We arrived in Delhi airport, September 2014, two mature age Australian women, to begin our first volunteering experience as well as our first time in India!

Luckily we had booked the Reception & Orientation program with Lha! This meant we were met at Delhi airport and taken to accommodation at the Tibetan colony before catching the bus to Dharamshala the following day.

I was pleasantly surprised with the Volvo bus, having been warned about buses in India! Arriving in Mcleod Ganj the next morning we were met by the smiling face of Rabsel which was a great relief.

From then on it was an amazing adventure of learning and new experiences. Finding the right accommodation for 3 months was the biggest challenge, I suppose, there is so much to choose from!

Meeting and working with the wonderful Tibetan staff at Lha and all my students was definitely the highlight of my time in Mcleod.

Returning in 2015 for another 3 months (this time flying up from Delhi) was an easy decision since our volunteering time in 2014 was so worthwhile. The fortnightly lunch at Ahimsa House was a great way to feel supported by the organisation as well as meeting incoming volunteers.

As a teacher from Australia I found teaching at Lha a wonderful experience. The students are so dedicated to their study and grateful for your efforts, it is very humbling. They are completely open to new activities in the classroom and it was wonderful to see their confidence and English standard improve over the 3 months that I was teaching.

Thank you everyone!

Tania Bird and Bette McFarlane

Posted on February 19, 2016