About
Greetings! :)
The summer of 2012 will remain etched in my memory as some of the happiest days of my short life so far. After quitting my first job as an engineer with a Bangalore-based property developer and real-esate firm, I headed over 3100 kilometers from home – the farthest I’d ever been away – to volunteer as a teacher at Haji Public School. Summer in Breswana features stories, images and videos from my volunteering days at HPS and life at the mountainous village of Breswana.
Breswana – Brausan in the local vernacular – spread between 7000 and 8500 ft above mean seal level on an Himalayan mountain range, is a largely agrarian village of about 2000 inhabitants. Untouched by modern facilities and conveniences city lads like me have taken for granted, the villagers lead a simple, self-sufficient lifestyle that makes the most of local resources.
Dearth of qualified teachers for higher classes forced the management of the school to open the teaching posts to volunteers from across the world. Teaching was something I’ve always wanted to do, and when I came across HPS, I didn’t think twice about applying.
After close to a hundred days in the village, it was heartbreaking for me to leave it behind. Posting stories and images is my way of dealing with post-happiness stress disorder (:P) while also satisfying that urge to share personal experiences to the world. :)
I was part of a duo that formed the first set of long-term volunteers at the school. Check the links section for more info on the school and other related blogs. You can also read more about us in the People page.
Thank you for reading!
– Felix Sebastian
08 July 2012
Updated: 13 July 2012
I had a similar experience in Chad a few years ago and I haven’t “got over” that yet. Great idea to blog about it!
I bet you can still recall most, if not all, of your student’s faces and names! :)
May you live a very long and happy life and continue with work such as what you did in Breswana.
Thank you so much. I only spent a few months there. All the goodwill and wishes should be for the school management who are giving hope of academic progress to an entire generation across three villages :)
Just discovered your blog. Will read all your posts soon! :)
:) I haven’t posted much since September ’12,after moving to Mumbai. I visited both my blogs after so long today that I have such an incredible urge to get back to posting everyday, like before. Heading back home to Bangalore for almost a week in 2 days. I should be able to update my blogs then.
I’ve updated my Bucket List on primary blog. That’s a good start, no? :P
amer kumar shan hi have a nice day