Volunteer Speak
Joe: After four months of volunteering with the Communications & Fundraising department (otherwise known as “RMU”) at Seva Mandir, I can safely say that my time here has been phenomenal. So much happened inside the last four months that I should first tell you what I didn’t do. I didn’t change Seva Mandir, I didn’t save lives in the villages, I didn’t learn Hindi, and I’m still coming to grips with the fact that I could spend the rest of my life here and still not understand India.
But I did meet an incredible group of people. The staff at Seva Mandir, while understandably busy, makes a valiant effort to include volunteers in their projects.
Wendy: When I came to Seva Mandir, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I had no idea that it was such a well-established NGO, which has been doing development work in rural Rajasthan for over forty years. I was given an assignment within the Health Department, which involved documenting the experiences of village youth who had participated in Adolescent Health Camps. I would use the stories and pictures that I collected to produce an informative brochure that would illustrate the importance of the program. Read more
Aaron: I had an excellent overall experience at Seva Mandir. I learned a lot about myself and grassroots development through the work I did and the people I met. Early on, it was really challenging getting my project started while simultaneously adjusting to everyday life in India. In the end, however, I got my main project going, and actually gained a lot of valuable experience and insight into the organization by getting involved in a variety of side projects. For me personally, the three most important keys to a rewarding stay at Seva Mandir are patience, perseverance, and initiative. It is easy to feel a bit lost and frustrated from time to time, but I think that anyone with enough self-motivation and curiosity will enjoy their time at Seva Mandir.