Project India
Namaste!
Four months ago complete strangers met up to persue a voluntary programme in India. Within two months, however, staying with the organization proved untenable. We decided to leave, but were still committed to volunteering in India. Now we're going independently of any organization.
This website is a record of our experiences.
Our group of four consists of: Lynda Mills from London, England, Jodie Giroux from Pembroke, Canada, Yvette Peterson from Denver, USA, and Ingvi Thorbjornsson from Reykjavik, Iceland. As you can see, we're an international group, but have similar ambitions of wanting to help in India.
Keep checking for updates including stories and pictures of our volunteering adventures and everything in between!
(Just below you can find a link to tvindalert, a website giving detailed information about the organization we left. There you can find published reports as well as first hand accounts from other former students and teachers who also found the organization to be unethical.)
MUMBAI!! We arrived, after midnight, and then it took us about 3 hours to get out of the airport to a hotel to sleep! Later on we walked around the city and saw some amazing architecture. Of course, we were stared at by all, but when you smile at them, they smile big right back at you! Some want money, but some are quite helpful,one man off the street showed us the restaurant we were looking for and gave back the tip we gave him, but he could of been offended at how little we gave! who knows of course but we shall learn and quick. We had a wonderful meal at a great restaurant to celebrate our arrival and the beginning of our adventure; true Indian cuisine!
Today, January 26, we changed hotels for much less, and took a ferry out to Elephanta Island. It cost 65 rupees round trip which is a little more than a dollar, about a pound. However when we arrived to see the caves, we were in for a surprise! The price was about 10 american dollars whereas the price for the Indian nationals is 10 rupees, about 20 cents! We decided to forego the caves and went exploring with a friendly native of the island, CJ. He took us off the beaten track to his small village and their temple. He also took us up the hills into the jungle to see some caves which were basically abandoned with no carvings, but quite similar to the ones we would have paid money to see. Unfortunately, now, the cows made it their home!
We took the ferry back and visited the washroom of the famous Taj Mahal hotel which was the only thing we could afford in the hotel!
After dinner we headed to the Chowpatty beach which is the "place" to be. There we ran into the poor who followed us wherever we went. It is really frustrating and we want to help, but giving them money only encourages them. Well, we hope to do our part soon.
January 26, 2001 - The bed began to shake under us just as we awoke to the smells of Mumbai. With construction going on in the hotel lobby we assumed that the brief tremors were from the workers below. It wasn't until many of us received emails from concerned friends and family that we found out that the tremors were actually the aftershocks from the earthquake that hit in the state of Gujarat, only 700 kms from Mumbai.
According to reports here, the first death toll was around 12,000 with 125,000 more people buried beneath the debris. Ironically, it happened on Republic Day, when thousands of people gathered to celebrate in the festivities.
Traveller's Tips:
For those on a limited budget, it's a good idea to prebook a hotel or hostel, taking a taxi from the airport straight there. Avoid travel firms at the airport, as they only provide a limited choice of hotel, all of which are expensive.
Don't buy anything in Bombay that you don't absolutely need, as it is one of India's most expensive cities.
HOTEL SEA-LORD: it's a rip-off!
SALVATION ARMY HOSTEL:very popular with backpackers, as it's very cheap. Advisable, therefore, to book ahead; failing that, turn up early in the morning.
LEOPOLD'S CAFE:good, cheap, extensive menu including western, indian and chinese food. Popular for breakfasts.
ELEPHANTA ISLAND:take a boat out to the island across the Arabian Sea. But beware: having made the hard climb up to the entrance to the caves, we discovered that since October 2000, the entrance fee for foreigners is 45 times more than that for Indians, i.e: Rs10 for locals, and US$10 for foreign visitors!
We decided not to go in, but you can still wander around the island and see other smaller caves. If, like us, you get really lucky, you might even get a personal guided tour from one of the island's 2,000 residents.
January 30, 2001 - Our plans for volunteer work have now brought us south, away from the aftershocks and into Goa, the smallest state of India off the coast of the Arabian Sea.
