India - Teaching and Community Work in Goa

The most memorable experiences were working/playing with the kids and experiencing the different culture. Really enjoyed the experience and made a bunch of friends as well as feeling like I was genuinely making a difference.

Culture week was really interesting and fun. The volunteers were all really nice people. The people who ran the programme in Goa were very polite and welcoming and friendly. Working with the children was fantastic. GoEco have been very supportive and I’ve really enjoyed the whole experience very much.

Ii most enjoyed going into the baby baboon enclosure in the afternoon. some afternoons the baboons were so calm after being served their vegetation and playing around. the baboons would come to the volunteers, sit on their laps and either groom you or enjoy being groomed you.

We are so happy with our experience in India with Go Eco=. Bojo Paite especially made our trip amazing. He inspired my teenage boys to become better people and serve without complaint. My husband, Daniel, of his own accord, initiated redoing the shelter in which the migrant outreach school met. We would have liked to have seen a couple of other small building type projects where the volunteers could contribute a few dollars to buying materials and improving structures for some of the needy people in India. I think the whole price tag for redoing the shelter cost us $30. He, as well as the volunteers who helped, felt a real sense of accomplishment and that they had left something better than they found it. I especially loved my time spent in the kindergarten. I am so grateful for my experience with those children. The Go Eco team was helpful, efficient, and very responsive in our preparation for the trip. Thank you for providing the avenue for us to serve.

When I first arrived at the volunteer house, both the culture shock and the tiredness of a 48 hour flight journey immediately struck me. I had never traveled alone before, and the first night I got there was definitely the hardest. But each day got progressively better. The introduction week was so fun and very busy, so I didn't have much time to think about home. Teaching in the slum was very rewarding, but it also required hard work. All of the students are split into groups, and there are kids from 3-22, so usually they are in a group with kids on the same level as them. I ended up teaching two 11 year old girls, and by the end of the trip, we had become very close. I think 3 weeks, the amount of time I stayed in India, is a really good amount of time, especially if you are new to solo traveling. The first two weeks I had a bit of homesickness, but by the third week I almost didn't want to leave. As chaotic and somewhat scary India can be, it is also magical. I also had the opportunity to travel to New Delhi with two other girls from the volunteer house, and we had an amazing time seeing different temples and visiting the Taj Mahal and immersing ourselves in the Indian culture. I am so glad that I went on this trip, and I highly recommend a volunteer trip of some sort to everyone. I also highly recommend doing it alone. Even though I had wished I had someone with me during the first few days, I'm glad I didn't now because I got to meet so many amazing people and I got to make new friends that I probably wouldn't have made if I had gone with a friend or family member. Overall, I am so happy I went on this trip and it has definitely changed my perspective towards the future.

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