Rahel

Closing one door and opening another…

Dear readers,

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Rahel, and I come from the small village of Walheim in Baden-Württemberg. I am 20 years old and have finally completed my A-levels.

I have been leading a girls’ youth group at the Walheim YMCA for several years now, and I go horse riding every week. I love the outdoors, whether I’m walking, hiking, jogging or skiing. In my spare time, I also really enjoy dancing standard dances, such as the so-called ‘Discofox’. I also enjoy making music, either on my own or with others. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much time for these activities while preparing for my A-levels.

Through the annual summer camps organised by the Support Group for People with Disabilities, I developed a passion for spending time with disabled people. This is why I specifically sought a placement where I could work with disabled children and young people over a longer period of time.

The time is almost here: I will close the door on my home, where I have found so much comfort, security, trust and love, and open a new, unknown door that will lead me to India. I will be living in a rural area of India for 10 months, in Satchiyapuram, which is in the state of Tamil Nadu. I will be staying at the Elwin Centre, a home and school for children with intellectual disabilities and deaf children.

Hopefully, some doors will open for me, allowing me to gain an insight into the residential home and school. I expect to help with meal distribution, assist in lessons, organise leisure activities for the children, and support them with everyday tasks.

I hope that my voluntary service will give me the chance to rediscover and further develop my skills and qualities by immersing myself in a new culture. I also hope that this experience will inform my future career choices (perhaps I will pursue a career in special needs education). Of course, I also hope that I will be able to make many valuable connections and open many doors to people’s hearts.

I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences and the changes I undergo with you in my future blog posts.

See you soon,
Rahel