1st Somercotes Guides experienced the trip of a lifetime visiting India in August 2018. 

With only 18 days to fit it all in, they had a busy time whizzing from one amazing experience to another.  From visiting the Taj Mahal, riding elephants, curry cooking lessons, white knuckle tuk tuk rides, trying new foods, trekking hill forts and exploring colourful markets to teaching children English as part of a community project, they couldn’t have asked for a more exciting, yet eye opening trip.

In Pune, at the World Association of Girl Guide and Girl Scouts centre called Sangam, the group met with Girl Guides and Girl Scouts from all over the world; making new friends from Argentina, Madagascar, Ghana, Rwanda, the USA and of course the UK.

The highlight of the Sangam stay were the community action projects with which the girls volunteered.  Some went to Tara Mobile Crèche, an organisation that provides care and education for children living in extreme poverty.  Others to Anand Gram, a school on a leper colony or to BKS, a centre for children with disabilities or to Maher which provides care for women with various difficulties.  Each group had a brilliant time at their project, even though it was hard work and emotionally challenging throughout.

‘As part of the task we were asked on the first day to do some arts and crafts; watching the smiles on the children’s faces was so, so touching! It reflected that the smallest and most basic things could create such an amazing atmosphere of smiles and plenty of giggles!!! The children of the primary school were so, so clever, considering the environments they were coming from and the poverty they were living in, and leaving them was the most heartbreaking thing!’

Back at Sangam the Guides cooled off in the pool, before learning about Indian culture, trying out ‘laughing yoga’, engaging in a ‘Stop the Violence’ project and body confidence sessions and of course shopping until they dropped in the local market.

‘We went all giddy in the sari shop, with fabric flying everywhere as we searched for our perfect palette and patterns among the array of colours and sparkles.’

The next adventure was beckoning so the Guides flew off to the bright lights of Delhi.  Here the Guides went all touristy and posed at every ‘snaportunity’ in front of mosques, temples and random rickshaws. The girls were also a hit with the locals, posing for so many selfies that it was like being famous!

At the elephant sanctuary the group learnt about how the elephants had been rescued from captivity and saw some of the beautiful animals at close quarters. They presented the ‘elephant blanket’, made as part of their fundraising, so a piece of 1st Somercotes will stay in India.

Then on to Agra and the selfie fest of the Taj Mahal. Everyone perfected their next profile picture amidst the awe of such a stunning building, before the heavens opened and the Guides waded their way around the Red Fort drenched by the monsoon rains.  In Jaipur the sun blazed down again as the Guides explored the lanes of markets full of colourful fabrics, trinkets and jewellery.

After two years of fundraising, the trip was a life changing and life affirming experience for all of the group members.

‘The trip has definitely shown that you can make any positive out of any kind of negative situation and to laugh no matter what! The whole group was completely out of our comfort zones but conquered every day’.

The Guides would like to say thank you to the Parish Council, people and businesses of Somercotes for all your support in helping to raise the funds to enable them to have this amazing experience.