Volunteer experience in Shillong, India


  My friend, Stephanie, and I came to the Ananda Marga primary school and orphanage in Shillong expecting to stay ten days. We ended up staying for six weeks!.


After quite a long journey from Varanasi by train and shared jeep, we spent the next few days settling into the daily routine of the orphanage and school. The site has only had a few volunteers in its history, so there were no clear expectations of us as volunteers, except to spend time with the eleven orphans and teach during the school day. The routine was similar most days. The school and orphanage are both run by only one woman, Didi Ananda Kalyanbrata. The children in the orphanage wake up at 5 am. They meditate, fetch water, cook, eat and do chores before school starts at 10 am. After school, the children work on homework, complete some more chores, cook, eat and meditate again. If they have enough time, they get a small bit of free time at the end of the day.


The school was definitely unlike anything I've seen. More than 100 students attend the school, although the school only has two small buildings. The eight classes must contend with little space; few or in most cases, no walls to separate the classes; few supplies and teaching materials; power outages and poor lighting; leaking roofs when it rains; and poor teacher retention. Steph and I taught six lessons each day, including English, his-tory, grammar and computers (with no computers, only books with which to teach computer functionality). We encountered some major challenges - partly because we do not have a teaching background, but mainly as a result of a weak curriculum and very little guidance for the teachers. Students are being taught classes in English, without having a strong grasp on the language. It is a poor school and many families cannot af-ford new books. We realized that some students were copying homework from other students and old books, as well as just not doing their homework. Enforcement and dis-cipline were not always effective. Although we encountered these roadblocks, we tried to bring a lot of enthusiasm to the classroom each day and it was great to see some pro-gress and small challenges achieved in our six weeks of teaching.


Outside of school, we would spend our time with the orphans. We helped them with their homework, especially trying to improve their reading and math skills. I managed to fix the orphanage's computer, which wouldn't turn on, although I had no computer repair experience. We taught the children the basics on how to use a computer. We played with them, both inside and outside. On weekends, we would sometimes take them on small trips, either to town or to one of the local parks. Overall, I think our favorite part of the day was tucking the eleven kids into their two beds at the end of the night and by the end of our time, getting big hugs and kisses from every child.


Although volunteers at the site are only asked to spend time with the children and teach classes, we soon realized that we could do more and have a greater impact. With dona-tions from family, friends and ourselves, we fixed up both the orphanage and school. For the orphanage, we bought a refrigerator; a new gas stovetop to replace the broken one; some cabinets for the storage of their clothes to prevent them from taking up space on the two beds; a television for some much needed entertainment and learning; children's computer games; new clothes and backpacks; balls and other toys; rugs; and a table for eating and doing their homework. For the school, we bought new chalkboards, posters, books, glass to fix the broken windows and other teaching aides. We hired a local painter to put fresh coats of paint on the walls of the orphanage and school. We also arranged one of the new teachers to be a tutor to the orphans after school to continue to help them with homework. There were a lot of changes in our six weeks and we hope they all continue to be used to their full potential! Buying some of the items reminded us at how blessed Steph and I are with our lives and the conveniences we've taken for granted. For example, when we brought home the refrigerator, the kids asked us what was in the box. When we responded that it was a refrigerator, they nodded their head, but a few seconds later, they asked, "What does it do?" One of the littlest girls was even afraid of it and asked if it was dangerous! It was so cute, but eye-opening at the same time.


Steph and I truly experienced India as no regular tourist will ever get to see. The or-phanage is located in a smaller section of Shillong, called Nongmensong. We rode in crowded shared taxis to the center of Shillong regularly – taxis which never followed the clearly displayed "five persons maximum" sign. We worked with a local carpenter, painter and other workmen to improve condition of the school and orphanage. We vis-ited markets, hardware shops, lumber yards, fabric shops and school supply shops where we negotiated and bartered. Steph and I were invited into the homes of neighbors, where we experienced amazing Indian hospitality and generosity.


The kids captured our hearts. They were shy at the beginning, partly due to their Eng-lish, but they quickly became very affectionate, giving us hugs and kisses. Their English improved by talking to us every day. As our departure date came closer, the kids said they did not want us to leave. For being someone who does not cry at goodbyes, there were tears in my eyes and my voice was breaking as I hugged the children goodbye. After living with them for six weeks and filling in roles as parent, teacher, sibling and friend, we came to know the kids very well. They will always have a special place in my heart and every time I think of them, I'll smile. I know I'll be back to Shillong to visit, sooner rather than later.


It was truly a rich experience and we hope that we have made a positive impact, no matter how small. However, we would hate to see any progress reversed in the school or orphanage, which is why we would love to see more volunteers at the site. The eleven orphans will be the sweetest children you ever meet with big hearts and bright smiles. No matter how tired and frustrated you feel, the moment you see them run to you with hugs and kisses, your day will suddenly be brighter. These kids deserve the world, so if you have the time to volunteer and give them some of your knowledge, en-ergy and most importantly, love, you will not only be brightening their lives, but also your own. If you cannot volunteer, any support for the orphanage and the school would be greatly appreciated. Didi's dream is to build a new school and eventually, a new or-phanage. Now, it is not only Didi's dream, but our own and we hope to see all the school children and orphans have a better learning environment one day soon.