Speaking – Francisco e David

Volunteering

 After researching, we chose the programme Travel adventure & buddy for
children, in Delhi, India.
 It is a 3 week programme aimed at tutoring and teaching children from
unfortunate backgrounds and we find it very appealing. We think that it would
allow us to practise our English in a former British colony, travelling through the
country. India is an exotic Eastern country with multicultural references and
fantastic natural and monumental settings. We would also experience exciting
travel adventures.
 India is one of the biggest countries in the world. In terms of population, it is
the second biggest, with over 1.35 billion people. It has been occupied for over
50000 years and was one of the biggest territories of the British Empire It
became an independent country in 1947.
 Delhi is its capital and Mumbai is the largest city. Kolkata, Chennai and Agra are
also important cities. Its climate is tropical with monsoon seasons. There are
big rivers like the Ganges and the Bramaputra and the Himalayan mountains.
Elephants, monkeys, snakes and tigers are common wild animals.
 The population is composed mostly by hindus, around 80%. There are 14
official languages, being hindi the most spoken, but most people speak English.
Food is very spicy, including curry and since as cows are a sacred animal, beef is
rare. There are many religious monuments and the most famous is the Taj
Mahal in Agra, one of the 7 wonders of the world. Currently Indian economy is
growing fast and traffic is chaotic; most people use bikes to travel around town.
For longer distances, they prefer train.
 You should greet people with a simple Namaste and avoid eye or physical
contact, especially touching people with your shoes, which is considered rude.
Foreigners, especially, should avoid revealing clothes. Women are still
considered as playing traditional roles, especially in rural areas, as housewives
or caretakers.
 Most Indians are relaxed and tend to be late for meetings, but foreigners are
expected to be punctual. School year lasts from June to March, with a short
break in October for the Diwali, an important celebration – the Festival of Light.
Teachers are respected and are still addressed as Sir or Madam.
 The mainn difficulties would be the heat and food. We’d try to get tips from
other participants and try our best to integrate. This experience would be a
valuable tool for us, enabling us to widen our cultural background, test our
limitations and experience life outsider the programme, getting to know other
places and traditions.