Debbie, after retirement, did not want to sit and lead a sedentary life. She has accumulated a lot of knowledge and many useful skills. Plethora of experience in dealing with different people and situations, she has the right combination to be a very effective volunteer. So, she wanted to put all this to good use. Debbie, naturally wanted to do something for other people in order to give back to the world. She definitely wanted to volunteer. She wanted to combine her interest to learn about other cultures and her desire to travel.

When she was searching for volunteer programmes, she came across BGC and was happy to know that this programme is run by the same people that she had volunteered with a few years earlier. She again registered with us. Earlier, she volunteered in our Dharamshala programme, this time she wanted to volunteer in our Delhi programme. People like Debbie, do wonders where they volunteer. With her background in dealing with mentally and physically differently-abled children, she volunteered at Mother Teresa’s Jeevan Jyoti center for such children. It was a pleasure to see her so well accepted by the children and helpers and she felt very much at home providing extra pair of hands in whatever area she was needed.

Lynette was looking for volunteering holiday- a birthday gift to herself. She really liked being in India – learning about its culture, friendly people, smiles from people even in the face of difficult circumstances, colours that encourage to live colourfully, food which is satiating , flavourful and paradise for vegetarians. So, her choice was to return to India through BGC, with the same people that she had volunteered with earlier in Delhi. This time she chose Dharamshala as her place to volunteer for two reasons- one to be with the mountains people and their culture of simple thinking and high living; and the other to learn more about Budhism and the struggles of Tibetan people and their culture.

Lynette spent a week living near Dalai Lama’s temple, hear him speak and interact with other Lamas to learn about Budhism. The serene environment was an added bonus.

For next two weeks she volunteered at a Special Services Centre of Harmony Through Education. She taught one-on –one through the use of computers in smart classes. She was able to achieve goals set by the special educators and herself.

Lynette was able to do sightseeing also during this time. Her trip to Amritsar was organized by BGC. She participated in Sikh Golden Temple activities like taking part in prayers, serving and cooking food in kitchen serving thousands of people everyday 24x7, and listening to melodious hymns. She witnessed the India Pakistan border ceremony and was very amused.

To understand the requirement of a special group, it is important to understand the group and how the group accepts different aspects of the programme. For this reason, i went to South Africa to attend the 2 weeks programme of A Fresh Chapter for cancer survivors and caregivers. A group from AFC is going to attend our programme in Feb 2019 for 2 weeks.

I came back with new appreciation of the AFC format, its very positive effects of attendees, changing their perspective on their medical condition, giving a lot of hope to LIVE the life, bonding with each other and working towards healing themselves & others.

I am neither a cancer patient nor a caregiver, but i also benefitted from this programme and came back a new person.

I am very excited to hold the programme for AFC in Feb 2019 for 2 weeks.

A Fresh Chapter (AFC) is an organization whose mission is to heal the emotional scars of cancer through volunteerism, meaningful travel and programmes designed to reframe adversity and redefine what is possible. With this mission, 10 very enthusiastic volunteers came in spite of their difficulties. Accompanying them were the founder of AFC and another facilitator. This was the fifth programme that I was organizing for AFC. Each programme taught me something new. And the best part was, I met the most incredible people who made others laugh; shared their stories; show camaraderie; accepted the differences of the culture from their own; showed us how not to judge others different from us; and rose above the adversities they were facing with grace and dignity. I am forever grateful for AFC to give us, the people who came in touch with them on daily basis throughout their 2 weeks stay with us, the opportunity to broaden our horizon and learn about the world of cancer and how to hold space for people going through their difficult time.

“In India, I experienced love from children who had no clue who I was. They only knew I was there out of LOVE. I met cancer survivors and caregivers who accepted me for who I am, despite my diagnosis. I learned that self-care is very important to survival. Also, I learned the tool of HOLDING SPACE. I had no clue what this meant. Once I found out, it became an integral part of how I interact with people, especially my family and friends. Getting involved with A Fresh Chapter closed the gap of possibility and probability, reintroducing a sense of purpose into my life”. – As expressed by Rachel to AFC