What struck me most was the generosity with which we were welcomed everywhere—each person, despite their poverty, contributed what they could.
Isabel Alcobendas
GAES Collado Villalba – Dharamsala (India), in collaboration with the Casa del Tíbet
It was a unique and deeply enriching experience. When they called me and invited me to be part of this project, I couldn’t believe it. I had been waiting for my moment for years, and I believe it couldn’t have come at a better time.
In Dharamsala, we visited a monastery, a care home, a school, and a senior center. It was fun, because beyond just word of mouth, the people from the village helped us make announcements over the loudspeaker—and the response was amazing. People kept coming, some elderly who could walk on their own, and others helped by family or neighbors, coming to get tested and see if we could fit them with a hearing aid.
What struck me most was the generosity with which we were welcomed everywhere—each person, despite their poverty, contributed what they could. Some invited us in for tea; others, like at the school, had us eat with the children in their humble kitchen. A true example of kind and grateful people.
One special moment, if you can call it that, was seeing the constant smiles and astonished expressions of people hearing certain sounds again for the first time—like a dog barking.
I loved walking through the village and recognizing people we had seen and fitted the day before—how they came up to greet us, thrilled with their new reality and excitedly telling us how things had already improved.