Philip Auinger - Austria

After almost two months, I finally found the time to write about my experience at Dakshinayan in April 2011. Since I returned, I have been asked many times if I enjoyed the project and could recommend it. During the first few days, I kept answering that I would have preferred more school work with the kids and less free time. But now I realize that both components are very important for the experience.

Working with the children at Dakshinayan is very rewarding because they are so eager to learn. I can’t imagine kids in Austria asking for spelling tests! I taught English and sometimes geography and in case the students behaved well and had good results, we played games which we all enjoyed. Mitali was so kind to travel to the project with me so I could watch her teach and also get some advice from her (I had no previous experience). Since I taught classes 3 and 4 at the same time, it was always a bit of a challenge to find assignments for the kids while I was in the other classroom. I found it very effective to be a kind and friendly teacher if they worked well during my absence. If I found them chatting or playing while I was gone, I would be strict and less friendly for the rest of the day. You should make this very clear from the beginning to ensure a good cooperation.

As I mentioned before, not only teaching makes the Dakshinayan project so unique. After 11 a.m. you’re basically free to do whatever you want until you go to bed at around 8 or 9 p.m. – this may at first sound like a very, very long time. Especially if you’re used to watching TV all the time, constantly checking your e-mails and spending more time on Facebook than in the real world. This is exactly what makes Dakshinayan so great, because you can be free from all of these influences. It’s hard at first, but you get used to having a lot of time with little to do. Set a few activity milestones (e.g. tea at 4 p.m.). In the meantime, your mind wanders and you find yourself thinking of the same things over and over again. This lets you realize what is important to you, what you miss from home, what you are grateful for in your life etc.

Also you have the time to do things you would probably never do at home like building mosquito net hangers with a bunch of sticks, watching ant colonies, listening to birds in trees, doing yoga at sunrise or worshipping the statue of a Hindu saint. It’s the feeling of slowing down in an accelerating world. It lets you realize how simple life can actually be, even if it’s only for a few weeks.

Now enough of all this philosophical stuff, here are some of my tips from the practical side of every day life:

• Get up extra early at least once to watch the sunrise and how nature awakes.
• Especially if you’re the only volunteer, write a diary to process your thoughts and of course as a great souvenir to read again a few decades later.
• If you come during the hot season, reduce your physical activities to a minimum. Whatever you do at 40°C is exhausting! Indians’ advice: Sleep at noon, so you don’t feel the heat.
• You should better come to terms with eating rice and potatoes for several weeks. This was one of my major problems – I’m not a big fan of either and felt the lack of vitamines after a few days, also I lost about 10kgs there. But I started taking vitamine pills, that made me feel better.
• Drink a LOT. I often drank 4 liters in one day, your body needs it! Also think about using water purification tablets, just to be sure. I also sometimes drank the unfiltered water without any problems, but if you have a sensitive stomach, maybe you shouldn’t risk it.
• There is a computer with Internet available at the project. You should resist using it, just keep your family and friends updated every once in a while, but don’t spend precious time doing things you do at home.
• Think about games you enjoyed playing when you were young and play them with the kids as a motivation/reward for good work. They will love it and so will you.
• Go and visit the villages with the teachers. You will probably not understand much of what is discussed, but it’s fascinating to see how the people live and how hospitable they are.
• A great icebreaker and pass-time is to take pictures and show them on your camera display. But once you start, it's hard to stop. "Guruji, one photo!"
• You can recharge your phone, camera etc. – no need to bring extra batteries. Don’t forget a flashlight and a swiss army knife.

I’m sure I forgot a lot of things and also I don’t want to write a huge article filled with details and things you might want to know. Actually, it’s a big part of the experience to not know everything beforehand. But of course, if you have any questions, feel free to contact me on Facebook, I would be more than happy to help you.

To finish up, I would like to thank Siddharth and all the others involved for creating this great project and giving me the possibility to participate. I can say that Dakshinayan will probably never leave me. I think of it every day. It changed how I see many things. It helped me understand what is really important to me. I’m sure in many years I will look back and smile.

Now it’s your turn.

Lucy Nacson-Jones

I was lucky enough to spend a month volunteering at Dakshaniyan in January 2011 with my friend Renne. Trying to put into words my experience at the project is actually more challenging than I thought; I don't think I will really be able to capture the effect that the place had on me.

I don't think I have ever achieved the level of contentment that I was able to get on the project anywhere else before. The environment is so calm and peaceful and what's more, very beautiful. My favourite time of the day was sunrise and sunset which allowed me to let my gaze wander upon this very special backdrop. To be in the heart of rural India was on a personal level very liberating and not at all intimidating, as I thought I might be when you are so cut off from everything. It was also a great way to see another and very contrasting aspect of Indian life to the big cities. 

