VSFP mess

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Monday, I arrived back to a smoggy, busy Bangalore very early in the morning. It was quite a difference from the calm relaxing Hampi.

I got back to Dr Victors house ( if you missed earlier blog, he is the man who is running the VSFP volunteer organisation which I was staying with) at about 8 am just in time for breakfast which consisted of tea with awfully gone off milk. I gave it away to one of the other braver volunteers as I really couldn't risk getting any ill-er.

My plan for the day was to spend the whole morning until 16:30 ?!?!? preparing a lesson to teach children. It only took me about 30 mins to prepare the lesson the rest of the day was spent waiting for Dr. Victor to arrive back. But he didn't, instead the daughter who was about 9 years old walked us to an evening school near the main road. I taught the lesson and then Dr Victor phoned up at about 6 on my mobile and insisted that we had to come back as it was going to rain. It never rained.

For breakfast, lunch and dinner we ate the same cold boring bean curry with plain rice. Its such a shame as the food I had experienced in India so far was so delicious and this was the only food the other volunteers had experienced so far. And considering the large amount going on living 600 rs of the 1000 daily fee ( Dr Victor told me) was going on living costs.....not sure where,..Oh well.


Tuesday, we went to a crèche for babies, who cried and poohed for 2 hours straight. We then went back for lunch and waited again until 16:30 for Dr Victor to come back but he didn't. So we walked to the evening center from the previous night and taught there again. Dr Victor came over to check on us during the eve then left again on his shiny new scooter. The managers who were running the evening center then sat with me ( while other volunteer was teaching ) and told me some stories about where the money Dr Victor was getting from us was ...or should i say wasn't going. I was getting increasingly concerned that the organization was just a con.

Over dinner I told Dr Victor that the manager at the evening center had told me to tell him we couldnt teach the next day as it was bible studies ( a direct quote , I was just repeating what he had said before ) Dr Victor then said I was confused and hadn't understood what he had said. I said I was just repeating the words. He then got angry at me, shaking his head, and raising his voice and making me look like a liar and stupid infront of the other volunteers. I just agreed with him that maybe I was wrong to keep the peace. He then phoned the manager and suddenly went very quiet. He didnt apolgize.

Later that evening one of the other volunteers complained to Dr Victor that he had to work and that teaching was not in his plan for volunteering ( he was supposed to be doing social services work ) and the other was doing waste management volunteering. All managed by one person Dr Victor.....who was also working a full time job teaching in a college. Anyways Dr . Victor came to our room and said to each volunteer what they would be doing the next day, but he missed me out. I then questioned him saying "and me" he said I would be preparing. I said ok I would spend all day preparing for an hours teaching in the evening he then said yes. I said "where is the teaching book?". He then went crazy shouting at me that I knew the book was back with his daughter and that i shouldn't moan so much. He then continued to say that I was a really bad volunteer as I was expecting too much ! I was only expecting what was documented in the emails/documentation he sent me. He was then really rude, racist and sexist towards me. The whole experience really upset me. I was there to volunteer not to sit around waiting or being bad mouthed by him.

I left first thing in the morning. I managed to get the remaining 8000 rs back from him for the days remaining. Seriously if there is a board to report this guy to as a con, I will report him.


I took my time and took a train later that afternoon to Chennai.

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