"Hello Teacher!" the rewards of volunteering in India

COUNTRY: India
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Car Work
WRITTEN BY: Cassy Miller-Crispe

Four planes, 5 taxis, 2 buses and a Tuk tuk later and I had arrived in Marjorda, Goa. Of course the journey straight to Goa would not have taken that long, however I chose to do some traveling before starting my Antips placement. Everyone had said to prepare for sensory overload upon arrival in India, and they were definitely not exaggerating! The sights, sounds, smell and feel of India hits you the moment you get off the plane. Sweet, sour and spicy smells come from each direction and you’re blown away by the chaotic nature of the roads.

The road to Goa turned from chaotic city roads to beautiful green landscapes dotted with houses and apartment buildings, some teeming with life, others abandoned, left to be recaptured by nature. Arriving at the camp, I was welcomed by a number of smiling staff members, each of whom introduced themselves and chatted happily to me. The camp itself surrounds a large green grassed area with hammocks and a volleyball court. It felt instantly welcoming and homely.

The rest of the volunteers arrived a few hours later, and we ate a delicious first meal of dhal together. After introductions were made, we had our orientation and learned of our placements. I would be working at the school for handicapped children.

The next day we were taken on a tour of the town, showing us the beach and markets, followed by a hindi lesson. For the next few days we began our placement in the morning, followed by activities in the afternoon, such as yoga lessons, a Bollywood dance class a cooking class, dinner with the host family and henna lessons, it’s safe to say we had a pretty busy week!

By far the most rewarding is turning up to school each day and seeing your students smile and say “hello Teacher”. They are excited you’re there and want to work with you, and each smile you receive makes you want to try even harder. Don’t get me wrong, its a big challenge to engage the students and keep the focused, but what would volunteering be without a challenge! Overall the beginning week has been incredible and I am looking forward to the next few weeks of placement!