Richard Galletly - UK

I travelled to Dakshinayan in June 2009 during the height of a blisteringly hot summer and before a monsoon that never really came. To be completely honest, cooler weather would have been nice but, that’s the only thing I would change. Travelling from the train station across beautiful landscapes and potholed roads a small voice in my head did question what could happen to me in the middle of rural India. Particularly as almost every Indian I’d spoke to before arriving seemed shocked and genuinely worried for me that I was going to Jharkhand. I never once felt in any danger though, and didn’t meet anyone who wasn’t anything but friendly and helpful.

From the start I got involved with teaching the kids and playing with them in the afternoon. I wondered how I’d manage to teach at first, but with a textbook and the enthusiasm of the kids, despite no prior teaching experience I found a way that worked for me and, more importantly I think the kids found it OK too. I was aware when organising my trip to India that teaching was the reason I was going. Obviously I’d been to school in England and had heard how important education was millions of times. Actually teaching here brought that home in such a strong way though.

Visiting the children’s homes was a good way to get to know them better, as well as gaining an appreciation of how they lived, a huge eye opener for someone from the UK. I never felt awkward visiting the homes. The families were very genuine, interested in where I was from, found my attempts at Hindi very humorous (in the best possible way) and were always trying to give me food or offering to let me stay in their homes for the night.

I visited a market twice a week to help buy some of the food for the project - a real social event for the local area, which most people dress up for. There were always lots of people there who wanted to talk to me about where I was from and why I was in Jharkhand. Eventually I took photos to show them and spent time explaining what was in the various photos.

I couldn’t recommend the project enough. You get to know a community, not as someone observing from a distance but, as someone living and interacting with them. Teaching the kids is its own reward and the whole experience will teach you as much about yourself as it will about the communities there. There are periods of time with little to do but, if you’re aware of this before you go and don’t mind using your initiative to get involved it’s not something that detracts from the overall experience.

I initially found Dakshinayan due to an interest in development economics, and it certainly helped me in this area. If you’re in a similar situation or just wish to ask about Dakshinayan feel free to contact me through Facebook (I’m in the Dakshinayan group).

Renee Berkhout - UK

I would highly recommend getting involved with Dakshinayan to anyone that wants to teach and get a taste of simple rural living in India. I love reminiscing about my time at the project as it really touched me and I had an experience I will never ever forget.

I was only there for a month, which before going seemed like an incredibly daunting prospect, however as time passed I quickly realised that I could easily have stayed longer. I would love to return to the project again one day but will continue to support it from a distance and I enjoy being updated as to what is going on through the blog that Siddarth keeps (http://www.dakshinayan.blogspot.com/).

For me, the best part of the experience was easily the teaching – the children were a true pleasure to work with. They are incredibly well behaved, show you great respect and it is great to see the results of your teaching. I had doubts as to whether I would really make much difference in the short space that I was there, however it becomes more apparent when you observe the difference between the children who are in Nursery (who speak no English) with the children in Class 4 (who can understand everything that you are saying, read challenging texts and can communicated clearly). It is truly amazing! I now miss the daily chorus of ‘Good Morning Miss’ said with a smile and seeing the kids line up for assembly to sing the national anthem in their cute little yellow and navy uniforms.

I have never done any teaching before however you quickly pick it up. You are given textbooks to work from and then you have the autonomy to teach in a way that suits you provided that you cover the necessary areas. I found this very freeing as it allowed me to use my creative side and teaching made me feel so alive.

The way the day is structured is great as you teach for three hours in the morning and then have the afternoon off to enjoy the beautiful scenery, chill out and to help out with chores. I call them chores, but it was fun to help out as whilst I was there as this involved watering plants with buckets of water from the well and painting benches for the classrooms.

You live a very simple lifestyle as the food is basic, there is no electricity and you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere however I found this refreshing and it is part of the adventure. Where else could I watch a herd of goats and buffalo being ushered across the land? To the local villagers this is a part of everyday life yet to me it was an extraordinary site. I found the landscape fascinating, unlike anything I’d ever seen before and I loved learning about how the villagers live.

