So many of my friends and family ask me what my work entails, and it is such a hard question to answer. Just recently Bron the programme coordinator and I have been carrying out Skype interviews for Sangam Volunteers for the next season and the most frequently asked question of us was "What is a typical day like for a volunteer?" and the simplest answer is "there isn't one". Even though the events we run follow a pretty similar structure you can never know what your day will involve and that is why I like my job so much. It requires a lot of flexibility and adaptability, and my fave thing which is just "winging it" Going with the flow and just see what happens!!
Sangam is a constant hive of activity. Guests and participants coming and going, check ins and flag ceremony followed by the evening welcome ceremony. Neighbourhood walk, Wadi & Pune Challenge all to help our guests get to know their Indian surroundings, trips to Laxmi Road to get sari, punjabi, bangles, bindis and more, visits to community partners to see how they work and maybe a project with them or a Children's Fun Day and this is just what the guests get to do. Until I became a staff member I took forgranted how much planning and organisation the schedules, activities, events and meal times all take. It is hard work but when it all comes together and you see how much the participants are enjoying, learning and smiling together it is totally worth it.
My "role" is Programme Intern - which has two capacities. The first is working with Mina and running the Community Programme. Making sure the Tare are happy, learning, sharing and living as Sangam residents for an extended period of time, also planning activities and sessions to enrich their experience here and also making sure they represent Sangam to the best of their abilities at the different communities. It's a lot of fun and very rewarding and so far I have had 15 women from all over the world and from various walks and stages in their lives take part in the programme. They have all been fabulous and interesting and sometimes a challenge for me to work with but I have enjoyed hearing their stories from their communities and how much they love working there each day and seeing their confidence and leadership skills grow and develop and the friendships they have forged with each other.
The second part of my job is the other part of "programme" also running the events with the other staff, planning then leading a variety of sessions from Wagggs related sessions on Leadership and advocacy, group games, Sangam or pune tours and figuring out who does what and when on the schedule. The variety is endless.
We often joke that the main part of our job description comes at the end of our list of tasks which as the title of this blog suggests is "Any other duties as required."
Any other duties covers anything and everything at Sangam. I greet guests who arrive sometimes at 2.30am in the morning with a smile and a welcome. I help set the tables for dinner, set up videos for Bollywood films, put up Badminton nets for Indian afternoon, move tables and chairs to the campground for ceremonies outside, (attempt to) help guests get dressed up in sari, chat to everyone about their day during Chai, sell souvenirs from the Sangam shop, ask countless questions on Sangam, India, Guiding, sign people's Sangam Challenge books when they have completed a challenge and so much more and it is all part of my job.
Some of the more interesting things under this title that I have done this week include....
Being asked to spontaneously lead a group of 40 teenage Indian Girl Guides in songs and games for an hour, half of the time was me and Katrine sharing with them, the other 30 minutes they shared activities with us.
This all occurred because we were holding a World Thinking Day Event at Sangam and we had predicted around 400 Scouts and Guides would be attending. We had 15 pairs of participants ready to lead the groups but in the end over 520 guides and their leaders were in attendance. Our group enjoyed some English songs with us, then wanted to share songs and dances they had prepared. I also thought it would be fun to get the guides to teach us some of the dance moves which they were more than happy to do, it was great fun and even 14 year olds like doing the Hokey Cokey in India!
In the afternoon Sangam was holding a Google Hangout to celebrate World Thinking Day with people all over the world. We linked up with Our Chalet in Switzerland to see what they were doing with their participants and also what they had been doing to support the MDG theme of Universal Primary Education. I had been asked only the day before if I would speak about my time as a Communty Programme Participant so again I "winged it" and spoke LIVE on the internet for a couple of minutes about how important I believe education to be and what I saw and learned in India whilst working in a local community school this time last year. If you would like to see the Live hangout which we recorded the link is here. It was a really cool thing to do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_ODzKR2j3s&feature=share&t=4m34s
As part of this event for World Thinking Day we held a Charity Auction, of which one of my duties included helping to sort all the donated prizes. The Auction was a huge success and everyone enjoyed it and raised a lot of money for Sangam on the night.
Some of this went towards a surprise for everyone which happened today. In fact she arrived this morning with a jingling bell which I heard from my bedroom, I ran down to the campground to see a beautiful Indian Elephant named Roopa making herself at home.
The two guys caring for her let us feed her bananas and carrots before she got undressed, well her harness and seat got removed and she had a long drink and a shower.
It was pretty amazing to think we had organised for a real live elephant to come to Sangam and that I could spend my morning off with her, helping her have a bath. Then in the afternoon as part of the Indian afternoon session I took photos as the participants got to see her, pet her and ride her. I also got first ride alongside Fer.(Photos to follow from the sangam camera.)