After a gruelling 15 hour bus drive from Mumbai we reached the pristine beaches of Vagator in Goa to watch the sun rise on the beach.
We will be staying here for about one week before heading further south into the state of Kerala known for its backwater canals winding through the jungle.
Although Goa is a backpackers and package tourists haven, we are using the area for its accessibility to the internet to keep in touch with volunteer organizations throughout the country where work is needed.
Goa - 28 Jan to 5 Feb. 2001
It might appear at first glance that we are just like the hoards of other pleasure seekers in our decision to sample the delights of Goa for a week. This is not entirely true however. As a group we had not been together since Norway, three months earlier and we felt it was necessary to gather our thoughts as a team and plan the next six months more definitely.
Of course to say that we didn't have a great time on the beach most days would be lying!
We chose to try Vagator, hoping for a quiet, non-party location. It didn't disappoint. There were two beaches, main Vagator and little Vagator where the cows would happily sit and contemplate before moving en masse at 1:30 p.m. Certainly a sight to behold!
On the work front, we started contacting NGO's in the state of Kerala where were heading next. Via email and telephone we managed to set up meetings with a couple of groups in Trivandrum - the state capital of Kerala.
Traveller's Tips:
DOLRENA'S GUESTHOUSE:Nice, falmily-run establishment. Rooms clean and tidy with attached bath. Good value for money. Excellent location with the beach within a couple of minutes' walk.
GARDEN VILLA RESTAURANT:very good food at reasonable prices. Also, nightly film shows at 7:30pm.
For those real cinephiles, JAWS restaurant offers two films nightly.
TIN-TIN RESTAURANT:the menu is very extensive, and caters largely to a western visitor. But the food is not so hot and, compared to other local eateries, they are very expensive.
One day in Bangalore - Feb. 6, 2001
According to our travel agent in Vagator, we could not take a bus or train directly down to Trivandrum in Kerala. Instead, we were advised to travel to Bangalore (the silicon valley of India) en route. As all trains were totally booked we got tickets on a sleeper bus for the 15 hour journey. This being India, when we turned up to catch the bus six days later, we were informed that the sleeper had been cancelled and was replaced by a bus with reclining seats only. So we arrived in Bangalore a little worse for wear, on a very hot morning.
We tooks rickshaws to a hotel only to find it fully booked. When we went to a tourist information office we discovered there were no hotel rooms available as an air show was being held in the city!
We had no choice therefore, but to return to the train station in the hope of getting a sleeper train down to Trivandrum leaving that day. Thinking this would be an almost impossible feat to achieve, imagine our surprise and joy when within minutes of getting to the window, we were presented with a confirmed booking for four sleeping berths on the 9 p.m. express (18 hours journey) to Trivandrum!
After depositing our heavy rucksacks at the station cloak room, we set off into the heart of Bangalore, (very happy!) in seach of an internet cafe.
We found a very westernized cafe which served good coffee as well. While there, we got into conversation with Mack-Louis, a Nigerian who had been in Bangalore since August. As he was starved for interaction with foreigners, he insisted on keeping us company and took us to one of Bangalore's most famous places - the 240 acre Botanical Gardens.
Bangalore is almost as frenetic as Bombay, so it was a welcome relief to escape the hustle and bustle of the streets in an oasis of trees and water.
We enjoyed a relaxing afternoon in the comany of our new-found friend. Later that evening, we returned to the train station and met up with Lokesh, a contact Yvette had established who was able to give us details of a few volunteer prgrammes in Kerala amd Rajasthan (for later in our trip.)
So the day which had started in a not very auspicious manner had ended up being a really good day - full of new encounters and pleasant experiences.
February 7, 2001 - We awoke on the train to the magnificent landscape of water canals, coconut trees and lush greenery as far as the eye could see. Yes, we had arrived in the state of Kerala, known for producing over 6.5 billion coconuts a year and its amazing back waters.