Dakshinayan also has its little luxuries - there is a Western style toilet, a volunteer phone, the food may be basic but you can eat as much as you like (you do get very hungry after teaching) and Siddarth, the leader and co-ordinator of the project is very kind and does his best to make it comfortable for you. I have immense respect and admiration for the way he runs the project and the amount of time and effort that he has dedicated to the school, he is doing a great job and there is a great to deal to be learnt from him.

Just to reassure anyone that has any qualms, my main fears were:
-Not being able to drink the water (there are huge water containers that have a filter so you can drink this)
-Travelling to the project (sounds scary and yes it is a bit of a bumpy ride, however it’s fine)
-Going to Jharkhand (it has a reputation as one of India’s poorest and most dangerous states and even some Indians are wary of going there however at no point did I feel threatened or scared. As so few outsiders visit Jharkand it makes it an even more interesting and valuable place to visit.)
-Not knowing what to teach (you are given a text book and then left to it so you can explain things in whatever way works for you.)
-Going hungry (you may get sick of rice, but in general I loved the food which was usually rice, veg and daal.)
- Climate (I went during the months of January when the temperature in the day was lovely and it even got cold at night sometimes, by Indian standards that is, but it was not a problem. It is probably a good idea to check out what the weather will be like when you plan to be there)

I could go on with more praise for the project but you get the idea..... I am intrigued to see how the project has changed since I have left seeing that they now have a few laptops which will radically change the way that they learn, exciting times are ahead for the school.

Good luck to anyone that is going, you will have a great time and feel free to email me with any questions on reneeberkhout@gmail.com if you want to know more – I love Dakshinayan!

Danielle Grindlay -- Australia

Dakshinayan…I can’t make you realise how amazing it is without dragging your anxious behind along with me…and no-one wants to read about ‘how it changed my life’…SO I guess what I would have liked before I left is someone to annul my doubts…which I will try and do for you:

Does it exist? We live in an evil world. I was coming from safe little Australia and all anyone had to say about India was “Don’t trust anyone. They’re all out to get you. JHARKHAND…are you crazy?” Truly comforting. Especially since I found Dak through a random link on a random website.
And yet all of a sudden I had $600US dollars (I went with a friend) strapped to my stomach and had placed all my trust in this mysterious ‘Siddharth’ character I’d only spoken to via email.

And I’ll be grateful for throwing caution to the wind for the rest of my life…but none of that soppiness…
He really does organise every single aspect of your travel – which was the most daunting thing for me…jumping on a 12 hour bus after a strange man approaches you with a mobile phone and Siddharth’s voice tells you to do what he says…it felt like some kind of movie and I couldn’t help but inwardly farewell my organs. Clearly I was a tad dramatic. But coming from my safe little bubble, Kolkata literally blew my mind.

Is it worthwhile? Please don’t have any doubts about the value of your time on the project (as I did most days). Siddharth is one amazing man. But that’s the problem. He is just one. Not enough for the 85 children that attend his school.

And don’t think that your role is a small one either – you are a teacher. No ‘cutesy’ bullshit, taking photos of children and gushing to your friends back home about how adorable and sad they were. Siddharth is heavily dependant on volunteers to supply these kids with the only education they may ever receive.


Teaching. It seems simple enough…but when there are 20 children who speak minimal English staring at you blankly, it is slightly unnerving. Yes they are left solely in your care for the school day. I couldn’t believe it. I’m not qualified to teach! I’m 23 and still a student myself…then I realised what I had to offer was me. My language. My culture. And somehow the lessons just unfolded. The difference between
Australian kids and these little gems was they were DESPERATE to learn.

