Testimonials

Lillian (UK) shares her experience working at Mobile Crèches - an NGO providing services for the children of migrant contstruction workers:  
 

"My role at the crèche is to help teach them English, songs and crafts. Since I have been there I have seen them learn the days of the week and months in the correct order, count to a hundred and seen a massive improvement in their writing of the Roman script. It hasn’t been a huge progression but it has been noticeable and I am really proud of them.

On average at my crèche there are 90 children. It’s cozy to say the least but more bearable than I ever expected. After the initial fear the children have accepted and welcomed me partially into their lives. They are always pleased to see me, eager to learn new things and encourage me to join in their games. 
 

I have been having a wonderful time and I’ve gained so much. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world - I just hope the children have gained as much as I have." 
 

Mandy (UK) shares her initial reactions to the Community Volunteer Programme one month after arriving in India:  
 

Our first two weeks at Sangam was spent on an Event called ’International Patchwork’. This was a great way for us to get used to living at Sangam and the way things are done, to learn about and get used to Indian Culture and was also a really good way for us to get to know the other CVP participants and staff at Sangam. So we spent two weeks exploring Pune, trying out Indian crafts, buying and learning to tie Saris, making friends with everybody on the event, swapping badges etc. 

The CVP participants also took time out to visit the two organizations we would be working with and make final decisions as to where we would go. After lots of discussions we all finally decided on where we wanted to work. Lillian (UK) and Janet (Australia) would be going to Mobile Crèches, an organisation that works with the children of construction workers. Kristen (USA) and I would be working at ’Door Step School’ (DSS).

The main aim of DSS is literacy in which they employ many creative means to achieve this goal. One project they have is called ’School-on-Wheels’, which is literally a classroom on a bus, which means school can be brought to the doorstep of many street children and gives them a chance of some education. They also create programmes, which cater for children who can’t go to school, because they have to work and projects that help support children who have made it into mainstream school.  

So after two weeks holiday it was now time for us all to get to work! Kristen and I set off to the head office for a meeting to sort out where we would best fit. For me it took the meeting and a few trial days to sort out what I would be doing, but we got there in the end! Due to a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Qualification I had gained back in September, I was interested in doing some English Teaching. So we thought the best thing would be for me would be to work at a Study Centre which helps support children who have made it into mainstream school.  

At the centre I help the children with their English homework and hold English classes, which mainly serve to help build up their confidence in speaking English. Especially since my Marathi (the local language) skills are very small! I also give lessons to the staff at the centre, who are very eager to improve their English. I am also teaching them basic computer skills.  

Now being in my forth week of work and am all settled in, I am thoroughly enjoying it. The children love learning my silly Guiding songs, pointing out India and the UK on the World Map and love laughing at me trying to say Marathi words (Then I hit them with the ’th’ sound, and they giggle even more). They seem to really be enjoying the Christmas theme and songs. The teachers are very friendly and are very willing to laugh at themselves and each other which makes the lessons much more interesting!  

I find I’m learning a lot, not only about English teaching and teaching in general, but I’m getting an even deeper understanding of the Indian Culture that I would never get on a holiday here.  

Being able to have the experience at a World Guide Centre is making the whole thing that much better. I have the support of everyone here if things go wrong, a quite haven to retreat to if the hustle and bustle of India gets too much. But most importantly I have so many opportunities to meet Girl Guides and Girl Scouts from all over the world, when people come over for events here or even when we have Independent Guests who pass through on their travels. 

All in all I feel extremely lucky the have been able to have this opportunity!

Kristen (USA) shares her experiences in India with Door Step School. 

“Over these few months I saw things I couldn’t have imagined, met people whose lives are about as different from mine as is possible. I grappled the concepts of arranged marriages and castes, learned about Vishnu, Kali, Shiva, Brahma, Ganesha and the caste of thousand gods and religions of this land. I ate with my fingers, took off my shoes, learned the head-wobble and perfected my squat. I have understood in these few months that there is always room for my eyes to be just a little wider open.”

I was a volunteer at the Door Step School.  I would like to relay some of my experiences: 

Right from the start DSS was receptive to my interests and what I had to offer the organization.  They matched my talents and interests to projects within the organization.  They ensured success by giving me ownership and responsibility for the projects, as well as assigning supportive staff to work with me on completion of the projects.

I worked both on a beadwork project at the Laman Tanda Community and a few graphic projects including a brochure and pictorial dictionary.  I appreciated how my ideas for these were taken seriously and every effort was made to fulfill the projects and carry them on in the future.  As a result we have developed a very marketable product – Spec Savers, which we are currently working on marketing them here and abroad.  I enjoyed working with the Lamani girls, but the language and culture was something of a barrier and at times I felt I was taking up more of the staff’s time than I was contributing.  Regardless, the program is functioning and the girls are coming to classes and taking home beadwork which they get paid for. To date we have sold around 150 chains with some in Mumbai and London being sold on commission.

My experience working at the Door Step School is something I will always treasure.  I am indebted to the staff for mentoring me in my work here.  They helped me understand the day to day workings of an Indian NGO, as well as my generally understanding of Indian culture – many of the most interesting details I learned over lunchtime.

In addition to being excellent mentors for me, the women I have worked with have become friends. We have shared a commitment to our work, laughs, dreams, disappointments and all things that make life rich and wonderful.

There is no finer staff than that of the DSS, working for the poorest and most educationally disenfranchised children of Bombay and Pune who have everything to gain from the efforts of the DDS administrative staff and teachers. I know the work done here will contribute to the forward motion of , as the great country it is, and the even greater one it is destine to become. Thank you for a chance to be a part of it, it has been my privilege.

This experience would not have been so positive without the support of Sangam and the guiding community.  There are plenty of volunteer programs around, but the support and forethought that went into this program was really an important part of my over all success and sense of accomplishment here.  Thanks to all the staff and volunteers at Sangam, who helped me acclimate and we there when I wanted to share my joys and frustrations.

I hope this program will continue for many, many years.