Jules Olds
I stayed at the Ashram last August with my brother Ed. Lucy Guest was fantastic from the moment we stepped out the plane in Delhi, we never had to worry as all the logistics had already been organised by Lucy. After the train and multiple Tuc-Tuc rides later we arrived at the Ashram. Nestled being a world famous temple [I forgot the name], the ashram was our place to stay for the following three weeks. After arriving, he instantly felt humbled by the ashram, a place of inclusion, that accepts pupils regardless of the job or background of that pupil’s parent. Something very rare in semi-rural parts of India. Lucy was extremely flexible, instead of a fixed regime, day by day my brother and I were able to experiment with different styles of teaching with different pupils. From trying to help with the small library’s admin to teaching ICT, there were plenty of options, and for me that was fantastic. Most gratifying of all was the ability to see the children genuinely grow over the course of our stay, it began with collage and ended up with our mini-olympics day which got covered by the local media, we saw that our efforts made an impact. It was also difficult, as all our plans had to be adapted to accommodate for the wide spread of year groups, but it forced us to be creative with what we had. Out of the lesson we had plenty to explore, from the famous ghats on the river ganges, to Devatma’s delicious food, everyday we woke up excited for the day ahead. Do prepare yourself for spicy food though, a tip I wished I had received earlier, burning through bottles of water at the dinner table! All in all, the team at the Ashram, from the dedicated teachers, to all the children, and to Lucy. I thank you for make my trip to Varanasi a memory I will never forget, filled with surprise and laughter all the way.