All in all its a pretty awesome job even if I find it hard to explain what it is I do. I get to meet heaps of new people, try a million new things all the all in the heart of the Sangam Family in beautiful surroundings and with some of the most inspiring women in Guiding.
It's an ideal situation even with "any other duties as required!"
Sangam is a constant hive of activity. Guests and participants coming and going, check ins and flag ceremony followed by the evening welcome ceremony. Neighbourhood walk, Wadi & Pune Challenge all to help our guests get to know their Indian surroundings, trips to Laxmi Road to get sari, punjabi, bangles, bindis and more, visits to community partners to see how they work and maybe a project with them or a Children's Fun Day and this is just what the guests get to do. Until I became a staff member I took forgranted how much planning and organisation the schedules, activities, events and meal times all take. It is hard work but when it all comes together and you see how much the participants are enjoying, learning and smiling together it is totally worth it.
My "role" is Programme Intern - which has two capacities. The first is working with Mina and running the Community Programme. Making sure the Tare are happy, learning, sharing and living as Sangam residents for an extended period of time, also planning activities and sessions to enrich their experience here and also making sure they represent Sangam to the best of their abilities at the different communities. It's a lot of fun and very rewarding and so far I have had 15 women from all over the world and from various walks and stages in their lives take part in the programme. They have all been fabulous and interesting and sometimes a challenge for me to work with but I have enjoyed hearing their stories from their communities and how much they love working there each day and seeing their confidence and leadership skills grow and develop and the friendships they have forged with each other.
The second part of my job is the other part of "programme" also running the events with the other staff, planning then leading a variety of sessions from Wagggs related sessions on Leadership and advocacy, group games, Sangam or pune tours and figuring out who does what and when on the schedule. The variety is endless.
We often joke that the main part of our job description comes at the end of our list of tasks which as the title of this blog suggests is "Any other duties as required."
Any other duties covers anything and everything at Sangam. I greet guests who arrive sometimes at 2.30am in the morning with a smile and a welcome. I help set the tables for dinner, set up videos for Bollywood films, put up Badminton nets for Indian afternoon, move tables and chairs to the campground for ceremonies outside, (attempt to) help guests get dressed up in sari, chat to everyone about their day during Chai, sell souvenirs from the Sangam shop, ask countless questions on Sangam, India, Guiding, sign people's Sangam Challenge books when they have completed a challenge and so much more and it is all part of my job.
Some of the more interesting things under this title that I have done this week include....
Being asked to spontaneously lead a group of 40 teenage Indian Girl Guides in songs and games for an hour, half of the time was me and Katrine sharing with them, the other 30 minutes they shared activities with us.
This all occurred because we were holding a World Thinking Day Event at Sangam and we had predicted around 400 Scouts and Guides would be attending. We had 15 pairs of participants ready to lead the groups but in the end over 520 guides and their leaders were in attendance. Our group enjoyed some English songs with us, then wanted to share songs and dances they had prepared. I also thought it would be fun to get the guides to teach us some of the dance moves which they were more than happy to do, it was great fun and even 14 year olds like doing the Hokey Cokey in India!
In the afternoon Sangam was holding a Google Hangout to celebrate World Thinking Day with people all over the world. We linked up with Our Chalet in Switzerland to see what they were doing with their participants and also what they had been doing to support the MDG theme of Universal Primary Education. I had been asked only the day before if I would speak about my time as a Communty Programme Participant so again I "winged it" and spoke LIVE on the internet for a couple of minutes about how important I believe education to be and what I saw and learned in India whilst working in a local community school this time last year. If you would like to see the Live hangout which we recorded the link is here. It was a really cool thing to do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_ODzKR2j3s&feature=share&t=4m34s
As part of this event for World Thinking Day we held a Charity Auction, of which one of my duties included helping to sort all the donated prizes. The Auction was a huge success and everyone enjoyed it and raised a lot of money for Sangam on the night.
Some of this went towards a surprise for everyone which happened today. In fact she arrived this morning with a jingling bell which I heard from my bedroom, I ran down to the campground to see a beautiful Indian Elephant named Roopa making herself at home.
The two guys caring for her let us feed her bananas and carrots before she got undressed, well her harness and seat got removed and she had a long drink and a shower.
It was pretty amazing to think we had organised for a real live elephant to come to Sangam and that I could spend my morning off with her, helping her have a bath. Then in the afternoon as part of the Indian afternoon session I took photos as the participants got to see her, pet her and ride her. I also got first ride alongside Fer.(Photos to follow from the sangam camera.)
All in all its a pretty awesome job even if I find it hard to explain what it is I do. I get to meet heaps of new people, try a million new things all the all in the heart of the Sangam Family in beautiful surroundings and with some of the most inspiring women in Guiding.
It's an ideal situation even with "any other duties as required!"
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