The children are also of course what makes Dakshaniyan so special. We were teaching Maths and English for 3 hours (1 hour of English and 1/2 hour of Maths for each class) a day which was divided between Class 2 and 3. I was actually very glad to teach Maths as well as it allowed a bit of variety for both myself and the students. I really enjoyed the teaching and although I had difficulties trying to translate to them what I wanted them to do, particularly to Class 2 whose English isn't so good, this was all part of the challenge. It was also quite different to any teaching I have done before and meant that I really had to learn how to adapt lessons and make them the most beneficial for them. But we had some good fun along the way singing songs and playing games - educational of course! Their enthusiasm to learn is what motivates you every day and I miss their smiles and laughter that radiated around the school when they were there

Life at Dakshaniyan is very simple and a way of life that I adapted to very quickly. Waking up art 5.30 and being bed by 9.30 seemed very natural and I really had some of the best nights sleep I have ever had! Not only were we well rested, but also well fed - the food was yummy and even better knowing that you had help make it or picked the vegetables for it. I am so happy that now I can make chapati the proper way!

Living like this certainly made me question how I live in England and the extent to which we rely on 'necessities' that really are not necessities but indulgences that have become so much part of our everyday routines that we can't imagine our lives without them. I was really very grateful to have the time to contemplate these kind of things and trying to understand the differences in cultures etc.

I initially somewhat apprehensive that I may get bored when we weren't teaching but actually after planning our lessons and helping with the chores around the school, it was very easy to fill our time and the days flew by. I was very grateful for having some time to be able to do things that in England, it can be such an effort to do such as reading and writing. We also learnt some Hindi on the way and it was good fun having 'conversation exchanges' with Bansi and Shanku.

The month at the project was a very interesting insight into a grassroots organasation and the difficulties that come maintaining it - things that you don't realise until you're there. My only regret is that we were not able to have stayed there for longer than a month. I feel very lucky to have found a project like this and I have seen the true benefits that it is having on the local communities. I can only recommend volunteering here, you will no doubt have a truly amazing experience. I really hope that I too will be back there soon....If you have any questions, please email me at l.nacsonjones@gmail.com.

Couldn't stay away

I loved my Dakshinayan experience so much the first time, that I knew when I got home from India that I had to go again. I wanted to go for three months because the first time I stayed only for one which just hadn't been long enough. After one month, you feel like you've only just got into the swing of things, particularly with teaching as it takes a while to get to know the children and their abilities and its nice once you know them to continue.

Teaching in Class One

My time at the school was absolutely amazing but definitely challenging. The main reason being that I was the only volunteer for two out of the three months, whereas on my first trip, there had been four of us which completely changed the atmosphere. However, I am now so proud of myself for doing it and it meant that I was actually really encouraged and motivated to learn Hindi in order to be able to communicate more. This has also helped me further on in my travels and I can honestly say that I learnt as much from the children as they did from me.

I completely love the children. Teaching is very fun, although difficult as there is a language barrier, in particular with the younger children. You find yourself really having to use your imagination in the exercises you create and the way you present things. This can be hard but the children's enthusiasm and energy is brilliant. I will miss hearing the kids voices in my head greeting me 'Good Morning Miss' - I love it!

Class One at the temple

Dakshinayan also suited me as I loved living the simple life. Being so remote and without electricity is definitely not for everyone and I know so many people that it would drive mad. However I am so happy with the basics - delicious homemade Indian food, watching sunrise and sunset, being outdoors, having time to read and learn, going to bed early, not spending money. I think it's great and the place is just so calm. It was also fun to be there for several festivals including Republic day, Saraswati Puja and Diwali as the children get very excited.

I'd recommend going with someone, or when there are other volunteers , as it is very nice to be able to talk about your experiences with someone else. However at the same time, if you relish a challenge I would say go alone, its a terrifying experience and when I first got there I was wondering what the hell I had done. But I now feel so much more happy in myself as I have learnt that I can be content and at ease alone, other people are a bonus. I can honestly say that I will never be bored again when I am alone because Dakshinayan taught me to be creative and resourceful and to spend long amounts of time with myself!

Celebrations on Republic Day

I could literally talk about the school for hours and am happy for anyone to contact me reneeberkhout@gmail.com with questions. I have lots of good things to say and some not so good (for example I wish there were more teachers there) however, even the 'bad' things are worth experiencing for yourself as I really learnt a great deal about the troubles faced by small NGO's and also the problems in the region of Jharkhand. I was able to witness them for myself which was extremely interesting and I wish the school and any future volunteers the best of luck. It's a beautiful place.