We are delighted to report back on another successful summer of activity in rural India.

Sixteen student volunteers from across the University travelled to India this summer to live and work at the Laksh Foundation, an NGO in Haryana, India.

The Laksh Foundation focuses on creating a sustainable route out of poverty through education and offers free extra-curricular tuition and supervision to over 1000 children aged between 3-18 across five villages in the Faridabad district.

Our student volunteers worked really hard this summer and fully immersed themselves in the activities of this growing NGO and made significant contributions to it's work. They worked with the Foundation's teaching staff by devising and delivering daily workshops for them which focused on spoken and written English and mathematics as well as an array of other topics including economics, geography, philosophy and sciences. They demonstrated different styles of teaching to the Laksh teachers to encourage active learning which they could then use in their own classrooms to inspire, engage and enthuse their pupils.

As well as making a difference within the NGO, the programme also provides the student volunteers with an exciting and meaningful experience.

Students say...

I gained a greater understanding for the world around me and learned so much about myself as a person. I feel as though my perspective on the world has changed as I learn more and realise how little this makes me realise i actually know. This make me so excited to continue to learn more and again realise I know even less! I gained a family which is something i did not expect and am so thankful for. Most of all I gained such a sense of fulfilment and happiness and (as cheesy as it sounds) a feeling of peace and honour knowing i had the chance to be a part of something so special and unique.
Katie Croft (Third Year, Physics)

The programme gives you a chance to stretch yourself and develop your skills and confidence in a way that doesn't seem like work at all. What you do with the project is so rewarding, and the people around you are so kind and appreciative...More than just seeing India, you have long, deep conversations with people who have lived in these communities their entire lives, they will tell you stories which help you understand life in India in a way a standard touristy trip couldn't come close to...You gain so much from the experience...Everyone at Laksh is so appreciative of you being there because you genuinely do provide such an impact to the teachers you work with. I could not recommend this programme enough.
Matt Clark (Fourth Year, Economics)

This programme gives you the opportunity to be fully immersed in rural Indian culture, an opportunity that I believe you would otherwise never experience. As a tourist you would never be able to comprehend the lives of those who live in the villages, nor collaborate with these amazing individuals to partake in an exchange of knowledge and culture. It is so rewarding to return to Laksh in the evenings having seen then trainee teachers in action, and watching them develop in confidence over the four weeks...This opportunity is so rare and I am so thankful to have had the chance to become a member of the Laksh family.
Jenna Haill (Third Year, English and French)

Thank you to everyone who has supported the Warwick Laksh programme. Would you like to donate to the programme too? You can use our secure online donation form today.