Volunteering in Kolkata - Part 1
One of our recent leavers, Emil (DO25), is spending the first six months of his gap year in Kolkata volunteering with Future Hope, a local charity that helps street children escape poverty through education, medical care, and providing homes. Emil has detailed his first few weeks below, giving us a glimpse into his days teaching at the school and settling into the community. He is keen to share his story with students considering a gap year and will send further updates, so keep an eye out for these.
Settling In
It has now been just over two weeks since I arrived safely in Kolkata, and I wanted to share some experiences, observations, and initial reflections. First off, thank you all for your generous support, which has made this project possible for me. I’ve settled in nicely here in Kolkata and, of course, at Future Hope school.
From the second I arrived, I was amazed and deeply moved by the warm welcome I received from the school and its wider community. It’s so humbling to see how lively, friendly, and welcoming the children are, despite having grown up in circumstances most of us could not even imagine. Out on the streets, though, it’s a different kind of welcome - often silent stares, not unfriendly, but more out of curiosity, as if people are wondering what on earth I’m doing here. Nevertheless, It took a few days to get my bearings, but I’m glad to say I’m starting to get the hang of things.
School Life
My days at Future Hope are structured but full of surprises. Mornings begin with a short assembly, followed by teaching and assisting with science and maths lessons across different year groups. Breaks are often spent in the schoolyard playing gully cricket or football, or sing-alongs and giving informal piano lessons to eager musicians. Music has quickly become one of my favourite ways to connect, and I’ve even started forming a small singing group of children with special educational needs. Many of them find school challenging, especially on the academic side, so the idea is to find them something different to shine in and an experience that brings joy and excitement. We’re working towards a performance at the ‘UTSAV’ Kolkata youth music festival on the grounds of the Victoria Memorial in December.
Afternoons are mostly spent playing sports, primarily cricket. I don’t think I’ve ever gone through such intense warm-ups in my life, and I’m glad to see the kids enjoy watching me struggle! Sports are taken very seriously here, and while they laugh at my efforts, they are incredibly supportive and encouraging - which sums up the warm community atmosphere at the school. Outside school, I’ve also joined a rugby club connected to Future Hope. This has been a challenge as most of the players are much older, they speak mostly Hindi and are more experienced at the sport but it has also given me the chance to discover Kolkata in a completely different way - almost living life as a local rather than just passing through as a visitor. Indeed, soon off on tour with them but that’ll be for the next update.
Evenings take me to one of the boys’ boarding houses, where children from as young as four live together in a group of around twenty. First impression: bursting with energy and chaos - which, frankly, has come to be my general impression of the city itself, in the best possible way. The kids love asking me to write maths questions for them to answer whist being completely surrounded, talking and shouting all at the same time - and they seem to enjoy teaching me rude Bengali words too! The little ones often grab my hand to show me how they’ve made their beds or folded their clothes in their drawers. They also call me “uncle” which is incredibly sweet. Dinner is eaten sitting cross-legged on the floor, with our hands. I already find the sitting part difficult, and the food often slips out my fingers, which seems to entertain the boys.
Life in the City
During the first week, the city experienced severe flooding (worst in 40 years) which made travel impossible. I ended up isolated in a small basement flat for two days - school was closed, and I had to deal with sweltering heat, power cuts and no network. It was challenging at first, but it turned into a unique opportunity where I learnt to play bridge, did lots of reading, and even started learning some Bengali, beginning with the alphabet and brushing up on what I had previously learnt. Those quiet hours of boredom and isolation turned out to be surprisingly meaningful.
My second week coincided with Durga Puja, Kolkata’s biggest and most important festival. Streets were glowing with lights, booming with music, and beautifully decorated with pandals (temporary temples). The colours, the noise, and the millions of people were overwhelming at first, and I definitely felt somewhat stuck out like a sore thumb in huge crowds, but the whole experience was unforgettable. What made it even more special was seeing how much joy the children found in it. Despite their difficult pasts, they embrace every part of life here with the same energy – this seems to be a common trait whether it’s a festival, a rugby match, or just messing around in the boarding house - it’s incredibly humbling and inspiring.
Life here has been a big change from home; washing clothes by hand and eating without cutlery to navigating this frenetic city as well as figuring out how to make lessons fun and clear for the children with different levels of English. Most of the time, people speak Hindi or Bengali with each other, which makes it hard to follow conversations. I often have no idea if my efforts to speak Bengali are polite or accidentally rude, but people are patient and forgiving, and I’m slowly learning more about this new culture. Someone said to me recently that if I were here just as a tourist, I would never have experienced half of this. Being a volunteer gives me connections and routines that allow me to see things almost from the inside, as if living like a local at times. It’s not always easy, but it’s what makes this time so special.
Looking Ahead
I’m excited to continue teaching, staying involved in sports, and develop the singing group in preparation of the competition. Every day brings a new challenge and a new story, and I’m very grateful for your support in making this possible.
Your donations have covered so much of the related costs for this volunteering work, but more than that, they’ve allowed me to dedicate myself fully to these children. Every smile, every small achievement, and every burst of laughter reminds me of how valuable this opportunity is.
I look forward to updating you again in a month’s time with a new report.
All the best, your man in Kolkata, Emil