In Australia school is compulsory and most of a child's time is spent figuring out how to avoid it. It is a fight for some of the kids in Roldih (the village) to even attend school...and they thrive on every minute they're there. There is nothing more rewarding than teaching someone who wants to learn. And it's amazing how much they do learn in such little time. There's no mucking around and certainly no lack of respect - this is what makes it so special because it is real. You have a major impact on their lives.OK so I'm rambling...Every day life: peaceful, relaxing, carefree...FREE of all the bullshit...do you like reading? writing? pondering the world? yoga? meditation? I wrote every day. And I treasure the thoughts that came out on the page. It is absolutely beautiful there. The sunrises/sunsets and BRIGHT moon make you appreciate the natural wonders we have been given - don't get me wrong I'm not the sentimental romantic type - but that place will bring out the cliché phrases in anyone...We weren't pressured to do much more than teach...but there are always things to do...and we loved being involved with the day to day activity. So after school we painted school benches, watered the plants with buckets, helped Suman cook the dinner etc. There's always something going on and I actually wish I didn’t hold back so much waiting for an invitation to join in. Siddharth will go out of his way to help you...if you want it. He is a natural teacher. I don't know how old you are, but his wisdom left me in awe.

The kind of wise man that doesn't dictate or alienate those he talks to - he's a man of the world and very open and easy going with a GREAT sense of sarcastic humour. Because I was interested in Hindi, he taught me. I was interested in meditation, so he taught me. I asked him a simple question about the water pumps and he sat me down and gave me a full lesson in a classroom. He told me Hindu mythology...and I actually found myself intrigued! Strange for Miss Cynical me...Someone that has given up their life for a cause and spent decades segregated from 'normalcy' has an extremely unique and valuable idea of the world.

The food is simple, but there is plenty of it and I gained a great appreciation of spice and home grown flavours. Definitely join GORGEOUS little Suman in preparing the meal. He and Banshi (the other worker/teacher on the project) are 2 of the warmest hearted, most positive characters I'll ever meet. Their appreciation of life left me envious and ridiculed my initial impression that they had nothing compared to me.

We also went on a trek to one of the project's old schools, now run by the villagers there in Cheo...through the incredible Indian rural land...once again, you'll just have to see it to appreciate it.












Hrm...other possible concerns...contact with the outside world? You are given your OWN mobile phone...credit is cheap as could be and even if you don't want to call people, they have a number to contact you (handy for an irrational mother).

I can't really think of anything I can say that won't make you want to vomit...but it has changed my life.

I believe all humans have the innate desire to aid those less fortunate and share their love with the world...and because of this, there are plenty of phoney 'volunteer' programs...when you find something you truly believe in and see the impact you have first hand through the keenest, brightest, delightful little children...it's hard to ever see the world in the same light...PLEASE email me any questions...and add me on facebook to check out my pictures.




I guess the best evidence is that I'm heading back in January. While travelling through India left me dizzy, overwhelmed and helpless on many occasions (among many more positive reactions), Dakshinayan was my home. It still feels like my home. The people and the atmosphere do that to you. So I'm studying hard and working harder to save enough for my return. Nothing else seems important in my life at the moment…it’s all about India.

Sharad Dutta -- United States of America

Roldih March - April 2009

I had the opportunity to spend some time at the Roldih project during months of March and April of 2009. This was truly the most wonderful experience of my life. Following are some details of my time at the project. Please feel free to contact me directly if you need any additional information. I have posted some photos here and additional photos are available on Facebook.

A little background on how I got involved with Dakshinayan - I was born in New Delhi and moved to US 16 years ago. In US I have been working in corporate settings in New York for the past 12+ years. In January of 2009, I decided to leave my current position, take advantage of the bad financial/job markets and travel to India to get involved with some volunteer projects. I had been researching volunteer opportunities in India for past few years that provide a chance to work directly with rural villages. Initially, I was mostly disappointed by the web presence many of the NGO/volunteer organizations have setup that seem like a money making scheme and don’t highlight the nature of work or their mission or objectives. It was just pure chance that I stumbled upon Dakshinayan’s web site. I was mostly impressed with the simple description of the project’s goals and scope of Dakshinayan’s projects. I also found the background of Dakshinayan’s director Siddharth Sanyal particularly impressive. I didn’t have any volunteering experience let aside teaching primary school children but I felt comfortable enough after a few e-mail exchanges with Siddharth to visit the project. I wish this volunteer blog site was setup before I went to Jharkhand as I think the posts from ex volunteers will be very helpful to future volunteers.

