Everything was amazing! Cultural week was very interesting and I really enjoy it, it was a nice introduction to a different culture. Volunteering was amazing: volunteering with the elderly was so rewarding. In the afternoon I volunteered with the slum kids, which was another great experience.

Local team was wonderful. Harseerat and Kallyan are so nice and helpful. They supported me during volunteering (they volunteered with me, and you can see how the kids and the elderly love them), and they helped me to experience all aspects of the local culture (food experiences included!). I was the only volunteer but I never felt alone.

Food was delicious, always fresh and varied.
Accomodation is amazing, not only the house/room, but the location as well. I have really loved this program, keep on!

Pickup was amazing and safe driving. Felt quite secure. Very yummy food. For someone who can’t handle much spice, the cook did a great job to cater to our needs. Maybe a salad but that’s just me.Outside of vol, I would relax at the house, explore around the streets to get supplies, laundry and atm. To the gym after 6pm. In free time, have a chill and look around the area a bit more as well. Such inviting environments, with the loveliest people/ children. To be able to try and brighten their day feels quite rewarding.

During the first week, we painted cages at an animal shelter called Welfare for Animals in Goa. We had a cook who would make amazing local meals. On weekends we were free to go out and explore the state. During the second and third weeks of my visit I was painting rooms in a compound for adults with intellectual disabilities. I was able to meet a lot of local people as well as other volunteers from the same program and other programs. The coordinator was very helpful, although it was difficult for me because there were no other volunteers present for most of my stay. The food was almost always delicious, and I was thoroughly exposed to popular dishes in Goa as well as general India. The house we stayed in was quite nice and met all the requirements for comfort.

Highlights:

– Learning about the project and seeing first hand the good work it’s doing for its local community
– Getting to know some of the truely devoted teachers, volunteers and of course the inspirational and dedecated Director, Dherendra
– Singing, dancing with the special kids and experiencing the pure and innocent joy and hopefullness of all the children at the school.
– Getting to meet and know Monique. Love her spirit and can do, seemingly casual approach. I’m pretty sure there’s a lot of hard work in the background that
Monique shelters the volunteers from.
– Getting to know more culturally about the Bihar.
– Cooking with Emala (our cook). Always keep in “good” with the cook 😉

Many warm wishes Maria 🙂 x