Volunteer Voice: ‘Discovering myself through India’
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.
I am working alongside one worker and right now one other volunteer. Therefore, we are doing many different tasks and contributing much to the project.
Through my work, I learned many things about agriculture. I also learnt a lot about religion especially Christianity, as I am living next to a convent of the Catholic organisation, which my project belongs to.
A really nice family is living next to our house. They are very wonderful people. Through them I learnt much about the Indian culture. I will surely miss them when I am gone.
One thing I probably with hindsight missed was that I didn’t live in a host family. Because then I would have got to know the Indian culture much more directly as I would have seen the everyday life of Indian people. Also I would had have been forced out of my comfort zone by living in a new environment of an Indian family.
But still I am very grateful to live in an accommodation and not in a host family. In this way I got more independent and was very free in going out and doing things.
Additionally I feel very happy that I was able to travel to different places in India. I experienced beautiful landscapes and met really nice people.
Overall my stay in India was very educational as I learnt a lot about India, its people and culture and also learnt about myself. I am really grateful to have had this opportunity.