Volunteering chronicles…
Volunteering chronicles…
As our seven students conclude their work in India, Malawi, and Zambia, their contributions to education, healthcare, and development have contributed towards positive changes. We share their final months at the projects.
30.09.2024 | By Lyndsay Jensen | Pictures: DRH Lindersvold
Organisation: Humana People to People India
Ana Catarina from Portugal
Self-reflections, experiences and insights.
Ana Catarina’s report in these last few months outlines her recent experiences while volunteering in Gurugram City, India. She and fellow volunteer Sofia relocated from Jajar Village and began working on an investigative report and educational projects.
Ana focused on teaching English to students through creative methods, including movement, dancing, and power poses, to boost confidence. She also upgraded her lessons to include grammar and developed a teaching method that emphasised mutual learning and respect.
Some of the goals Ana achieved during this project period:
- Enhanced group support among students
- Boosted students’ confidence in public speaking
- Promoted learning through peer sharing
- Emphasised recognition of the value of students’ own opinions
- Encouraged mutual support among students
- Strengthened students’ focus and dedication to learning
Additionally, Ana contributed to reforestation efforts in Sarsoli village by participating in a tree planting event, where she was part of distributing over 500 saplings to the local community. Together with the community, Ana also worked on initiatives for sustainable practices. Some of these included:
- Collect and compost food scraps to create nutrient-rich soil for gardening.
- Establish a composting system at home to reduce waste and promote soil health.
- Replace single-use plastic bags with durable cloth bags for shopping.
- Encourage the use of reusable bags to minimise plastic waste.
- Repurpose plastic bottles and other plastic waste as planters for gardening.
- Innovate gardening techniques that utilise recycled materials, reducing landfill waste.
Organisation: Humana People to People India
Volunteer For Change student: Sofia from Portugal
Community engagement and female empowerment initiatives.
In her final months in India, Sofia has immersed herself in various projects across different regions of India, gaining insights into local culture, tourism, and community life. In Nainital, she was warmly welcomed by the community and learned about the impact of tourism on mountain communities, reflecting on life and death perspectives. In Gurgaon, she contributed to a Slum Development Project, where she worked with fellow volunteer Ana Catarina on workshops about “Good Touch and Bad Touch” for over 100 children and engaged with participants to enhance course quality.
Her work in Sasroli involved empowering women entrepreneurs through digital marketing and business development. Sofia created an Instagram page, conducted market research, and developed a three-month plan focusing on digitalisation, product quality, and business growth. Sofia built relationships, supported women in business, and aligned her work with project goals, including promotion, product diversification, and sharing successful case stories.
Organisation: Humana People to People India
Volunteer For Change student: Lisa from Portugal
Challenges, achievements, and plans.
During Lisa’s time in India, she has engaged deeply in her role as a volunteer. Halfway through her volunteering, she connected with the project staff and contributed significantly, particularly in data collection and reporting. Despite initial challenges, such as the extreme heatwave that took place a couple of months ago, Lisa has adapted and has worked towards new goals during the last months of the project. She acknowledges language barriers as a significant hurdle but has managed to support the project through other means, such as attending meetings, assisting in progress reports, and field visits. Her prominent achievements include supporting crucial reports and data work for a partner of Humana India.
Looking ahead, Lisa plans to continue assisting the team, particularly in areas like standardised business models, while overcoming personal challenges like maintaining focus and motivation. Lisa is quick to highlight the dedication of her colleagues, particularly their strong rapport with the women they support.
What is Volunteer for Change
The Volunteer for Change programme is based on two concepts: Sustainable development and international solidarity.
The programme lasts ten months and is an opportunity to learn about the big issues of our time – and to do something about them in practical terms.
The Volunteer for Change programme provides an opportunity for people from the Global North to learn from, and volunteer with, community-driven development programmes in the Global South run by members of Humana People to People. These projects respond to challenges within the spheres of community development, education, sustainable farming, early childhood development and mitigation of the climate crisis.
The fast-paced and action-based Volunteer for Change programme takes ten months:
3 months of training and preparation in Denmark
6 months of assisting a sustainable development programme at a Humana People to people project in the Global South
1 month of reflection, evaluation, and sharing of experiences.
DRH Lindersvold – The Travelling School for Change – welcomes everyone who is interested in working together with us to address humanitarian and development challenges worldwide.
Let’s create a better world together.
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