My Time in India

I have spent the last 2 months volunteering with Tamilnadu Village Outreach in Mamammalapuram in Southern India. I have spent the majority of my time working at Tuition schools where TVO are operating after school programmes. I also worked at a local primary school where I was teaching standards 4 and 5. TVO has sponsored four students to attend this school. I was also involved to some extent to other projects that the TVO are undergoing, including a mobile library project, water purification centre, and an embroidery project.

I have had an absolutely amazing time in India. The work that the charity is doing is wonderful and they are really working with the poorest of the poor in the region.

So what exactly was I doing? The majority of my time I spent teaching English to primary school students in after school programmes at several tuition centres that the charity funds. The kids I found to be very eager to learn and the work was very rewarding.

Where exactly was I? The charity is based in Mamallapuram which is about an hours drive from the major city of Chennai. It is a really friendly and safe place. There is a tourist trade here for sure, so the chance to have a beer and have a social life after a solid days work is very much possible. Also it is located on the coast so you can spend your weekends on the beach taking in the local scenery.

Who was I working with? The charity is operated by John Degler from America. John has been in India for 10 years. He welcomed me into his operation with great kindness and the work he is doing is making a huge difference. He has a vast amount of local knowledge and through his work I have had an unforgettable Indian experience.

Accommodation and Getting Around: I stayed with John and Janikaraman in his place in Mamallapuram. I had my own private room with bathroom at the top of the building and even had a sea view. It was great and very conveniently located for local restaurants and shops.
In terms of getting around I used share autos (shared minivan taxis that will take you where you want to go for around 10 cent) and local buses. Transport in general is very cheap. I found it a little bit daunting at the beginning but after a week I had no problems.

When I arrived in India I knew very little of Indian culture. All I knew was I wanted to spent time in India. The day I arrived I was straight into the thick of it, visiting one of local villages where the charity were distributing some clothing. There was traditional dancing, singing, food and the welcome I received was always with a big smile. Again the people here I found to be so friendly. After 2 months here I feel very lucky to have such an amazing trip in a place so rich in culture, music, colour, and diversity.

Overall I have absolutely loved my time working with John and TVO here in Mammalpuram. The work that is being done is fantastic and is making a huge difference to many peoples lives. I have been amazed by India and have kind of fallen in love with the place. The people, the colour, the warm smiles you get every day, I have loved it all! I will really look back very fondly on my time here and I am already making plans to return. If you are reading this contemplating spending some time in this part of the world my advice would be Go for it!!!