My Time at Kanda
By Anthony Simpson, 6th December 2008
After spending a couple of days enjoying the sights, sounds and intensity of Delhi, I set off on my trip to Kanda armed with a few lines of directions, and a phone number for Mr. Verma… just in case.
The journey was more of an adventure that I had planned and it took me almost 3 days to reach the village – partly due to my lack of preparation and partly due to good old Indian public transport! Upon arriving I was made to feel instantly welcome, and met the only other volunteer staying with the family at that time, a girl called Jodie, also from the U.K.
I settled straight in and was very pleased to find the community was both peaceful and laid back, just as I had hoped. It is certainly quite a different place from Delhi and the stresses and strains of the big city were instantly forgotten. I was struck not just by the remoteness of Kanda, but also by how different it was to towns and cities on the tourist trail; the people were genuine and I was intrigued by what I saw of day to day living in rural India.
There was no pressure on me to partake in any of the ongoing activities, although I soon became involved with the construction of a storehouse behind the family residence, doing physical work where I was needed and generally lending a hand. Even with this going on I had plenty of time to relax and spend my free time as I liked: exploring the area, reading, and pursuing my interest in photography.
I found my time spent with the Verma family to be an excellent taste of ‘real’ Indian life, from the excellent food we ate with the family, right down to how a Indian household is run (in addition to the ongoing community work!). Towards the end of my stay I was lucky enough to be invited to a family celebration in a village nearby and it was a real eye-opener. Spiritual and family life are very important in India and it was fascinating to see this first hand.
My experiences both of the voluntary work and of my personal contact with the family here have taught me a great deal, and I will leave Kanda after two weeks with some great memories.
Anthony Simpson
Accountant
Brighton UK / Original Volunteer
Email-acsimpson.mall@googlemail.com
Leave a Reply