Community projects
Volunteer community projects around the world
Diary of a galloping guru in India Simon writes..."I'm heading to India for the first time tomorrow. I'm being sent on a whistlestop tour by volunteering organisation GapGuru and I'll be visiting a number of their projects to see how their volunteers are getting on. I have no idea what to expect, but am very excited! Day One Early morning arrival into Delhi, hit by the heat and the noise plus everybody drives with one hand permanently on the horn! Surprised by the drive into the city, one minute slums and beggars leaning in the car window and the next minute wide clean tree-lined streets with big houses and impressive modern buildings. The poverty and the rich seem to co-exist side by side and no-one thinks it strange?  Took myself off to explore a bit of Delhi and quickly discovered by far the most difficult thing to do is cross the roads! You take your life in your hands every time you leave the pavement. One top tip I have discovered is to cross with cows, drivers seem far more concerned about avoiding the sacred cow than they do humans.A trip to Old Delhi is highly recommended, I took a rickshaw through some of the narrow streets and around the spice market, the place is incredible - the noise, the smells and the general buzz of everyday life at such a crazy pace. The fort is close by in old town, unfortunately I had no time to go in but it is very impressive even from the outside. In the evening I had a walk around Connaught Place in one of the main central areas in New Delhi, I felt very safe and the locals are very friendly and welcoming. Again the poverty and rich living side by side is strange but very accepted. As I hadn't slept for two days, I go an early night before tomorrow when I head to Agra. Day Two It's an early start for the 6am train to Agra; I arrive at Delhi railway station to find rush hour obviously starts earlier than it does in London. In fact I think it lasts all day in India, it made rush hour at Waterloo seem like a quiet afternoon in the park! I am relieved to find my train and settle down for the two hour journey. The train is a great way to travel in India. The experience is fantastic, from thousands of people crammed into carriages to the chaos of the stations. The scenery is ever-changing, slums on the way out of Delhi to lush green fertile farm land. The Shatabdi Express train is highly recommended, not only do you get a whole day in Agra arriving by 8.30am and returning at 8pm but you get a meal and a guaranteed seat! The road trip can take up to five hours in each direction and is a lot less comfortable.  First stop, the Taj Mahal. I thought this may be a bit overrated, as obviously everyone has seen pictures and read a little about it - could it really be that impressive? I can honestly say that seeing is believing, the real thing is truly awe-inspiring. It is finished to the tiniest detail and you can quickly see why it took 20,000 men over 22 years to complete it. I recommend going as early in the day as possible before the crowds and the heat gets too much. Using the train enables you to do get here way before the crowds. The history of the entire region is fascinating, and it's well worth getting a guide for the day to explain it all. I also visited Agra Fort and the old capital city of Emperior Akbar at Fatehpur Sikri which is about 40km outside Agra and I highly recommend visiting both of these too. Day Three Today I had the opportunity to meet some of the gappers that GapGuru has placed at various projects in Delhi. Laura, Laura and Jo are thoroughly enjoying working with autistic children. Imma is working at a Children’s publishing house and is clearly inspired both by the work she is doing and the way in which these books are in turn inspiring India's children. Greer had just arrived and was looking forward to working with the children at one of the Slum Schools.  Click here >> for more on GapGuru's placement working with autistic childrenClick here >> for more on GapGuru's placement working as an editorial assistant Click here >> for more on GapGuru's placement teaching in slum schools They all had stories to tell of their travels and adventures both in Delhi and on the various trips they had managed to go on. Foothills of the Himalayas tours and tiger safaris as well as the shorter trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. All volunteers are certainly making the most of their time! Everybody was enjoying the experience of living with an Indian family at the homestays, they are very comfortable and the family has made them all feel very welcome. The food is fantastic too! Three of the girls have been invited to a family wedding this week. Day Four Getting used to early starts as I was up at 4am to catch a flight to Chennai. Chennai is on the South East coast and the increase in temperature was immediately noticeable. The traffic was just as bad if not worse than Delhi and I think they actually use their horns even more if that can be possible! The effects of the Tsunami are still being felt in this region and it was great to see some of our projects are focused towards this. I think I am finally getting used to the food here and am actually starting to enjoy all of the different flavours. It has come as a bit of a surprise how much variety of foods are available and not just spicy curries (everyone thinks is all you get in India!) I'm heading out for a Chinese later to see how the Indians do that! Tonight I am staying with a GapGuru rep in Chennai. Mandira like all Indians I have met, has made me feel incredibly welcome, nothing is too much trouble. The homestay environment is a great way of meeting the people and enjoying the Indian hospitality. I also think most of us would be surprised how similar it is in a lot of ways to how we live back home.  