Volunteering
The White Eagles School
“I was allowed to implement my thoughts and a suggestion or two were always made by the very experienced and immensely helpful Mr. Jadeja. I would have never felt this attached to Devpur, or Kutch at large if I had come here as a tourist on a 5-day visit. The nods of recognition when I walked around the village, the numerous cups of tea offered by the locals just like that, the regular shouts of “good morning ma’am”, and the overall belonging have deeply enhanced my experience in Kutch.”
This is what one of our volunteers had to say. But why should you volunteer anyways?
Sustainability comes from the core – through your willingness to travel far and beyond, stretching the dollop of encouragement to get assimilated in the well of knowledge. What we call ‘the local way’ is nothing but being willing to adopt a slower and deeper outlook towards travelling; something that weaves narratives and learnings; when you hear the unwritten poetry of a village milkman, you are much closer to knowing the culture; because the source of it all is the people. What can possibly conceive this unyielding connection more intimately than volunteering and putting the brakes on your pace! Instead of exploring twenty-something places, you narrow down your focus on one designated culture, and in much depth.
Volunteering with us requires 4-5 hours of your daily time for 5 days a week. In exchange, you dine and stay with the family. 3 meals a day, free accommodation, and a one-of-its-kind exposure to the local subtleties. As a volunteer with us, you can choose to teach in our family-run school The White Eagles School, or if hospitality is your love language, you can also help out at the homestay itself. Let’s look at each role more diligently.
If you want to volunteer at Devpur Homestay
Here at Devpur Homestay, we swear by the Indian sentiment of hospitality. From evening aarti with my mother to accompanying every guest to the dinner table, one of the family members is always present by your side and is attentive and pro-active to your needs. As mentioned before, if you are a hospitality-enthusiast and willing to assist us in a bit of everything in the operational sphere, don’t shy away from coming forward! As a volunteer, these could be your tasks:
- Little cooking as required
- Housekeeping
- Check tourist arrival schedule
- Welcoming our guests
- Accounting (if required)
- Email and phone assistance
If you want to volunteer at The White Eagles School
‘’Dining with the gregarious, graceful and loving family of our hosts while interacting with a fairly diversified set of guests at the Devpur Homestay gave us some of the many cherished experiences and memories to take onward with us. The White Eagles is a joyous and welcoming community that freely shares insights and leaves no stones unturned in exploring ideas and taking initiatives. A lot of zest and zeal are nurtured in the students here with small and practical steps to provide them exposure to a globalized world. At the same time, the liveliness of working among young children has reignited the spark of our own curiosity and imagination, while learning to relish the simpler and slow-paced pleasures of life.’’
Mahipatsinhji, Krutarthsinhji’s late father, had devoted his waking hours to a School Master’s life, expending all his lifespan in teaching English. Right after his last assignment as Principal of Hyderabad Public School in Begumpet, his sudden paths crossed with Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar with an assortment of Devpur pictures. Shriji offered every assistance should Mhipatsinhji wish to embark upon hospitality. Instead, his passion instilled the very first bricks of the White Eagles School in our Darbargadh in 1994. This was indeed the first residential CBSE co-educational English medium school in Kutch.
Going strong with a core strength of 250 students and a student-teacher ratio of 10:1, this rural school is part of the heritage premises, making it convenient for even guests to interact with our students. Despite being an English-medium school, English is not particularly part of our day-to-day conversations in the interiors of Kutch. Some of the students may have grasped the language with comparative zeal and fluency, but a lack of conversational practices often creates a gap. And that’s where volunteers knock in.
Volunteers not only bring English, Mathematics or Science, but they bring larger possibilities for those whose external exposure is limited to their world and words. We are excited to receive volunteers adept at teaching any skill and willing to devote 5 hours a day; and in the process, gain invaluable insights about the Kutchi culture.
Write to us directly to discuss the volunteering prospects!
‘’Mr. Krutarth made everything possible for me to enjoy Gujarat cultural immersion, encouraging me to interact with locals freely without restrictions. I got plenty of time to mingle with the villagers, making new friends and visiting homes. I loved the authentic food and desserts and got an instant addiction to the Mukhaws. I made silver handcrafts with the help of the village jewellery shop. I experienced the leaking roof during the monsoon season and wet a few of my possessions to gain an understanding of how the locals live and handle the harsh environment year after year.’’ – Lily from Workaway