My Volunteering Experience: India: Adventure time: My three-day excursion!

We had been invited to go on a three-day excursion, in which we visited some rural villages to apply what we'd learnt on the course. And that experience was mind-blowing, to say the least. Our itinerary was pretty charged: on the first day, we would go to Barind. Then, on the second one we would visit Lai Gow. Finally, we would spend the last day in Udaipur.

Barind is a small and remote rural village located in an isolated region of Rajsamand district. When we arrived at 6 am, we were received by the locals with laughs, cheers and sincere “Namastes”. We were surprised by the extraordinary number of children who were celebrating our arrival. Our mission there was to build a school for the kids since the one they had was crumbling apart and couldn't hold the large number of children in the community. The thing I first noticed was the poverty all around me. However, everyone seemed so happy. Before we got to work, we assisted to a Puja prayer ceremony. We were told that every new build project begins with a traditional ceremony to ensure its success and prosperity. It's intended to bless the site, the tools, the workers, and the future students and teachers. The ceremony was conducted in Sanskrit, one of the world's oldest languages. It was really interesting to assist to it and to learn more about the Hindu traditions. At lunch time we were almost finished with the project, so we were allowed to interact with the kids and play games with them. The language wasn't a barrier at all. We were a novelty to them, and they were all grinning ear-to-ear. Their reactions when they saw the finished building were priceless. No one ever did something like that for them, which made me realize that the simple things we do have a huge impact on another person's life. We also discussed about the gender roles issue: Most of the village girls have to stay at home in order to help with the chores, while the mothers have to go to a nearby village to work. This affects their ability to get a proper education and work outside the home. It happens as well with some families who are forced to keep their kids out of school to work and earn money for their families. At the end of the day we had to leave, and it broke my heart to leave these kids, but I was relieved by the fact that we would return the following week to work on a goat-rearing project, so the local women are able to earn a sustainable income to support their families.

The Puja prayer ceremony

A picture of us building the school!

We arrived to Lai Gow the following day, at dawn. It's another rural village, with infrastructures similar to Barind's, but with a bigger problem: the locals don't have access to clean water, due to drought and changing climate patterns. The nearest water sources are contaminated rivers, leaving people vulnerable to some deadly diseases, especially children. We worked alongside Lai Gow community members to help build hand-washing stations with potable water and to dig a well. But first, we had to immerse in the day-to-day life of the locals. We went for a water walk with the mothers and daughters in the community. I can safely say it was the most profound moment on the trip until now. In order to get water, women have to walk multiple times a day 3km to the nearest river with pots, fill them with contaminated water, and return to the village. It was an amazing experience carrying the pots and getting a different perspective of life. It made me take a step back and realize how different some people lived. Back in home, I just need to turn the tap on to get clean, hot or cold water. It takes a second. And what's worse, we waste it. It could save lives in Lai Gow. In the afternoon, we took a nature walk by the fields and planted some trees. The views were breath-taking. Afterwards, the women of the village taught us how to make roti, a traditional Indian bread, and samosas, which are triangular pastries filled with spiced with spiced potatoes, onion, peas and meat. It was delicious, and quite easy to make. I'll sure be doing these things at home!

The nature walk: what a view!

Making roti with the village women

The best moment: The water walk

The last day was quite relaxing. We didn't have any building projects, so we visited some historical sites and went sight-seeing around Udaipur. We spent our morning touring the stunning Ranakpur Temple, part of the Top 77 Wonders of the World list, which doesn't surprise me at all. It's known for its intricate and superb architecture. It was built in the 15^th century and was dedicated to Lord Adinath, who was the first “Tirthankara” (in Sanskrit, “Ford-maker”) of the Jain ancient religion. It's truly majestic. Afterwards, we went to the city of Udaipur, where we visited the old city market. I got to buy many souvenirs for my family and friends, and I also got a henna tattoo, which I love! The instructors then had a surprise for us, to reward us for all the hard work we put into the projects. And it turned out to be a Bollywood dancing lesson! I had lots of fun and got to know my peers better. I felt like an Hindu princess in a movie. The music was also quite catchy!