|
|
|
Karen Higgins
3 Month Gap Year in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal
I think every first time traveler has a generous dose of last minute jitters. At least that is what I told myself as I finished flinging all the final bits and pieces into my backpack
The last few hours had been a hectic babble of neurotic check lists and flying garments - what should I pack? What do I really need? Real Gap were really good at answering my last minute quibbles, and were particularly efficient in organizing the extra accommodation that I would be needing at the end of the first project. As a first time traveler it felt really good to know I had an official point of contact should I need it.
Now all of a sudden, I had been released from worry by the deadline which roused the anxieties, taking its form in the shape of my flight check in counter. It was then that I waved goodbye to nervous trepidation, my old administration job, and my old life. Past this point I felt no need to look back, and I nestled comfortably into the role of traveler, animated by the potential adventures ahead of me.
My excitement was not in vain, and this occurred to me as I took my first steps into the balmy night skies of Mumbai. My lingering intrigue as to who, if anyone, would be waiting to pick me up was promptly answered. Krishan and Neel project coordinator and campsite chef respectively, rescued my abject attempts to navigate the new world I had found. They were young, and quite shy, which endeared me to them immediately. We climbed inside one of the notorious bumble bee taxis, containing a bare footed, pocket sized driver, who at 3.30 a.m, had been sleeping in his vehicle along side his numerous colleagues in wait for the business a bedraggled tourist like myself might provide. The drive to our hotel enclosed with it a tour which enriched me with the broken charm of Mumbai streets by night. Ambient prosperity glowed from neon lights on one corner, while wretched beggars, strewn rubbish, and wild dogs epitomized the others. I was mesmerized! and immediately seduced by the character colour and smells.
The project was exactly as I had anticipated, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There is plenty of choice once you arrive in Goa as to where and what you want to teach. They range from English, and I.T, to Arts and crafts. You can choose between working in the slums or at the orphanage, with the elderly, or in the hospital. I was on the four week project, and decided to put my retired drawing skills to good use by contributing to arts and crafts teaching. The children really seemed to enjoy the classes and it wasn't long before I'd fallen in love with them. I was situated at Colva beach resort amongst fellow volunteers. The accommodation was simple but extremely welcoming and perfectly comfortable. The staff were so welcoming and did everything to make us feel at home. We were right on the beach which was an obvious bonus, with typically scenic postcard views. The hardest thing to deal with was the sweltering heat and humidity brought by the mid May sun, the electric fans in our rooms were a blessing, and true suffering was relegated to the (all be it) frequent, but usually swift, power failures.
This project is a fantastic opportunity for anybody interested in teaching or working with children, but also offers a most rewarding experience for anyone who wants to muck in and repay some of the kindness so generously bestowed on them by the community. The opportunity to travel and become more immersed in the culture seemed endless. I spent the night at a Hindu village in Rajmachi, eating traditional Dhal, and watching the women cook on clay stoves and open fires. We even got the opportunity to gatecrash a traditional Indian wedding there! I also enjoyed shopping for a salwar kameez in Lonavla, a town just south of Mumbai, Trekking through the Rajmachi jungle, visiting the yoga Ashram, weekend trips in Goa to places such as Panaji, Old Goa, Palolem beach, and even an independent de-tour to Delhi. The only downfall was the little amount of time I had in relation to the number of places to be explored. None the less, I had by the end consumed a satisfying slice of India, but one that left me salivating for more.
The next project awaited my arrival, however, and I began orphanage work in Sri-Lanka. Understandably the children here were considerably poorer than most I had worked with in Goa. They were all adorable, and many so serene considering the plethora of violent history among them. Some were not technically orphans, merely rejected by their parents for surprisingly various reasons. The most frequent being lack of finance and abuse.
Little Sanni was a memorable example. His reluctant smile caught my heart strings and pulled them hard. He was about six years old, and already his back was a detailed maze of scars. Blisters grew on his face from eating wild cashew nuts which reacted against him. This seemed to draw more attention to his beaten countenance. He was a deeply affected boy, and for a long time neither words nor utterances left his poor mouth. Sanni was notably isolated from the others and he kept us all behind a shield of smiling silence. He was an enigma; a little boy lost who had been beaten into his own obscurity.
