Summer Internship 2025 - Summer of Service and Smiles: How a VT Seva Internship in India Transformed My Heart, Mind, and Dreams

Hello, my name is Jayani Vaishnava, a current junior in high school. I’ve been volunteering in VT Seva since I was 7 years old. Growing up I noticed my passion to volunteer for a greater cause and attending A:LO:K (VT Seva’s fundraising event in Houston, TX) as I grew up it led me to wanting to attend this internship. It was incredible to see how all the donations have been usedover the course of these many years from when VT Seva started. Throughout the course of these 10 days I learned multiple lessons along with the interns that I share with you now.

As we entered the Nethravidyala school for the first time, the students all lined up and greetedus warmly. We went to the study area for the students; during this two-hour period we engaged with them and it was quite interesting learning about their day-to-day life, class schedule and their classes they took such as economics. A couple of the students during this time sang songs and danced in a classroom showcasing their passions. We had the opportunity to teach them as well! A couple of the interns and I were assigned in a room to teach around 10 students… We taught them how to have a casual debate. Debates on topics such as City vs Villages and Is Social Media Good vs Is Social Media Bad. We were impressed as they were able to grasp and had an engaging debate against each other which resulted in both teams coming to an

agreement. It was amazing seeing the keen interest they had in debate and how they put their full effort into it as they do in other tasks.

During our time in Shamshabad, we had the opportunity to visit SOE where we learned about the 108 divyadeshams and visited all of them at the statue of equality, which resides all over India. We also saw the golden Ramanuja. On this day we learned about Ramanuja’s mission which was to create equal opportunities for everyone as there were none back then. We also learned why all 108 divyadeshams were built together at the SOE, as Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji wanted to put together all of these 108 divyadeshams as visiting all 108 will take several years.

In addition to that we had the lovely experience of watching the water and light show. I have always taken pleasure in learning more about my culture, though visiting SOE a couple times prior to the internship, during this internship I learned greatly about the history. Shortly after morning prayers we performed yoga, specifically Surya Namaskar (12 asanas). In the pictures shown we had the opportunity to meet the vedic students at the gurukul.

Every glance I took around I noticed the discipline carried within everyone, in this case the vedic students. Though it was so early many of them had the energy to chant continuously the morning prayers. Later all of us interns went to the ashramam (temple) and saw the deities inside the beautiful ashramam.

Dr. Sushida gave us a tour of the JIMS medical college. It was an eye-opening exposure to medicine as we were introduced to all the various fields being taught at the college. Dr. Sushida had explained the different departments in depth. We had also visited the hospital and met a couple of doctors throughout the building learning about what they do in their specialized field as well as how their patients are treated. During our time at the hospital, us interns learned about information on the JIMS hospital through a presentation. This later led to us interns visiting the medical camps in the villages, two patients had shared their thoughts on these free medical camps and how it has helped them greatly compared to several other medical aids. We

had observed the packaging and learned about biotabs (combined medicine), homeopathy and allopathy, as well as how the medicines are produced and diluted.

Shortly after we went to the schools of the kids they provide medical aid to. Throughout this time we learned about their lifestyle, and how the medical camps benefit the students greatly.

A couple of these pictures are from when we visited Swamiji’s kuteeram.

The other pictures shown are when visiting the gaushala there. All of us interns fed the cows, spent time with them, and drank cow milk. At the time we had seen the process of how cow dung had been used to generate gas, and the dilution process of cow urine for health benefits, which led to them showcasing many of their products (medicine) that they make with the cows there and other herbal ingredients which are very beneficial.

Days passed by and before we knew it, it was time to go to allampally to teach the kids what we had been preparing to teach them beforehand for weeks. After our long bus ride from Shamshabad to Allampally we were warmly welcomed by all the students and teachers at the Allampally school, as well as in Beersaipeta when we went there for a day. Our first day in Allampally we noticed the strong will all the students had for learning the curriculum we taught them. We attended their classes and mostly taught Spoken English as our special classes were designated during a certain time. I enjoyed teaching them spoken English as the students had learned with an interest in grammar, and speech. As I taught the Piano many of them asked questions with curiosity, and tried to understand the curriculum. It was amazing to see how they

grasped so much information in 2 days as I quizzed them over one hour worth of lecture, and they had used their notes to study. The second day teaching piano, a couple of the students had already learned how to play twinkle twinkle little star and slowly learning jana gana mana as it was more complex. The students were very engaged throughout the curriculum we taught them as all of us interns had gone to different classes (2nd grade, 10th grade, 6th grade, etc) and taught them how to give presentations, a speech, and put together a short essay based on each

grade level. As school finished for the day we spent that time getting to know the students that stayed at the hostel by playing games, and learning about their interests. I also enjoyed bringing my camera, as many of the students had an interest for photography and loved using the camera to take pictures in their free time. The couple of days in Allampally and Beersaipeta had truly been a delightful adventure, leaving me with memories I will cherish forever. The students' passion, determination to study, and bonding created from learning, music, and laughter reminded me of the real importance of education. Those days not only allowed me to give but

also taught me patience, gratitude, and the necessity to share knowledge for empowering others.

As shown in the pictures we visited the villages of the students that had attended the Allampally school. We met one of the villages leader, a woman over 100 years, went to a hanuman temple and chanted hanuman chalisa, and spent time at the village’s leader’s home. These couple of hours showed us the areas of where the kids had lived, and their village’s history.The most long-lasting experiences during my VT Seva internship were those of interactions with the children at the Allampally and Beersaipet schools. Their ability to smile and take pleasure in the simplest of things, in spite of the hardships they endure, shaped my own view of what happiness and strength are like. Their commitment and perseverance made me realize howcrucial education and persistence are in daily life.

Altogether, this experience has been far more than just an internship; it has been an adventure of growth and reflection. I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for simplicity, determination, and the wisdom rooted in tradition. It has sparked my curiosity about alternative approaches to learning and healing while strengthening my connection to my cultural roots. Most importantly, it has inspired me to spread these experiences and teachings and share them with my friends and VT Seva youth volunteers. Thank you HH Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji for this incredible opportunity. I thank Madhavi Aunty, Neelima Aunty, Latha Aunty and the interns that made the internship possible. Go VT Seva!

By - Jayani Vaishnava