Shaila, a third year Psychology student of University of Toronto, Mississauga volunteered with Village Ways Charitable Trust for a duration of 1 month. She shares her experience

"Working at Village Ways was a truly unique experience. On the first day, I sorted the office files, and arranged them in a systematic manner. As each day passed I was learning new things like how the village artisans made baskets out of bamboo, about the Trust's new order of Ringal baskets, the process that went into making an order a reality, gathering the artisans, and worked with the team to overcome various operational problems.

The order looked too large initially, but after a positive response from Supi village people, it no longer seemed that way. The next step was the pricing of the basket. This involved cost analysis, negotiations and lastly a concluding price which makes both the buyer and the artisans happy.

The next task at hand was our website which involved selecting the data to be posted on the website along with the pictures and format. As the days went by I got a chance to interact with the people I was working with and work was no longer work but fun! I am truly honoured that I got a chance to be a part of this great organization."

We are pleased to have volunteers like Shaila with us, and are hopeful that she volunteers again whenever she visits India.