Volunteer Teaching Projects in India and Nepal

In regards to the ‘hierarchy of respect’ in Hindu culture, teachers come close second to the Gods (in fact, more often than not they’re seen as the embodiment of God himself). So during the Guru Purnima festival (between June – August), volunteer teachers can experience firsthand just how it feels to be worshipped...

It is a known fact that a good teacher can ultimately determine how a child progresses through life. But oftentimes, it is not only the children who benefit from being in a classroom. Many of WAVA’s volunteer teaching programmes provide volunteers with extremely stimulating experiences.

The Guru Purnima festival is celebrated as a mark of respect to ‘Gurus’ – that is ‘teachers’. It is essentially a celebration of knowledge that gives people in Nepal and India the chance to honour their teachers and be blessed by them in return.

‘Guru‘ is a Sanskrit word, and breaking it down reveals ‘Gu‘ to mean darkness/ignorance and ‘Ru‘ to mean the removal of that ignorance. It is the Gurus that are able to enlighten the minds of their pupils, and inspire them to do better in life, so volunteers taking part in a teaching programme in Nepal or India during this time (June – August) are left in no doubt as to the importance of their presence. Be sure to take part in the cultural festivities and religious functions that are celebrated at various ashrams, monasteries and temples.

The day is basically a means to honour people of great wisdom – and it is not only academic schoolteachers that are honoured. There are many divine spiritual/religious gurus in the Hindu tradition that guide humankind on matters such as love, faith and forgiveness, and on this day they too are worshipped by their students (people who want to receive divine blessings by great teachers).

There is a guru in many of our volunteers, and for them, being a cog in a wheel that can eventually change a young child’s life is extremely rewarding.