My first week with GVI in India

It’s been a week now since I flew to India.

I have always long to discover this amazing country, and yet I curiously didn’t feel like only visiting it, I was craving to be part of the local life. So I just decided to join this volunteering program with GVI.

Those first few days have been quite intense. We’ve got something like a small introduction weekend, and started right away with the work. After one day of training, we’ve met the boys of the orphanage where we’ll be teaching for the next 3 weeks.

I was expecting a stern environment. Instead we’ve found a cheerful place, with flowers in the garden & colourful paintings on the walls. As we arrived, the kids have been greeting us with a wonderful welcoming performance. I was just stunned.

After what, we split the boys into groups. I have been assigned to the youngest ones.  You would think easy to teach to, right?  Well you should meet my “Cobra Bothers”! J

They are just full of energy and so eager to play that we have to attract their attention every single minute; otherwise they will lose interest and get wild. I honestly couldn’t handle my classroom at first. I was just overwhelmed and petrified. Fortunately Ridhi came to my rescue and she led the lessons the whole morning. As lunch time approaches, I took my camera to snap some pictures. And here, they just went crazy. All shouted: “Me, me, me, take picture of me, teacher!”  Then, I realized I just broke the ice! Those little ones love been photographed and they surely know how to pose! I started to bond with them, and it was just magic.

As the days went by, we now almost finished our first week with them, I feel more and more comfortable into my “teacher shoes”, even if my boys are still hard to handle. I have now understood that as long as we keep their interest and if they understand our instructions, they gladly comply and focus on the given topic.

It’s so amazing to work with kids. I am certainly exhausted by the end of the day, but one thing is for sure, I just love my time with those terrible guys. Every day, as we leave the orphanage premises, they all come to us, shake our hands and say: “Thank you teacher”. How can you not melt, then?

/ Helene

My first week with GVI in India