What inspired you to travel abroad?
My love of travel combined with a joy I've found in previous volunteering. Volunteering really allows you to get to know the local community and experience new countries differently to simple tourism.
Why did you choose Sankalp Volunteer Society, India?
A friend had done it in the past and recommended it, I saw they offered travel options combined with volunteering, which I loved! Especially because India has such a reputation for being dangerous, solo travelling with this company made the experience so much easier.
Exploring a palace on one of our weekend days off!
What was your favorite part about Jaipur, India?
The people! Everyone is so friendly and wanting to help, the vibes are just so warm and welcoming. Jaipur is called the 'pink city' and it lived up to its name with pink buildings and colour everywhere, I've never seen a more authentic, gorgeous city! There's so much to explore around Jaipur itself, we were never short of forts and palaces to explore after a day of volunteering.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
The local tours that our coordinators took us on, the routes that some tuk-tuks tooks us on - sometimes they'd stop off at their house so we could meet their family members because it's not frequent they see foreigners! It was a hilarious experience, full of laughs and learning games the locals played.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
They were available all the time to answer any questions we had, they worked downstairs from our living quarters in the volunteer house. We even had a lovely lady called Puni who would cook amazing local food for us every meal everyday it was a dream! We never had any trouble because all our questions were answered so quickly and so well!
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
Extended my stay so that I could have travelled the South of India after my volunteer programme, because travelling around India really isn't that dangerous!
Hydration station
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
Wake up around 8am and have a lovely home made Indian breakfast, fill up our water bottles and head off in a tuk-tuk at 9am to the orphanage. It was about a 30-minute tuk-tuk journey and filled with funny chats between the volunteers, we'd fit four people in a tuk-tuk, taking it in turns to sit in the back where you'd get the best views of all motorcyclists and their kids smiling or waving at you. I spent several days learning the lyrics to Eminem Rap God from my volunteer friend haha. We'd then spend about four hours with the children, playing with them, hugging them, singing, dancing, resting, anything you can think of doing! Sadly we were quite restricted in terms of space, resources, and language barriers, so the things you could do would depend on how creative and how much energy you had in you! We were there mainly to show the children love and affection, things their carers were not accustomed to because of poverty, so we tried to encourage emotional stability and development in the children. Some afternoons a teacher would come in and take the older ones into a room for lessons. After that we'd come back to the volunteer house for an amazing and well needed home cooked lunch, take a nap for about an hour or two because even though it doesn't seem like much, you are expending a lot of emotional energy and need a recharge! Then we'd head off in the afternoon to explore Jaipur and it's sights such as Amber fort, Shopping at the Bazaars for cheap prices, Hawa Mahal, watching a Bollywood film in a world renowned old cinema "Raj Mandir," or even just head to a nice western feeling cafe to read and relax. We'd come back at around 6pm or 7pm and have dinner then play games or relax for the rest of the night, sometimes Puni would teach us to dance or we'd do a yoga or workout session together.
Exploring the Himalayas
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
As mentioned above, we did the classic sightseeing, when some volunteers missed Western food we found a cute cafe where we could indulge on milkshakes and toasties and other western delights. Shopping was a great way to pass time as well, it was all so cheap and great for buying gifts! Sometimes on a hot afternoon we'd visit a rooftop bar and soak up the sounds of the busy city and views.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
It was a three-storey house with the first floor as the organisation's office and kitchen, second floor was the volunteers bedrooms (bunkbeds) and living space, and third floor was a TV with a choice of movies and books, then there was the rooftop which you could use to dance or look at the stars. My favourite part was definitely Puni's endless enthusiasm, great chats, and unbelievable cooking.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
The children will melt your heart, you will leave the programme and want to adopt every single one even though you may have seen how naughty some of them can be! They are full of character and love even though that's not the way they've been treated by their carers. It is eye opening to reality and emotionally challenging, yet also an incredibly rewarding and giving experience.
Would you recommend Sankalp Volunteer Society, India to others? Why?
Definitely! Read all above and see how amazing it is!
Our daily tuk tuk journeys to and from the orphanage
What do you feel is the biggest benefit of traveling abroad?
Learning about other cultures and norms, people globally are fundamentally quite similar but things such as senses of humour, dress sense, manners, and conversation topics (to name a few) will vary quite interestingly. People are always friendly, though!
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
I want to get back and see the children again, I aim to make every travelling summer I have now include some time for volunteering. It was my first time solo travelling and gave me the confidence to do it again in the future, it's easy to meet people and make friends and plans together! Meeting new people is great because they say you shape yourself around your close friends but here you make so many that you develop an open minded well rounded personality!
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Travel not just to see pretty things but to really understand and get to know a place, do something useful with yourself for those less fortunate, and make long lasting unforgettable memories.
