The Small Moments That Made India Unforgettable

Over the past months, Blanca, Bianca, and Mireia have been living and working in schools across Bihar, India.

Through classroom activities, workshops, celebrations, and daily interactions with students and families, they discovered that some of the most meaningful parts of the experience happened in the small, unexpected moments.

What began as teaching slowly became something much more human.

Learning Through Creativity and Connection

Inside the classrooms, learning often started with simple activities.

Students introduced themselves in English, drew pictures of themselves, and shared their favourite foods, hobbies, and animals. These moments helped students practice language skills while creating an atmosphere where they felt comfortable participating and expressing themselves.

The activities were simple, but the energy in the classroom made them special.

“The girls support me a lot,” one reflection shared after a school visit in Nalanda.

Conversations That Matter

Not every lesson came from a textbook.

In three different schools, workshops about menstruation and the menstrual cycle created space for important conversations that many students had rarely had openly before. Together, the students created menstrual cycle bracelets to better understand and remember the different phases of the cycle.

The workshops became a reminder that education is not only about subjects and exams. Sometimes it is also about helping young people feel informed, confident, and understood.

Feeling Welcomed Into the Community

Some of the strongest memories came from moments outside normal lessons.

Before Holi, a parents’ meeting brought together families, teachers, and Development Instructors to speak about education and the importance of regular school attendance.

But once the meeting ended, the atmosphere shifted completely.

Parents began placing colors on faces as part of the Holi celebration, laughing together and inviting everyone into the moment.

What could have remained a formal school meeting became something personal and joyful.

The Kindness Hidden in Small Details

During visits to schools in Nalanda, students prepared handmade welcomes using flowers, drawings, music, letters, and colorful designs at classroom entrances.

These gestures were created with care and excitement.

For the volunteers, they became reminders that connection does not always require words.

Sometimes it is found in the effort people make to help others feel included.

Experiencing India Together

Life in Bihar was not only about teaching.

It was also about experiencing traditions, festivals, and everyday life alongside local communities and fellow Development Instructors.

Celebrating Holi in Varanasi became one of those unforgettable moments. Covered in colors beside the river, surrounded by music, laughter, and complete chaos, the experience captured something difficult to explain but easy to feel.

Joy shared between people from different places and backgrounds.

Working in rural schools in Bihar was never only about delivering lessons.

It was about relationships, trust, curiosity, and shared experiences.

Over time, classrooms became places of creativity, schools became communities, and ordinary days became memories that will stay long after the programme ends.

This blog was created from field notes and reflections shared by Blanca, Bianca, and Mireia during their experiences in schools in Bihar, India.