India Community Development

An intense two weeks, learnt lots about India and myself.

Highlights Getting to know the children themselves was the best thing about this trip. Generally, they are all enthusiastic about drama and keen to learn, a refreshing change from some of the apathy which is seen in ‘good’ UK schools. It was great to watch the extremely bright children from the Aaravli School grow in confidence through interactive drama games. By the end of the two weeks, they had developed some extremely mature material. I was extremely proud of the slum school children and their perseverance in rehearsing our ‘Romeo and Juliet’ ad infinitum. Although they spoke little English, it was surprisingly easy to communicate with them using physicality, also helping me to learn about how to express myself effectively. The teachers at all three of the schools we worked at were extremely welcoming. They are driven yet easygoing, and invited us to a ‘Teachers’ Day’ picnic as honoured guests, held in a health resort in the mountains, where we had a refreshing break from the dust and heat of Jaipur by going for a swim! I would recommend the camel safari into the desert to anyone. Getting the night ‘sleeper’ train away from Jaipur was an extremely exciting experience alone! It was very relaxing sleeping out in the desert on comfortable raised beds, studying the constellations. The Sharma family (Sharda, Harshita and Mahveer) were so welcoming. We became part of their family for two weeks- it was delightful to have Sharda cook for us every day, and charming to help Harshita with her homework and watch her practise her dance. In this respect, every moment integrating myself with the Rajasthani way of life was a highlight, because I was constantly learning about a different culture from my own. India itself was one of the highlights: busy, friendly and colourful. A Although I occasionally felt vulnerable as a white western girl, I generally felt safe and secure. Pourin, the excellent Automan (who also acted like a personal bodyguard) ensured that! I cannot choose one specific highlight, because my entire experience was exceptionally fun! Recommended to anyone who loves drama, theatre and sparking ideas off with young creative minds.

1) Don’t underestimate the amount of water you will need to drink. Always have an empty bottle to hand because you’ll need access to free clean water so that it can be topped up. 2) Although it may seem harsh, ignore the beggars and street children who will press you for food and money. If you give to one child then his friends will not leave you alone. The same is to be said of street vendors selling souvenirs which you don’t really want. 3) Buy clothes out there. Western dress (particualy on girls) is generally frowned upon. It is not worth spending the money in the West on lots of light white tees and trousers, because these clothes will not help you assimilate yourself at all. Indian clothes are extremely cheap, suitably light and cover all the right parts of the body. We felt so much better after we brought them, as we could now walk down the street and not be stared at.

As it is so relevant to the content of what we were teaching, it would have been informative to go and watch a professional theatre production. I really wanted to learn more about the ‘Bollywood’ culture, so perhaps an organised trip to the cinema would have been appropriate. We did few activities in the evenings after dinner, so perhaps a few nights out to theatres/ cinemas/ arts houses would not have come amiss.

The Realgap Team Based In The UK Prior To My Departure Were Quite Unhelpful. The Website Layout (and My Personal Profile On Myrealexperiance.com) Is Confusing And Laborious. There Was No Contact Email From The Team Wishing Me Well Before I Flew To India Just Confirming My Details, Which Made Me Feel Uneasy. When I Called The 'emergency' Helpline Because My Flight Arrived Early And There Was No One There To Pick Me Up, I Had To Hold The Line For Around 10 Minutes Before I Got Through To An Operator- Hardly Effective If Someone Was In An Immediate, Genuine Emergency Where Their Wellbeing Was At Risk. There Was Not Enough Information On The Website About The Itinerary Of My Trip Prior To My Departure. Although I Enjoy Surprises, I Would Have Liked To Have Prepared Some Games And Material For The Children To Work With. This Would Have Been Possible If The Communication Between Volunteers And The RealGap Central Offices Was Clearer And More Frequent.

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Rewarding, Fulfilling, hugely enjoyable,

Meeting new people, seeing the childrens' reaction to the Beautification work, visiting homes in Community visits which would be difficult to do travelling on your own.

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