Hello, Rachel here.  I’m an American college student and I’ve been spending my 12-week summer living in Pondicherry and working with Prime Trust.  I’ve been here 7 weeks already, and have come to absolutely love Indian people, the friends I’ve met, and the work I do here. 

Prime Trust really allows you to take part in any aspect of their work, I was able to visit the orphanage, visit the microfinance institution and interview the bank manager, and go to the homes of many women from the Self-Help Groups to better understand the people we serve. 

Formally, I’m here to do a non-profit internship for my degree program back home, as well as to work toward completing my undergraduate thesis.  My work this summer has been focused around fundraising and grant writing.  While it isn’t always the most exciting or picture-worthy job, I feel it’s something which can (hopefully!) help Prime Trust in the long run, by funding any of our existing projects or new initiatives. 

Of course no one wants to sit on the computer all day, so I also teach English at one of our Remedial Schools a few days a week.  I had no teaching experience before I came here, so it’s been a huge learning experience for me as I’ve figured out how to teach a classroom full of energetic students, let alone students of a different culture and first language.  The children are an absolute pleasure to be with even when they’re being  a pain, and within two days you have a group of 25+ new best friends who scream with joy every time you enter the room.

Other than my work with Prime Trust, living in India is much easier and much more enjoyable than I thought it would be – in leaving America I thought I was leaving a social life and comfortable living behind for 12 weeks.  But really, once you adjust to the few quirks of India (filtered water, peeling your fruit, crossing the road fearlessly) Pondicherry is a completely wonderful city to live and work in.  IVC, where I stay, has 3 rooms and there are always other interns to go out to lunch/dinner with, and we often take weekend trips by bus or train to the surrounding cities to explore temples, palaces, beaches, etc.  I really wouldn’t trade my experience here for anything J