Vernon secondary Global Action students travelled to India on spring break this year, and volunteered in the small rural village of Barind, in the northwestern part of the country.
“It was an incredible, eye opening experience, that brought a great appreciation of India’s history and vibrant culture, and an opportunity to help out and connect with others in a very different part of the world,” said VSS teacher Susan Egan, who organized the project. “Although the children showed signs of malnutrition and lack of health care, they were so beautiful with their big smiles, and the villagers were wonderfully welcoming.”
“These children had absolutely nothing, yet they seemed to have everything, they were constantly laughing,” said Grade 9 student Alicia Hill-Turner. “On that last day saying goodbye to the children was heartbreaking, I just wanted to take them all home and have 100 little brothers and sisters.”
Students and their chaperones worked on a school building project with Free the Children, which is a Canadian charity all about ending child labour in Third World countries through access to education. When children are literate they have more choices and brighter futures, and Global Action students wanted to help.
In the village of Barind, the Vernon volunteers levelled the site for a playground with pickaxes and shovels, and built a brick wall on the perimeter, working in the heat. Egan would like to thank Kalamalka Rotary, and everyone who supports their Dream Auction event in the fall, for their support of the project. Kal Rotary donated $5,000 towards the school construction materials costs for the new building.
Grade 12 student Deirdra Holmwood said the countryside was lovely, with women in bright saris dotting the landscape with colour.
“It was amazing how the girls and women could walk for miles, gracefully balancing jugs, branches, and bowls filled with things on their heads,” she said.
The group also had the opportunity to see cultural sites including the Taj Mahal. They learned some Bollywood dance moves, took Hindi language lessons, and participated in leadership workshops and social issues discussions.
Grade 12 student Savannah Marshall observed that “in the rural villages of India, women and girls don’t have equal rights to the men and boys. The men showed us great respect as a group of female volunteers from Canada, and I hope that this will help even in a small way to improve how women are viewed.”
In addition to Kal Rotary, Egan would like to thank Silver Star Rotary for helping the students by donating $1,000 in scholarship funds to help students with their travel costs.
“We are so appreciative of Rotary’s support for our volunteering initiatives,” she said, adding that thanks also goes to EF tours, which organized the itinerary and accommodations.
Global Action students will be travelling to the Masai Mara area of Kenya in June 2014 to help with another school building project.
