Volunteering with Manav Sadhna

Hello David.

Welcome to Expat.com

Thanks.

Karen

Hi David, I am wondering if you ended up going to volunteer with MS. I am highly considering it and would love to hear about your experience. Thanks!

mmatice wrote:

Hi David, I am wondering if you ended up going to volunteer with MS. I am highly considering it and would love to hear about your experience. Thanks!

You have posted on an old inactive thread so you may not get a reply....

@ mmatice > As this thread is old, i invite you to create your own thread on the Ahmedabad forum so that you can receive more responses from the active members.

Thank you

Priscilla 

Hi,

By all means, if you have the interest in seriously making a difference, volunteer with Manav Sadhna.  From the moment you arrive on the grounds of Ghandi Ashram, you will know you made the right decision.  Manav Sadhna is more than just an NGO - it instantly becomes your family. 

The longer you can volunteer with Manav Sadhna, the better; I was there there for six and a half months.  This allows you to envelope the full experience, not just the work you do, but to experience the true India lifestyle.  I recommend that you take every invite into peoples homes, or even just to have chai masala with a street vendor.  Experience all the festivals and holidays.  Go to every retreat you can, especially the ones organized by Moved by Love.  Get out and travel within Gujarat or Rajasthan on the weekends; explore Palitana, Udaipur, Mt. Abu, Somnath and Diu.    Make friends with local Indians, everyone will amaze and astound you. 

After you get settled in, Manav Sadhna allows you the time to visit all of their projects before deciding which one you wish to work with some of which are:

  * work with the very young anganwadi students (basically a nursery school);
  * the Loving Community (which is the community where people with leprosy - however, this project usually doesn't need assistance, but it is an amazing place to visit and mingle with the people);
  *  the community center at Tekro slum
  *  the community center at Manav Gulzar slum
  *  there are always new projects to get involved with, especially if you have special skills - sports, boy scouts, computers, photography, etc.

Within a week of arriving there I knew where I wanted to spend my time and I loved every minute of it; a state run residential school for Standards 1 - 7, mostly funded by Manav Sadhna, called Naroda school.  It was one of the most rewarding periods of my life.

The month of May is generally closed because it is extremely hot in Ahmedabad (around 118 - 120F), though you could stay around Ahmedabad if you wanted to - the anganwadis are usually open throughout and could always use your help.  But all the volunteers usually take off and travel around India.  I did a six week adventure and visited Delhi, Leh, Rishikesh, Amritsar, Kolkata and Varanassi.  India is not just a country - it is a world unto itself that you can lose yourself in, if you allow it; and that I truly recommend you do.

At least for me, and not necessarily all volunteers, this was a spiritual experience,  It will change your life in many ways.  Just relax and take it all in. 

If you want to know more, send me your email and I will get back to you  I don't want to go on and on if you aren't interested.  I can give you contact names and such if you want and answer all your questions.

All the best,
David