I spent a rewarding and empowering three months volunteering at Raphael. The selection process, travel preparation, visa application and travel to India went smoothly due to the support from Ryder-Cheshire Australia. As an older solo female traveller, the arrangements made by Raphael for my transport from Delhi Airport were reassuring. The new highway provided a smooth and picturesque journey to Dehradun. On arrival at Raphael I was made welcome by the other volunteers already settling into the delightful accommodation, provided for us.
The highlight of my orientation week was a dinner at the home of the Chairperson of the Governing Council with the other volunteers. This provided a comprehensive overview of how far donation dollars are stretched by careful management. There are so many areas at Raphael where the volunteers’ energies can be utilized: kitchen and café attached to the vocational training classes, garden and horticulture assistance, and craft in the work skills classes. As a retired teacher, I spent my days supporting classroom teachers, helping trainee teachers and remedial physiotherapy trainees in the Early Intervention Section. Every day was uplifting due to the dedication and professionalism of each Raphael employee. A positive atmosphere of gentle hopefulness and perseverance pervades the campus despite the complex levels of disabilities that many of the students and residents are faced with.
It was rewarding to see the work undertaken for inclusion of students into mainstream schools outside Raphael. A day excursion to see the breadth of the Community Based
Rehabilitation Program for Children where I experienced the extent to which Raphael is reaching out to children with disabilities in remote and isolated rural areas. Training of support workers is really making a difference in the lives of the children and also their families.
Leaving Raphael was a hard wrench as so many hearts and lives are being touched by the work at Raphael.
My gratitude and humility are heartfelt and I certainly hope to be able to ‘Pay it Forward’ as I settle back into my comparatively comfortable life back at home, a life which I know I will never take for granted again.
Rose