Hanne and Anoda's school was very impressed by SISP and advised them to do their internships there. The young women knew little about SISP so they decided to do a little research. They wanted to know what SISP was, what they did and what they had already achieved. Once they looked at the website and the travel reports of others, they were convinced. They definitely wanted to do their foreign internship in Kovalam with SISP.

How was it to arrive in Kovalam?
On February 2, 2009 we arrived after a long flight to Kerala. Paul arranged good accommodation for us. The first week we explored the region. We were so taken by Kovalam; it was beautiful, we were warmly received, we were in paradise. Only then did we understand why people talked about "God's own country". You need to go there to know what they mean.

You went on internship to SISP, how did it go?
Our internships started on February 9. That first week we learnt how the organisation functioned, what was expected of us, and about the circumstances of the children. From the beginning we were faced with the harsh reality that is a big part of India: poverty. People living in poverty receive little or no support from the government. Fortunately, there are people like Paul Van Gelder who dedicate their lives to such people.

The teaching was done in English - how did you manage?
It was soon apparent to us that the English that we are used to speaking is not always applicable to children. They do their utmost to speak English but some words are difficult for them to understand. Only then do you realise how important it is to have a common mother tongue. On the basis of key words and non verbal communication, you soon learn to express yourself better.

How was it for you as Westerners to work in Indian society?
We were faced with the position of women within Indian culture and soon found that they are unjustly treated. We had to deal with some of that injustice ourselves. It is not easy for a Western woman to live with Indian values and standards: our education differs very much from those of young Indian women. They are not allowed to have opinions, and they should listen and do what their husbands tell them to do. To be accepted by the people (and community) we would also have to accept these values and standards. If we did not, we're stared at by the men and women.

The staff within SISP showed a different behaviour to the local population. This is probably partly due to the fact that they work with Paul and that he also has his European values and standards. The staff learned about the European values and norms without ignoring their own. We were very warmly received, guided and supported. Everybody was very curious to hear where we were from and what our plans were. With the female staff, we soon had a good relationship, which evolved into a relationship of trust. With the men it went a little slower, they had to get know us first, they were also very modest. Despite our cultural differences we built good friendships.

Working with children was wonderful. We have done our best to teach the children something, but they also taught us a lot.