The Volunteer and the Balloon Seller
on Jen does Delhi with VSO (India), 16/Mar/2010 09:17, 34 days ago
Recently a fellow volunteer told me this story which made me laugh. She doesn’t have a blog so I’m putting up here:In Delhi if you’re in an auto that has pulled up at some traffic lights chances are you’ll be offered something to buy. This could be anything from boxes of tissues to helium balloons, photocopied books that look like the real thing to glossy mags. There can also be beggars or disabled people as there is no welfare here. The sellers can be poor also and working for someone else for a very small wage.So my friend and fellow volunteer was in an auto one day, stopped at the traffic lights and was being sold something. She shook her head and said to the seller,‘Mei volunteer hoo’ (I am a volunteer). This drew a blank look as it usually does from the hawker as the word ‘volunteer’ in India is often not understood. The concept is fairly new and sometimes it means you have to volunteer to get experience as you are not good enough to get paid yet. I find myself often going into a full explanation of the whole experienced professional coming to India to share skills and to develop Indian organisations. Unless we do that we can be pretty much looked down upon here but colleagues who work in National Volunteering tell me it’s on the up and thereis a lot of interest from people wanting to volunteer and give back to the community. VSO in India are looking into reducing the amount of international volunteers in favour of using the experience that exists already in India. International volunteers will be providing more targeted support and knowledge in the areas where it may still be needed.Anyhoo...back to the traffic lights. My friend is being offered some delightful goods she doesn’t want. This happens regularly and sometimes we are sitting targets in an auto. If you’re spotted sometimes sellers make a bee line for you because you know, we’re Westerners so therefore must be rich. She attempted an explanation in Hindi, ‘Mere pass rupaiye nahi’ (I have no money).The seller pulls out 10 rupees and offers this to her. Hilarious. This caused the driver to laugh too. She refused the cash obviously and tried to explain that she works but for an allowance, for essentially what is an average local wage. So he then pulled out a 100 rupee note and offered it to her! This story illustrates why I love this country. Just when you think it is predictable and you know exactly what will happen you get a nice surprise or someone just makes you completely smile.Pic from http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/gallery/2010/jan/02/1?picture=357553544