This place is very peaceful and nice….
It has been 20 years (2003-2023) since we have been a host family of more than 50 volunteers for long-term and short-term projects from various countries. It is really nice to exchange cultures. We are still in contact with many of our volunteers; we call or message each other, we send wishes to each other on special occasions, and some of them even visit us after a few years. We really miss each one of them and hope to meet…
The January started off quite well. I was visiting Goa with a couple of other LTV volunteers over New Years, therefore spent my first days of the year in good company and surrounded by happy people. When I returned home, there was lots of work in the schooling project‚ Arivu School’ to do since I was going to perform for‚ Arivu Habba‘, the biggest celebration so far in my project. I was practicing traditional Indian music with a couple of…
Going to India with FSL brought me so much of joy, adventure and growth!It gave me the chance to experience a hell lot of things, in a safe environment and with the right preparation. Whether it was going on my first chaotic bus rides, moving in with my host family, struggling with the language or getting on my first weekend trips. There were always people that supported me, that had prepared me or that were waiting for me to discuss…
How can I describe my last 6 months here in India? Here I have gone through thehighest highs and lowest lows of my life. I can still remember how my host fatherpicked me up from the bus stop. I was so excited for my host family and new home.But the fear was unfounded. I received a very warm welcome from my host familywith food and a string of flowers. My host family consists of the parents, my twoyounger host brothers…
My time in India was overwhelmingly wonderful, diverse and challenging. Never in my life have I been pulled out of my comfort zone so many times and never in my life have I grown and evolved so much as an individual. I spent 10 months living with an amazing and super loving host family in Kundapura who became very close to my heart. My project was working in a primary school, mostly teaching basic english and maths in the most…
I’ve always believed that nothing shapes a person better than sports. It teaches discipline, leadership and much more.. But most importantly it teaches us to accept and learn from failures. To know that we’ve played a small part in imparting these qualities in the kids, warms my heart!It was amazing to see that all of kids were interested to take part in one or the other games. The zeal they displayed throughout the event, across two weeks, is something that…
On Wednesday, 11th September 2019, I got a call asking if I’d like to go to Christ University to take part in an exhibition. The first thing that came up to my mind was, “That must be fun”, but I was also worried about getting there. 2 1/2 hours, 35 kms, for the first time on my own. Back in Germany, it would take us about 30 to 40 minutes. No big deal. As expected many people were willing to…