The simplest gestures worked the best with him. Each day me and the other girls who worked along side me would offer him our hand, call his name with joyful intonation, or simply wait for him to correspond. Our unassuming patience was highly rewarded. At first it was by a few solemn murmurs, then a latching of the hand, and eventually by a musical eruption of singhalese chatter, and a new enthusiasm given to playing and scrapping with the other lads. His progress was truly astonishing, and we had done barely anything to achieve it. This happened to be my defining moment, when I truly understood the value of volunteering! My favorite memory is without doubt the first day I heard Sanni speak.
Nepal provided a very similar opportunity for gratification. I chose my placement to be in Lakeside Pokhara, near the town. I could have chosen almost anywhere, from the remote village of Langtang, to the hustle bustle of Kathmandu itself. The camaraderie between fellow volunteers here was fantastic. You meet so many like minded people. It really is a fantastic way to make friends, and as with all of my given projects it was almost impossible to be lonely. I shared my time between working in a newly set up orphanage, and the local high school. Both experiences were exhilarating, but quite different. It goes without saying that my presence at the orphanage felt the most worth while. I helped out with two other girls who did a fantastic job of getting a routine off the ground and successfully running. It was by no means an easy task! We dealt mainly with street children some of whom had addictions to glue and other drugs. They were however the most affectionate children I had met in my whole duration abroad, and it was absolutely heartbreaking to leave them.
Teaching in the school was a brilliant chance to practice lesson planning, and at the same time to learn how to think on my feet. I would often be thrown into a math's or social science class, and not have a clue what they had been learning until entering the lesson. It was scary at first, but I soon got used to it. My main tactics were teaching through games like hangman, pictionary, sudoku and word association activities, as well as singing of course. My favorite moment here was teaching class six A the entire first verse and chorus of “Don't look back in anger” by Oasis. An English band, I stipulated, and none of this fifty cent and Britney spears malarkey. These acts are currently very popular in Nepal. I would frequently emerge from classes with mild tinnitus, but the buzz you get from forty minutes of chaos and charming students makes it so worth while.
Both in Sri-Lanka and Nepal my home stay experiences were so much better than I had expected. Once you get your head around the Dahl Bhat and squat toilets you're set to go. The families were so kind and so helpful encouraging us to speak the language and always making sure we were comfortable and ok. In Sri-Lanka we even ended up referring to our hosts as “mamma” and “papa” because we felt so at home, and were treated just like daughters. The staff on all of my projects were outstanding. Our project coordinator in Sri-Lanka, Manju for example, would quite literally stop at nothing to help us out.
Of course not all the time was spent on work. In Nepal I had plenty of opportunities for shopping and clubbing in Thamel, trekking and boating in Pokhara, and an adventurous jungle safari experience in Chitwan. In Sri-Lanka we made excursions to Kandy, Negambo, and Colombo, not to mention the elephant ride and making frequent use of the empty swimming pool at a local hotel. When you embark on this kind of adventure the opportunities seem to be endless.
My advice to anybody thinking of dong volunteer work is to go for it! It is far more likely you will regret not going than giving it a try. One thing to be aware of though is that things do not always run 100% smoothly all the time. If you want absolute luxury and perfect organization, take a package holiday. There were one or two individuals I came across who truly didn't grasp the concept of going with the flow, which is something you need to be able to do. There is never anything that really goes wrong, and Real Gap are always at hand for any queries or problems you have along the way. I regularly kept them posted about any concerns, such as flights and bookings, and they always responded swiftly, with friendly and practical information. I was pleasantly surprised by their consistency, and on account of this support I never felt lost and I never needed to panic.
My initial inspiration to volunteer came from the desire to travel and a strong reaction I had from the death of a friend. He volunteered in a war zone, and saved two children's lives. I knew I didn't just want to be a tourist, I wanted to immerse myself in the community and culture, and to attempt some assistance where it was needed. Now that I have ventured myself to see a little of what suffering looks like, I am committed to an onward pursuit to help others, no matter how insignificant my contributions may appear. I know now that ripples really can turn into waves.
Now that I am home, having eaten cake and gorged on luxury, I have been feeling rather deployed, but my plans are set. I intend to start some voluntary work in my local area during my spare time, and I am writing my experiences down for various travel publications. A career in journalism is what I want to pursue, and now I have so many things to write about and so much inspiration to discover more!
 Further Information on the India Volunteer Goa Programme
Return to Asia Travel Stories
|
|
