Monday, 11 July 2011
Volunteers in Training
Sayali and Aarti started as Volunteers in Training with us yesterday. We had Welcome Ceremony last night for our Discover Your Potential event. We have 23 participants here from Denmark, USA and India. Fun so far!!!
Thursday, 7 July 2011
ESSENCE OF INDIA III
First event of the season was great. 23 participants from USA and Canada + a group from the USA living in Japan. The youngest participant was 11 and the oldest 50+ so lots of fun!!!
Most awesome part of the event (according to me) was the visit to Aditi learning centre and to the homes of the girls from Aditi. The learning centre is about an hour and a half from Pune and on the way we checked out this HUGE Ganesh statue!
Also, saw interesting wildlife!!!
The girls were so gracious in welcoming us to their homes and introducing us to their families and their way of life!
Rice paddies were very cool!!! Hope to go back there in another event later in the season. Now getting ready for our Discover Your Potential Event that starts on Sunday with 33 participants.
Most awesome part of the event (according to me) was the visit to Aditi learning centre and to the homes of the girls from Aditi. The learning centre is about an hour and a half from Pune and on the way we checked out this HUGE Ganesh statue!
Also, saw interesting wildlife!!!
The girls were so gracious in welcoming us to their homes and introducing us to their families and their way of life!
Rice paddies were very cool!!! Hope to go back there in another event later in the season. Now getting ready for our Discover Your Potential Event that starts on Sunday with 33 participants.
ELEPHANT HUNTING
Had a couple of days off between the Volunteer Training and the first event of the season and Kamini and I went 'elephant hunting'! We didn't see any elephants but we went to this awesome park with a very cool view. Monsoon rain makes everything sooo green!!!
We had a great picnic...
We found the place where the elephants hang out (at a different time of the day) and there's this huge statue that shows might and religion working together - interesting!!!
Monday, 20 June 2011
The Volunteer Training is over and we celebrated with a traditional Maharashtrian dinner so I decided to dress up in Kamini's Grandmother's antique 9 yard sare! We then did a crazy photo shoot in the Jubilee Garden - it was heaps of fun!
Now the training is over the volunteers are at work and we are into the 2nd day of the three day community bizarre where we invite members of the community in to come and purchase all the things that guests have left here over the last season. It's awesome to have the community in and also to free up some space before the start of the event season.
The first event will start on the 27th of June and we have 23 participants coming from USA and Denmark plus some USA Girl Scouts who live in Japan. In the event we're going to be doing some visits to different schools as well as a village visit. It will be fun!
Here's a pic of Robyn from the USA our new Marketing and Communications intern, Gwen from Malaysia (Assistant Programme Manager) and the Volunteers! They are from USA, Mexico, UK and Nigeria.
Here's me and Gwen on the swing with the new HUGE tiffin that we use for our Sangam promotion session at the end of our events. We just created the session over the summer and delivered it for the first time to the volunteers. We need a bit more work!!!
And here's Mina accidently taking a photos of herself when she was trying to use Amina's camera!!!
XXX
Friday, 3 June 2011
Since last I sent an update it has continued to just be HOT HOT HOT in Pune. Two days ago the ‘pre-monsoon’ rain started. 30cm Thursday and 50cm on Friday. If this is ‘pre’ can wait for the actual ‘monsoon’!!!
Live Below the Line was awesome – thanks to everyone who sponsored me. Together we made over $1000 for poverty education and projects – very cool! If you didn’t get a chance to check out the 5 clips on YouTube about the experience. If you go to…
…you can find them all!
Hope you like the pic of Oliver (my nephew)! Kamini and I spent a 4 day weekend in Hongkong with Oliver, Dale and Yanny and of course the dogs. It was awesome to be with them and to have some time out before the start of the busy season here at Sangam.
Volunteer training starts on Monday for the next 2 weeks – we have volunteers from Nigeria, Mexico, USA and UK. Our first event for the season starts in the last week of June and it will be full on until the end of the season at the end of March.
In between Live Below the Line and Hongkong I spent the rest of May getting working hard on stuff like writing the Volunteer Training Syllabus and scheduling all the programmes for events in 2011/12 and even dating events for 2013/14!
Sonu, the new kitten is growing fast and likes to play with anything that moves. She can jump about one foot directly straight up if she feels like hassling you!
Got the day off today. Kamini, Kirti and I going to see KungFu Panda 2 – they have never been to a 3D movie. Also, going to an exhibition of recycled products put on by one of our community partner organisations – should be excellent.
More once we’re into the season and enjoying the monsoon…
jenna
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
Oliver Loves Mangoes too!!!
Hongkong for a four day weekend was AWESOME!!! Check out the clip - mostly of Ollie eating Mangoes!!! X
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