Seva Ashram

A fact is that travelling with an organization makes the overall process of planning your trip so much simplest than doing it by yourself. Volunteering means that you will not be paid in money ... Nevertheless, it also means that you are going to learn, to share, to grab experiences, to acquire references, etc. I have been placed in a child care program with 141 girls (from five to seventeen years old), and five staff members who also live on site all year long. It takes a quick period to adapt, but you rapidly get involved into their daily rhythm. Shower time, prayer, sweeping the ground with branches, make-up time, serving food, laundry, vegetables cutting, pulling buckets out of the well ... playing games with rocks, singing, dancing, reading English stories ... having fun and creating links with people.

My critic is more something that you should be aware of: Rome was not built in a day; be patient. When you notice something that you think could be improved by working in a different way ... sometimes new ideas are not welcomed. People are comfy in their lifestyle and are not necessarily willing to change and to be taught by a volunteer who passes by. What about me? After having spent six weeks with 141 girls, I feel like if I had learned a lot about humanity and the real richness and poverty.

Tip: If you are a woman travelling into India, I recommend that you carry a handful of safety pins!