We had choices to make, again, in Goa about how we would spend our volunteering time.
There were quite a few placements available in Aanganwadi/District Community Centres, as in Sungal, working with children up to the age of 5. The DCCs were in very varying locations. For instance, there were opportunities to help with up to 50 children at a time in 1 tiny room with no electricity (& therefore no fan) in a town slum area or to help with up to 10 children in the peaceful setting of a farmyard.(Choices illustrated above!) IDEX were also keen to start up a new school for the children of migrant construction workers, who had never experienced any education before. People were needed to help out at a Christian girls' orphanage teaching crafts & singing to girls of all ages & to provide computer education for girls. Help was required in an HIV/AIDS clinic & in 2 Old Age Homes.
We spent an interesting day touring round the various projects.
Originally we had hoped to work at the AIDS/HIV clinic, but they wanted longer-term volunteers with some previous experience or medical training - we didn't qualify on any front! We decided we'd try volunteering for five mornings a week in an old peoples' Home, along with Tim, who is training to be an Occupational Therapist. We had rather dreaded the initial visit to the Old Age Home. Like most of the DCCs & schools where volunteer help is needed, the Homes are Government run, very basic institutions. However, it didn't seem so bad first time round - but then, appearances can be deceptive, as we should know by our age. After our experiences in Goa, we are feeling a tad paranoiac about the aging process & what we can look forward to.... but we'll save that for another time.
We also signed up to give singing lessons (Howard, of course) & computer lessons (Fiona, of course) in the Orphanage for 2 afternoons a week.
There were quite a few placements available in Aanganwadi/District Community Centres, as in Sungal, working with children up to the age of 5. The DCCs were in very varying locations. For instance, there were opportunities to help with up to 50 children at a time in 1 tiny room with no electricity (& therefore no fan) in a town slum area or to help with up to 10 children in the peaceful setting of a farmyard.(Choices illustrated above!) IDEX were also keen to start up a new school for the children of migrant construction workers, who had never experienced any education before. People were needed to help out at a Christian girls' orphanage teaching crafts & singing to girls of all ages & to provide computer education for girls. Help was required in an HIV/AIDS clinic & in 2 Old Age Homes.
We spent an interesting day touring round the various projects.
Originally we had hoped to work at the AIDS/HIV clinic, but they wanted longer-term volunteers with some previous experience or medical training - we didn't qualify on any front! We decided we'd try volunteering for five mornings a week in an old peoples' Home, along with Tim, who is training to be an Occupational Therapist. We had rather dreaded the initial visit to the Old Age Home. Like most of the DCCs & schools where volunteer help is needed, the Homes are Government run, very basic institutions. However, it didn't seem so bad first time round - but then, appearances can be deceptive, as we should know by our age. After our experiences in Goa, we are feeling a tad paranoiac about the aging process & what we can look forward to.... but we'll save that for another time.
We also signed up to give singing lessons (Howard, of course) & computer lessons (Fiona, of course) in the Orphanage for 2 afternoons a week.
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