The concept was simple: a young American teacher with some spare time after teaching and living in Thailand was looking to continue lending her services as an educator. Through some networking, she was introduced to a mutual friend back home who had family ties to a school in the south of India. Not only was the school in need of… Read more →
Often, when society looks at India, they see first the overwhelming poverty: the slums, the lack of sanitation, the starving children… But what many of us forget or never knew to begin with is just how much India has contributed to our world as a whole. In addition to never having invaded a country in her last 10,000 years of… Read more →
Fiona has been at the school for about a week now, and we’re so grateful to have her! Her teaching experience, positive attitude, and love for traveling make her a perfect fit for our program! Here’s a word from Fiona… “My name’s Fiona, I’m 26 and from Manchester, England. I love travelling, beaches, cycling and coffee. I’ve just spent a… Read more →
Kerala Volunteer feels extremely lucky to have Geneva Heaps joining our team! Here’s a note from Geneva… “My name is Geneva Heaps. I am 21 years old from Spokane, WA. I am currently a junior at the University of Montana. Right now my major is Cultural and Ethnic Diversity (Anthropology) with a triple minor in International and Development Studies, South and Southeast… Read more →
I’ve been waiting until the dust settles- both figuratively and literally. Not just after Mother’s Day, but after the ground shook Nepal so hard that it killed over 8,000 people, injured over 17,000, destroyed 10% of homes, and affected a quarter of the country. I’ve been waiting because we all remember Kony 2012, and increasing incidents of slacktivism, when… Read more →
Few countries are more paradoxical than India; from her snow-capped mountains to her sandy beaches, or the Indian elites and royals to the slums. Much like many other aspects of India, there seems to be quite a distinction in education across the country. While India is certainly an active competitor in the world space race, the country leaves a lot… Read more →
“Perhaps the only thing more difficult than to be indifferent to India would be to describe or understand India completely.” -A Rogue Guide to India Photo: Prayer flags in McLeod Ganj, India Photo credit: Daytona Barker, Kerala Volunteer Read more →
With all the talk about whether or not “voluntourism” is a good thing and the realization that there are a plethora of white westerners attempting to “save” those less privileged, (and often darker skinned) than them- sometimes doing more harm than good, you may be wondering if Kerala Volunteer is even worthwhile. Take a look at 5, (of many,) reasons… Read more →
Check out the amazing story behind an awesome mentor and a group of kids learning how interconnected the world really is, and notice this: The language that most of these children are communicating in is English- what a privilege it is to be born a native English speaker with one of the most spoken languages in the world being a… Read more →
Fate can really be fickle… In 1965 I joined the Peace Corps and was sent to UC Davis to learn the techniques of poultry husbandry. It was a four month program after which we were to take what we learned to the folks of Kerala, India. After successfully completing the training and about to leave with my group, I was advised on the… Read more →
