Amy (India)

In 2010, after living and working in London for 10 years, I chose to take a career break, unsure of what to do next. I wanted to travel, but I also wanted to engage with different cultures in a meaningful way that would be beneficial to local communities. Volunteering at the school gave me the opportunity to learn about another way of life and share my skills and experiences in a constructive way.

I had not travelled to India before and I was naturally apprehensive about going to a new country and having the responsibility of teaching in a school for three months. But from day one I was made to feel so welcome and treated as a valuable member of the school community. Teaching can be challenging in any context, and the school has very limited resources, but the headmaster encouraged me to bring my own creativity to the classes and the students responded well to the tasks and games that I devised.

As a volunteer teacher you are given the unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the local culture and form special bonds with the community where you work. At school, the children have the opportunity to learn first-hand about other cultures and, of course, improve their language skills.

Working as a volunteer opened my eyes to the importance of access to a good education for everyone, at any age. The experience challenged me to reassess how I wanted to live and work, and ultimately lead me to pursue a new career in the social change sector.