Day FiveAnother day visiting GapGuru projects... first stop was a fantastic conservation project. Here volunteers are able to assist with all areas of The Croc Park, from incubating eggs to general maintenance, research or showing people round the park. There is also the opportunity to travel to the Andaman Islands to work with marine turtles. I then visited an inspiring project further down the coast in Mahabalipuram where volunteers can get involved in a community development project helping children and widows affected by the tsunami, the children are getting schooling while the women are being taught new skills such as tailoring. It is a beautiful place, right on the beach with great places to eat and plenty of temples to be seen. After the journey back to Chennai I headed for the airport for my flight to Bangalore where I finally gave in to my craving for Western food, fried chicken and chips! Click here >> for more on GapGuru's conservation project on a crocodile park Day Six My arrival in Bangalore last night was certainly interesting. After finally finding my driver it then took over an hour to get out the car park; I have never experienced so many honking horns! The driver then could not find my guesthouse and proceeded to ask random people living on the streets where it was, it was finally found around 2am and I got some much needed shut eye. Bangalore is another crazy city with a maze of roads and constant traffic, the IT boom has meant that it is growing at a huge rate. Tonight I met up with two GapGuru volunteers, Jo and Simon at a local Jazz Club. we had a great night out and apart from the fantastically cheap beer, it could have been anywhere in London - the bar and music scene is really growing in India and I think many people would be surprised at what you can find out here and how similar it is to back home. Day Seven Took an early flight from Bangalore to Pune, I’m getting used to Indian airports now, there really is nothing to do so take a book!  On arrival in Pune I was met by our representative Suvarna. The car’s air conditioning had broken and I really missed it. The heat everywhere I have been has been fairly intense, and this isn't even the hot season. I dread to think what it is like in summer!I visited some gappers at their homestay. They were all having a fantastic time enjoying all the varied experiences. From working in rural hospitals to teaching the slum children at the construction sites, everyone had a story to tell and felt like they were making a difference. Tonight we all went out for a traditional Mahara Indian meal; the variety of flavours and dishes is fantastic in India even for the not-so-adventurous like me. There really is something for everyone - quite a relief! Click here >> for more on GapGuru's medical intern project in Pune Click here >> for more on GapGuru's School on Wheels project in Pune Click here >> for more on GapGuru's teaching in slum schools project Day Eight After visiting the hospital in the morning I managed to get myself a lift to Mumbai (Bombay). During the three hour journey, we travelled through lush green hills before dropping down towards the coast. We are currently at the end of the monsoon and therefore everything looks very clean and fertile. Although apparently in a few months time the green hills will be turning brown as the heat hits and the rains stop. Travelling into Mumbai the slums are very apparent, they line every street and seem to go on for miles. Mumbai is the most crowded city in India with an estimated 25 million people. That’s almost half the population of the UK! We pass the trains with people hanging from every available carriage.  Day NineA late monsoon storm decided to hit Mumbai making it very difficult for sightseeing! A taxi ride was an experience with water coming in every door, how the driver could see anything with the lashing rain and no wipers I don't know but I did eventually make it to my destination. Taxis and autos (three wheelers) are the best way of travelling in any city in India - they are incredibly cheap but do remember that even the shortest journeys can take forever as the traffic is a nightmare. Some cities like Mumbai use the meter system and therefore the price is fixed, but in others you have to barter your price before you jump in. You can usually halve their first price and you will be somewhere near what you should be paying. I found some local bars and enjoyed a few Kingfisher beers (highly recommended) while the storm raged outside, it was obvious it was not going to let up anytime soon. Day Ten My last early wake up call - off to the airport for my flight to London and what’s worse - it was delayed! Visiting India was the most amazing experience and I would have loved to stay Longer. One thing is for sure, I will never forget it!"  Click here >> for more on all projects offered by GapGuru |
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