Cerys Jones, an undergraduate Media student, volunteered with the Missionaries of Charity in India for a little over a month. Read below part one of two sharing her account.
I am grateful for the incredible opportunity to have volunteered for six weeks during the summer in the unique city of Kolkata. One of India’s largest cities, this bustling, chaotic and magical metropolis is located in the state of West Bengal.
I came here to volunteer with the Missionaries of Charity organisation, a social care charity and religious order founded by Mother Teresa in 1950. Since then, this order’s nuns, staff and volunteers have been serving the city’s poorest and most vulnerable inhabitants, ranging from widows and orphans to those suffering from incurable disease and social exclusion, for example leprosy and HIV/ Aids patients. This organisation works tirelessly to improve living conditions for people in Kolkata, and has grown into an international movement seeking social justice and caring for the poorest of the poor. The Missionaries of Charity run homes in over 133 countries, but its first home was founded here in Kolkata by Mother Teresa.
different aspects of the programme including working with artists and assisting with opening receptions, as well as administrative duties. I also welcomed and interacted with the public, helped with exhibitions and photo documentation, and even researching funding. This experience gave me a comprehensive and detailed perception of how the space is managed and the residency is organised.