The in-country co-ordinator who looks after all of the i-to-i volunteers in Goa is called Jenny, and I met up with her to see what the volunteers get up to when they head to Goa for anything from 2 to 12 weeks. To start the day off, we headed to Pauline's house. Pauline and her husband Eddie are the homestay hosts for volunteers, and welcomed me in the same warm way they do all of their guests - with a smile and a cup of tea! I had a little look around the volunteer bedrooms (twin share, en suite) and they were lovely, just what you'd need after a hard day with the kids! The house is just 2 minutes walk from the main street in bustling Calangute, with everything volunteers need to feel at home.
Goa has a very high population of migrant workers - people who come from other areas of India to find work in construction, always needed in this constantly growing area of the country. The children from these families are often behind in their education due to moving around, and their families not being able to afford education for them. The majority of projects i-to-i work with focus on helping these children to gain an education - getting them up to speed enough to join mainstream school, at no cost to their parents. They also help them to learn English, which is a crucial skill if the kids are to gain meaningful employment when they grow up.
Our first visit was to Don Bosco Primary School, where volunteers help out in the infant class. These children, smartly dressed in their cute blue uniforms, were so friendly - running over to greet us as we entered their tiny classroom and keen to show off their singing skills! There are around 30 children in he class with just 1 teacher, so volunteers are really valued! The school is pretty under resourced too, and appreciates any materials volunteers can brig with them. We saw murals and pictures on the walls which past volunteers had helped the children to make, as well as listening to the English songs the kids had learned! Volunteers who are placed at the primary school spend their mornings there before heading to an orphanage in the afternoon, to help the teenage girls who live there with their homework, and to assist with mealtimes. The girls love interacting with the volunteers and are always curious to learn more about where they're from and their life back home.
Next stop for me however, was Educators Trust, a programme which has also been set up to help children from migrant worker families. There are 3 centres and volunteers could be helping out at any of them. Children here range in age from around 6 upwards, and need help with reading, writing, maths and more. They're all so keen and dedicated to their studies, and proud of the uniform they've been given to wear by the project. As we as academic classes, the centres help with music skills (they have a keyboard and several violins, so any musical volunteers are welcomed!), sports and play time. They also regularly visit slum settlements to donate clothes to children who need them.
After lunch Jenny took us to visit the third and final i-to-i project, Don Bosco Mobile School. This project started life as a school on a bus - driving around slum settlements to pick up children, stopping off when all were aboard for a lesson. As the project has grown they've been able to expand, and I was able to visit their shiny new (still under construction!) school. It's a fantastic school with beautiful classrooms, and the school bus still collects the children from their settlements and drops them back at the end of the day, except now they have a permanent base for their lessons! We peeped in as students took exams (which will assess if they're at a level where they're able to enter mainstream school) and watched as they rehearsed for the grand opening of the new building. There was singing and dancing - it's going to be a really great show!
My time with Jenny, Pauline and the staff and volunteers at the projects was fantastic. It was inspiring to see how passionate everyone is about improving the lives of the children they're helping. Although the kids have very little, they're all hard-working, polite and happy, and it was a privilege to meet them all. Such worthwhile projects really do deserve support, and I'd urge anyone considering volunteering overseas to get over there without delay! Homely accommodation, hardworking projects and fantastic support all in the paradise location of Goa makes this an ideal way to give something back to those who need it while having a fantastic experience and making memories to last forever. What are you waiting for?!