Initial reaction from everyone when I mentioned going to Jharkhand was that the area is not safe and there are other projects in other parts of India that will be a lot more “comfortable”. I was warned repeatedly about the journey to Jharkhand and the instability in the area in general. A majority (approx. 80%) of Jharkhand is inhabited by some of the most underdeveloped tribes of India. Jharkhand’s demographics both introduce the obvious concerns but also provide an opportunity for someone interested in learning about the social, political, and economic issues that face Indian society today. Journey to the project was an adventure which included a 16 hour train ride from Delhi to Jasidih and a 3 hour Jeep ride from Jasidih to Roldih. I found the travel to/from Jharkhand and my time in Roldih completely safe and I cannot imagine any issues for anyone just following some common sense precautions.

The project setting was surprisingly pleasant. Being accustomed to the big city life and comforts it takes a few days to get settled into the basic amenities and all that wilderness has to offer. There are very comfortable bedrooms and bathrooms (English style) available. I carried a sleeping bag, sheets, and eating utensils but found everything was available at the project. I still recommend checking with Siddharth before getting to the project as I went during summer days when no other volunteers were visiting. Food is basic vegetarian yet tasteful. Suman always cooks with a smile on his face and all members dine together as a big happy family which is enjoyable. The scenery is truly picturesque - I have never enjoyed such beautiful nights and mornings in the cities or other places I have visited. I really enjoyed walking around the project watching sun rising over the mountains, reading during the day in shade of the 100+ year old Banyan tree that towers in the project territory, and having conversations with Siddharth after dinner just appreciating amazing skies on most nights.

Daily routine is at a slow pace yet the days aren’t a drag. Main focus of the project is of course is education but there is a great opportunity to start other initiatives for overall community development. After hearing about the sad state of education system in the area, I must say the work that Dakshinayan is doing even with 100 students is truly remarkable. I heard some horrible stories of corruption in the education system. Some of these stories have been documented by Siddharth on the project blog. Working with children was really a rewarding experience for me. Children are respectful, loving, and very enthusiastic about learning. I was teaching Social Science, English, and Living Science to class II and class III, and mathematics to class 4. Knowing Hindi definitely worked to my advantage as most of the children and villagers understand basic Hindi. School timings are from 8:30 AM to 12:00 which allows for a lot of free time during the day to do additional reading, water the plants on project premises, and just enjoy the surroundings. I enjoyed playing games with the students, flying kites, working on puzzles with them. It was difficult to build context around many things related to city life and outside world as the children have never been exposed to life outside their villages. But the children have an amazing sense of wonder and were amused by my stories of city life. I was fortunate enough to visit at a time when daily village visits were starting. I learned much about village life from our daily visits to students’ homes. We all agreed that daily village visits as a first phase of building community contact will be beneficial to the students and to our understanding of issues and problems in the area. Even after a month we were starting to build a good rep with the villagers and they were appreciative of our routine contact and willingness to get involved in resolving their issues.

Spending time with project’s director Siddharth Sanyal was truly a privilege for me. I really cannot be thankful enough that Siddharth was on the project and gave me enough of his time and shared his knowledge and experiences with me. Siddharth has dedicated his entire life to the development of this area and the people. The first hand knowledge that Siddharth has gained from being associated with the Santhals for past three decades is truly remarkable. From conversations with Siddharth I learned a lot about the history of the region, the social and economic issues, and the sad state of political, medical and education system. I requested Siddharth to document his experiences and thoughts as I think he can provide great insight into the issues and development needs of the people. It really takes a lot of patience and understanding of the deep rooted cultural issues in the area to understand and appreciate the day to day operations of the project and the approach Siddharth takes towards handling relations with the villagers. Some might consider the project’s involvement in community affairs a bit passive at times. In my opinion, a neutral stand is probably the only way to survive and to be successful in this area. It would be naïve to expect an overnight change when the issues and factors have existed for many centuries.

Unfortunately, Siddharth has had a difficult time finding people in the area who would genuinely be interested in these projects and build upon the platform that has been established. I completely understood Siddharth’s frustrations just watching attitudes of the some folks on the project and general apathy towards the cause and vision of the project. It is really is unfortunate, as I think Siddharth has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share and he can provide guidance for development of the Santhal people.