We got off the train in Trivandrum, Kerala’s capital, and a nice, manageable sized cosmopolitan city. We found the least expensive, but comfortable abode, the YMCA. Mainly male students reside there, but the staff was more than accommodating and even helped us in our search for the various NGO’s we wanted to contact.
A freelance journalist, Thommen Jose, who happened to be staying at the YMCA, found our story unique and wrote an article for The Hindu, a nationally based newspaper with weekly local features. The title - A passage to Kerala.
During the following week we contacted a number of NGO’s. The first person we spoke with was a man named Dr. George, the creator of Kerala online. His links with non-governmental organizations proved most helpful. In fact, his cousin, Mr. Varghese happens to be the program co-ordinator for a Swiss organization that funds various smaller NGOs throughout Kerala.
Another organization that we visited was Bharak Sevak Samaj (BSS,) an organization started by Nehru, the first prime minister of India. The aim of BSS was to rebuild India after it had gained independence in 1947. Their work today focuses mainly on micro-crediting and computer training and visiting the projects gave us a good insight into the work being done within the state.
Through them we were put in touch with The Dale View, a small rural development project in a village called Punalal, about an hour outside of Trivandrum. We were very impressed with the work going on when we visited, and they were happy to let us stay with them for a few weeks to help in any way we could.
Twenty-four years ago, one man, Mr. C Christudas, had a vision to help the less fortunate become self-reliant and improve the living standards of their small rural community.
His mission was to provide a sustainable environment based on the participation of the villagers in all aspects of their lives. From humble beginnings, Mr. Christudas began to create a community-based structure in order to help the most destitute of villagers. It was then that the idea for the Dale View was conceived.
With the help of his wife Shantha he began with the most basic of needs - health care, education and suitable homes. It was not an easy task, setting up an entire foundation to help the needy in almost every way. Mr. Christudas had to overcome many obstacles in his path, however through his own dedication and the kindness of others, he persevered.
Today The Dale View boasts a wide variety of projects and programmes that are creating awareness and acting as a model for rural development projects not just throughout the state of Kerala, but nationwide.
Programs include education, watershed management, agriculture and animal husbandry, micro-credit, women empowerment, programs for the disabled and backward classes, a de-addiction center, energy and environment resources, welfare activities and learning resource centre activities.
Future endeavors for The Dale View include an international training centre, disaster management training, possible links with eco-tourism ventures and a website that would promote the organization. A select few programmes at The Dale View receive government funding, however most of the projects need outside financial support in order to continue.
The Dale View accepts international volunteers as well those able to make financial contributions. For more information about The Dale View contact:
The Director
The Dale View
Punalal, P.O.
Trivandrum - 695 575
Kerala, India
Telephone: 0091-0472-882063, 882163
Fax: 0472-882063
Email: daleview@satyam.net.in
Realizing that due to the language barrier we couldn’t help much directly, we felt we could contribute more on the side of promotion. At a time when funding is needed especially now with The Dale View’s future plans, we began producing a booklet highlighting some of their achievements for prospective sponsors and donors.
Life here at The Dale View consists of rice and coconut three times a day, frequent power cuts - resulting in us becoming sweat puddles as the fans cut out - and loud…nay, blaring…music, starting at 5am, emanating from the many loudspeakers hung high in the palm trees (the latter occurring when the power is on, of course!). Don’t get the wrong idea: life here is not so bad; in fact, everyone has been incredibly welcoming and hospitable. Most exciting has been the chance to immerse ourselves in everyday Indian culture and meet local Keralan people from all backgrounds. Their poverty - by our standards - is staggering, and yet the joy with which people here live their lives is humbling.
 NGO Programme Kerala |
| Tvindalert |
| Lonely Planet |
| WebSpawner Page Machine |
Yahoo Quick Search
Send E-Mail to: project_india2001@hotmail.comCopyright © 2000 Lynda, Jodie, Yvette, Ingvi. All Rights Reserved