Last summer, I volunteered in India for two weeks with an organization called Uplift Humanity. I traveled to India for the first time ever with a group of 40 other high school students from the US, and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life.
We arrived at Vadodara Airport and took a bus to a small hotel about 40 minutes away from a government school in the town of Palanpur, Gujarat. For the first two days we got to know each other and the advisors that had traveled with us on the trip through ice breakers, activities, meals, etc.
Then came the part that we had all been waiting for. We woke up Monday morning and started preparation for the first activity we would be doing with the kids. My partner and I practiced our Gujarati (the language spoken in Gujarat, which was the state we were in) and made sure we had everything we needed before getting on the bus to go to the school.
I honestly had no idea what to expect when we got there, but I was taken aback as soon as I stepped off the bus. The kids were lined up outside the school, faces beaming and laughing. Many of them held colorful flowers that they offered us, and at that moment I was so glad I had made the choice to volunteer with uplift. Going from my middle-class hometown in NJ to the poverty-stricken town of Palanpur was eye-opening. Many of the kids came from broken households and poor families. Some would only come to school for the free daily meal it provided, and others to get away from home. The kids I was assigned were 13-14 years old but looked 10-11.
My partner and I were assigned our group of 7 kids and we sat down and did introductions and ice breakers with them. They each shared different aspects of their lives, starting out with small things like their favorite color or their siblings. As an Asian-American with Gujarati being my second language, I was able to communicate with the kids as we went along, with them occasionally poking fun at me when I messed up a word. I truly believe that my Gujarati improved during Uplift because I had never spoken it at that level before. Seeing them smile and eager to learn whatever I had to teach them made me glow inside. I made it my goal after the first day to give them the best learning experience possible.
Every day after we would do prep in the mornings, travel to the school teach the kids life lessons such as friendship, communication, cooperation, etc. and then come back to the hotel sweaty but content. The environment in the school was so different from any elementary or middle school that you would find in the US, and it was a culture shock, but in a good way. Sometimes my partner and I struggled to keep them all engaged and focused on the floor of the sweltering classroom, and sometimes I found myself becoming anxious and pressured when they wouldn't listen. But it all came with the experience and we were able to work through it with them each day. Through different activities and games, we formed stronger bonds with our kids and they would share more with us about their lives.
In terms of the other kids volunteering with me, we became a family, bonding on the bus rides to and from the school. We would eat together and spend time together at the hotel; I could not have asked for a better group of people to have come on the trip with me. A lot of us lived in different states and it was refreshing to meet new people with the same culture and relatively similar upbringing. We did a day trip to Udaipur, a city 4 hours away from our hotel and it was a thrilling experience. Getting off the plane none of us knew each other at all, but after coming back to the US we had a special bond. Never having been to India before, Uplift allowed me to experience it for the first time in the best way possible.
On the last day at the school, the kids performed songs and dances for us, and we performed for them as well. I resolved that I wouldn't become emotional but as soon as I saw one of my kids crying, I broke down in sobs. Leaving them after spending countless hours together over two weeks was an unbearable thought at the time.
I would like to thank Uplift Humanity, the volunteers, and especially the kids for giving me one of the best experiences I have ever been privileged enough to have. Vasudev, Nikita, Vimla, Krishna, Samir, Rahul and Aaftab: I will always remember you and the time we spent together.
Summer applications for summer 2020 open soon, so if you are thinking of volunteering for an amazing cause with amazing people, I wouldn't look further than Uplift Humanity.
