India

Travel to Teach has begun excepting the first volunteers for its newest volunteer project in Rajasthan, India. T2T India is the result of the hard work of Signhild, a former T2T volunteer in Nong Khai, and her sister-in-law Gunilla. Working with a local family in Sikhar, a satellite city of Jaipur, Signhild and Gunilla are working with local schools and aid organizations to provide teaching and community development assistance to the poorest echelons of India’s highly stratified society.

Rajasthan is an area world renowned for the many stunning Mogul forts and palaces that are aesthetically woven into its urban and rural landscape. Architectural wonders such as the Lake Palace in Udaipur and the City Palace in Jaipur are ornate edifices that one has to see to believe. The famous Taj Mahal in Accra is a mere five hour bus ride from the T2T volunteer house. In addition to the many monumental attractions, Rajasthan is teeming with the rich unique culture of its people. The distinctive rhythms of Rajasthani folk music are heard sampled in music around the world. It was from this arid and serene landscape that the Gypsies or Roma s began their waves of migration westward starting as early as 300 BC. Streets in Rajasthan’s cities are vibrant multi-colored arrays of sari-clad women and turban-donned men bustling about their daily business.

And in the countryside, the road leads to the town of Sikhar, pushing through the herd of camels, passing the kids walking along the street to school, the car turns and enters through the gate where Madan and his family are waiting for your arrival. The aroma of nan bread cooking gets your mouth watering after the long journey, the peacock on the roof cocks his head to inspect the new addition to the household, the cow ‘moooos’ her greeting, you take a deep breath and smile. You’ve just started your volunteer placement at T2T India!

Read more at India Homepage.

New Program in Su Zhou, China

After a highly successful opening in Shanghai and Mian Yang, Jessie Duanmu, T2T’s China coordinator is expanding to include projects in scenic Su Zhou on the banks of the Yangtze. As the Chinese saying goes, 'Gardens to the south of Yangtze River are the best in the world, and Suzhou gardens are the best among them'.

This ancient city was founded around 500 BC on top of a series of lakes, streams and marshes, in its present incarnation water covers as much as 42% of Su Zhou’s urban area. The result is a city with Venice-like canals meandering through traditional Ming and Qing dynasty homes that have been preserved to this day. Standing on one of Su Zhou’s many arching footbridges, T2T volunteers can witness scenes of traditional Chinese life, as gondolas coast between the white-walled and grey-roofed traditional Su Zhou-style houses.

Like our programs in other cities in China, T2T volunteers in Su Zhou will be teaching at local elementary schools. Su Zhou’s temperate climate and scenic surroundings provide an ideal setting for T2T volunteers who wish to experience the quieter, less chaotic side of modern China. However, with its close proximity to Shanghai, volunteers can still go the big city, have a night out and stay at the T2T Shanghai flat on weekends, Gam Bei!

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