First Impression, February 2010
Ms. Nora Dilling


The past two weeks have given me many new impressions and I have experienced so much that I do not know where to begin.

My first arrival in Setrawa was very rough. It began when I went to the house where I would be living for the coming two months. The house looked very basic and compared to the living standards back at home it looked all so primitive. At the same time it is also a great adventure to get the experience of living with an Indian family in a village in the middle of the desert. My host family is very loving and they take good care of me. In the beginning we had to get to know each other and understand each others cultures. We found our way of communicating and they really involve me into their lives. I learned how to make some Indian dishes and got involved in their daily routine.

The language barrier is a bit of a problem… We can not have long conversations. Communicating with little English and little Hindi makes it interesting and also fun!

The school of Sambhali Trust is a nice simple building next to my house.

The children are very enthusiastic for learning English and open for new volunteers. Happy faces and ready to learn some English or play games, these are the things I really enjoy about these children. Some of the children are very introvert and shy. They need some extra guidance and empowerment. I have so many ideas what I want to do with the school. I want to make workshops for the children and art classes to improve their social skills and their self esteem. The team of Sambhali Trust is very motivated, we are brainstorming on what different classes we can do and support each others ideas. From Monday till Friday I am alone in Setrawa, but at the same time I feel that I have a great support back in Jodhpur.

The school starts at 11am till 1pm for the sewing class and girls that don’t go to government school. There are not many girls coming to this class, we have to try to motivate them and get them back in the routine.

From 4:30pm till 6pm is my class and I have all the creativity to make it how I want it to be. Around 25 children show up. In between the two classes I have spare time. I use this to prepare the lesson, drink chai with the neighbors and do yoga.

My second week has been much easier than the first. I am finding my space and really getting to enjoy the village lifestyle.