"I felt that the entire experience at Amar Seva Sangam was beneficial to me both academically and personally. The proposal writing was the part that was most beneficial academically. As a life experience, it was just amazing to see how Sangam is a world of its own within the world we know. People there are always smiling regardless of their disabilities. It was great to see that kids with physical disabilities were integrated with local village children in school. The acceptance level for people with differences is far greater amongst the school children than anything I have seen/experienced in North America."

"This summer was one of the greatest experiences of my life because of the time I spent with the children at ASSA. Although the language barrier was an issue, I found that we were able to relate on many other levels, and that really touched and impacted on me.  The kids are so amazing, it was refreshing to see such genuine love of life, despite what some of the kids have gone through , and still face on a daily basis. It has really put things in perspective for me, and made me realize that there is so much we have to be grateful for, and how easy it is to take for granted what we have so readily available to us. As a student beginning my first year of medical school, it also had additional impact on me as it made me realize that international medicine is something  I feel very passionately about, and is something I hope to pursue in the future. I had a wonderful experience and hope to return soon. I would also recommended it to all of my friends."

"The essence of my ASSA trip came about from not only how much the children had learned from me, but more importantly, what I had learned from them.  The children at this institution taught me numerous valuable life lessons.  One of which was never to complain about small petty things, as there are bigger problems in life.  I watched the struggles these children endured, such as walking and eating, things we otherwise would take for granted.  This made me realize the importance of what we have, and never to take things for granted.  Words like courage and determination outline the basis of what these children believe in and practice everyday.  Another valuable lesson I acquired was that opportunities come rarely, so every opportunity missed is an important experience lost.  An example of this demonstrated by the ASSA children was their determination and courage they showed once they had finished their semester end exams.  After their exams, they were extremely determined to enroll in computer classes for the summer and understand the logistics of the instrument.  They did not miss a single opportunity to acquire these skills, which will definitely help them in their future, as learning modern forms of technology is an opportunity and if missed is a valuable experience lost.  

I had come to ASSA with no expectations, and returned with memories and experiences I will cherish for years to come.  The value of this excursion is priceless, as no words can quite explain how much I have learned from these children and how much of what I have learned I utilize on a daily basis.  These types of opportunities are very few and to most come once in a lifetime, and to my satisfaction I did not fail to gain such an experience."

"As it sit here in my house in Mississauga,  which has solid walls on all sides, a sturdy roof, 4 bedrooms, 4 washrooms (all with western toilets, thank god.) 4 TV's, 3 computers and so on, only one word comes to mind : excess. We all know it, but rarely ever have to care about it.

This is not to say we all should make drastic changes in our lives to account for the fact that we truly have more than about 90% of the families in India could ever dream of, but it�s an idea. I visited one family on an outing in the field that housed 6 people in a room made up of 4 thin walls and a roof of sticks that covered an area about the same as a king size bed. This was home. Perhaps, we just need to keep things like this in mind when complaining about the fact that we didn't get that new iPod. Not getting something here, in most cases, isn't terminal. You can live without it.

Here�s what I saw. Despite the fact that the children who were staying at Amar Seva Sangam were, at home, undeniably living in poverty and with extreme physical disabilities, they could have easily fooled me.

That was it. That was everything to me. They are full of a kind of life that is wholly unconscionable by me, even now. They are 100x stronger than me and I wish I could watch them grow and develop into the bright futures they are all bound to, because they've all got an individual talent to offer to this world and at Amar Seva Sangam the doors have been opened for them to allow that talent to come through.

I lived in India without a computer (for the most part), TV, showers, "regular" toilets, air conditioning, a big bed, meat and a number of other things, but it is possible. These are not the necessities of life. Here�s what I did have: a roof, food to eat, water and 60 of the most remarkable children I have ever met calling me "brother". Family is the ideal that makes life worth living and at Amar Seva Sangam, there is no shortage of family. The entire campus acts as one family. Children call each other brother and sister, myself included, refer to housemothers simply as "mom" and show equal affection towards everybody. Family holds this place together, as it should in any home, and it makes these children strong and ready to continually face the battles that lie ahead of them. They are all motivated by each other and it ends up becoming a continual goal to strive for personal independence, which they will accomplish.

Those kids taught me more than they will ever know. I am forever in their debt for that. Here�s a glimpse of idea that were introduced to me, or further instilled by them during my brief time there:

motivate. inspire. change. act. live. love. cherish. teach. learn. accept. speak out. smile. trust. question. honour. educate. explore. help. initiate. defend. investigate. laugh. respect. imagine. dream. create. support. write. enjoy. listen. feel. appreciate. give. play. construct. experience. remember. I  will always remember. "

Click here to apply to become a volunteer. Click here to view photos from previous trips.