Since mid-May, our volunteer Severin Neureiter has been supporting our project partners in Bangladesh and India. During a recent phone call, he shared his impressions, meaningful encounters, and insights into his current work.
Over the past few weeks, Severin has been working primarily in Dhaka. There, he regularly teaches English at our vocational training centre, helping participants improve their language skills – an important step towards better employment opportunities.
At the same time, Severin experienced Bangladesh’s rainy season firsthand. During the monsoon, heavy rain often lasted for hours, many streets were flooded, and everyday life became more challenging. Despite these difficult conditions, he continued his work with great dedication alongside our project partners.
In addition to his teaching activities, Severin also contributed his technical expertise. Together with our project partners, he assessed the electrical systems in several facilities in Dhaka and developed recommendations for improvement. The focus was on increasing safety standards and identifying where solar energy systems could be expanded in the future. Concrete recommendations for the next development steps have already been prepared for our schools and other project facilities.
Severin is currently visiting our projects in India, where he is gaining many valuable personal insights. His first stop was St. Francis Assisi School, where he received a warm welcome from the President of the Prado Welfare Society, the staff, and the students. An official welcome ceremony featuring traditional dances made the visit a truly memorable experience.
Severin also received a very warm welcome at another project in India, Golden Heaven. The residents greeted him with songs and traditional dances, giving him a moving insight into their community life. Golden Heaven is not a conventional nursing home. In addition to older people, it is also home to younger individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities, who live together in a supportive and caring community. These encounters deeply touched Severin and showed him how much joy, resilience, and solidarity are possible despite difficult life circumstances.
Another highlight of Severin’s journey was his visit to Brother Gaston. Originally from Switzerland, the religious brother has been living in India since 1972, dedicating his life to serving the poorest and most vulnerable members of society. His decades of commitment even inspired Dominique Lapierre’s international bestseller City of Joy. Together with Brother Markus, Severin visited Brother Gaston at one of his project sites and gained a profound insight into his extraordinary life’s work. He was especially moved by their conversations about Brother Gaston’s lifelong dedication and by visiting several social projects that he helped establish.
We are very grateful that Severin is contributing his time, knowledge, and dedication to our projects. His commitment is a powerful reminder of how valuable volunteer support is for the sustainable development and long-term success of our project work.
Dear Severin, thank you for your outstanding commitment! We wish you many more inspiring encounters and look forward to hearing more about your experiences from Bangladesh and India.
Learn more about our projects in India and Bangladesh.