There is a lot more that I learned and could share even after a month on this project but I think the above summarizes my experience for anyone interested. Overall, I was very impressed by the commitment of Dakshinayan organization and will definitely support the project for as long as I can to the best of my abilities. I strongly recommend a visit to this project for anyone looking to learn about rural societies and development needs. Please feel free to contact me at Sharad_Dutta@Hotmail.com if you need any additional information.

Gabriel Lau -- Hong Kong

My Simple Times in Cheo

I volunteered for Dakshinayan back in the spring 2003, it seems a long time ago but I am just as eager to talk about my experience as the day I left that memorable place. Arriving in Roldih from Delhi with other volunteers, I was assigned to Cheo Village up on a small hill. Cheo is only separated from Roldih by a 45minutes trek, but it felt far more remote than that at the time.

Going through my first week of a real

rural lifestyle is hard; without a TV or computer to occupied my mind and no longer having endless places to rush to and things to be busy about, I thought I would go crazy if I stare at the mango trees any longer. However, before we knew it, we have already sunk comfortably to this new lifestyle.

I still remember all those daily routines that was my source of fun, beginning my day with a run around the villages, collecting water from the hand pump, chopping up firewood, taking a shower in the mountain stream, grinding up the turmeric for dinner, helping the villagers in the harvest and finishing my day off staring into the clearest star night I ever saw.

Of course, teaching was what we were there for and we started that duty also with a lack of grace. We couldn't even communicate with most of younger kids and with the older ones it was hard to tell where had the last batch of volunteers left off. Though my impression with the Cheo kids was that they were never shy, full of energy, had unlimited capacity to laugh and most importantly eager to learn. And once we came up with a few games and songs to catch their attention while teaching them a bit of English the interactive teaching ideas just keep rolling in. In the end the lessons became a real joy. The older kids are more serious learners and we taught them pronunciation, they improved from reading singles words to longer and longer sentences, there were real encouraging progress in the 2 months that I stayed.

Life can be much simpler and we will still be able to have a good laugh

Looking back at this fulfilling experience years afterward, it still means so much to me. And if I am just to share one thing that it has taught me, it would be that: Life can be much simpler and we will still be able to have a good laugh, just like the Cheo kids entertaining themselves day after day with probably the only two games that they seem to know.

- by Gabriel Lau, Hong Kong

Franca Jorda -- Spain

I was there! October 2008 volunteering for the first time with 62 flourishing years

It was really rewarding to teach in Roldih. The kids had a natural intelligence and ability; enthusiastic, very participative, raising hands at the slightest question, willing to read, write, draw… and even to go on the board! They were appearing early in the morning, by foot if coming from the nearest village or on a bicycle if from others further away, with their bright yellow and blue uniforms, stayed sometime on the playgrounds, and at 08:30, after a short assembly, they attended their correspondent class.

There were 3 modest but sufficiently equipped class units (there two more now) for the different knowledge levels and the students had a half hour break after each different subject. Up to midday and a half… Then you could see the bright yellow river of their uniform tops spread out from the small ground floor classes to the bicycles and gate.

There was also a lot of work being done in our place. Construction of a new building (with a western water closet), whitewashing of the different units, some maintenance work in them and in the wild garden. It was a pleasure to see the project grow.

*

P.S. SORRY, I DIDIN’T HAVE TIME TO MAKE IT SHORTER. My English is mostly autodidact, quite limited for this kind of writing. But it was enough for class I and II… So, non English mother tongue people –and/or with no experience in teaching- shouldn’t be discouraged, and apply: in Dakshinayan intercultural exchange is considered important too. You only need basic English. And love. Is there any better language than love?

With love,

Franca www.francajor@hotmail.com

First Entry

This is the first entry on this blog meant for volunteers who have been on Dakshinayan's programme. Since I am effectively the first Dakshinayan volunteer, the oldest and the longest serving volunteer, it's perhaps appropriate that I should make this first entry.

All those who have been on our programme are most welcome to join in. Write here. Upload pictures. Voice your opinion. What you have to say doesn't necessarily have to be about Dakshinayan. Only remember, I've created this blog so that volunteers who come after you should get an idea of what to expect from their visit to Dakshinayan.