Doing anything for the first time is hard. It’s especially hard when you’re in a totally new environment to do it. The Tushita Foundation is a unique, homely, crazy, exciting, energetic and loving place. There is nothing quite like it.

I came to India to teach business and commerce alongside English with the dream of imparting entrepreneurial impetus to the students. On reflection I think I have largely done this – from Farha telling me confidently she will be a fashion designer to Aqib telling me that one day he will have a different BMW for every day of the week – but there are some things I would have liked to have known beforehand.

I settled into my time at the Foundation with great speed and had a wonderful experience. I felt supported and loved by the people around me and saw them as an extension of my family. They made my time here a pleasure. However, there are a few pieces of advice I would give to my past self. This piece is addressed to anyone who is looking to do a similar thing, so you can hit the ground running when you arrive.

• Be adaptable

You cannot afford to have any preconceptions in this place. Those that you have will leave you profoundly shocked and will perhaps turn your view upside down. Here are a few examples of this happening:

1. Students, from their experience of the world, know far more than you think they do. I thought that discussion by their parents or on the news of interest rates would have passed over the children’s heads. For some, this was certainly the case. For others, they had astutely picked up on what was going on around them. Be ready to use the students who know these things as a weapon. They speak fluent “Hinglish” and are often your best weapon in the classroom.
2. Students can be very advanced in some areas, but lack knowledge in areas you would have considered as prerequisites. Students can calculate compound interest without a problem but then struggle to use the correct pronoun or preposition in English. Be aware of this: students will need some instruction in areas you think are trivial. This will be frustrating but is ultimately necessary to succeed.
3. Class control, noise and motivation will need to be taken care of. This I did not expect given what I was told about the students in the Foundation! Though almost always out of a burning desire to contribute rather than a desire to disrupt, you will find some students make teaching more difficult. You have never experienced this before, so use a mix of tools (using the teacher helper, engaging other students directly, mix students up to form groups with people other than their friends) to work around it.

• Be patient

Progress comes at its own pace. You need to slow your mind, tongue and expectations down. You have lived in a bubble for a very long time and being outside it for an extended period is a culture shock. You are anxious in the short time you have to maximise your impact. But remember that impact is measured in words understood and not words spoken or read. Do not let your excitement and enthusiasm leave the children behind. What good is a bus hurtling down the motorway at 100km/h with no passengers onboard?

Realise that the pleasure of teaching these children comes from seeing them explain something back to you or write something in their book that is correct and/or profound. Wait for these moments. They will come, and when they do you will be overjoyed. Seeing Jayant’s newspaper advert for his new car (his father is an artist and wants to replicate) or Rinku’s healthy fast food restaurant (he wants to introduce a chain that mixes Indian flavours with healthy fast food options) will be reward enough.

Be patient with yourself too. You cannot learn Hindi to native level in a month and a half. You cannot expect to say the right thing every time. You learn from your mistakes and you see them as hurdles on the way to the final goal.

• Be proactive

Good things do come to those who wait, but they also only come to those that are looking for them. This is a huge, diverse and profound country that is waiting to be explored. Finding its best bits require going beyond what you’re comfortable with. You will be on the go all the time and constantly exhausted, but you will make the most of your experience.

Meet locals. Have coffee with them. Ask them endless questions. Ask them to show you places only they’re likely to know about. Pack your weekend with exciting trips away from Jaipur. Learn playground games from the students that you don’t know. Embarrass yourself singing and dancing and writing in Hindi. All these things are the things you will remember from the trip.

• Learn from the teachers and students as much as they learn from you

Living in a different cultural environment, the teachers have vastly different beliefs and experiences to you. From casual conversations to the actual lessons, I learnt an immense amount from my colleagues and students. I have learned about their daily lives and concerns, their religious and cultural practices, and about how they most effectively learn. I were to have my time again I would make an effort to connect with all the teachers. I developed a strong bond with the teachers I had in my class and in teacher sessions, but this meant there were a few I was not as close to.

My advice to my past self, condensed into a single line, is “get stuck in.” You only have two months so you have to hit the ground running. It will be exhausting and crazy but necessary. I largely felt I was able to do that, but in retrospect there are some things I would have done differently.

• Why my experience was special

Though I would have changed some things, my experience overall was extremely positive. Here I would like to recognise and give thanks to the things that made it so special:

1. Veenaji: she really is the backbone of the organisation and frankly the wisest person I’ve ever met. She made me feel welcomed, guided, loved, cared for and empowered all at the same time. From watching the paneer tikka sizzling on the tandoor to dancing to Bollywood (“Main tera boyfriend, tum meree girlfriend!”) in the basement, some of my best moments were orchestrated by her. But it was the subtle underlying support that made her so special. She really felt like a mother and for that I am truly thankful.
2. India: this is a place of more colours, smells, tastes and sounds than I had experienced before. I ate amazing food; I learned how to be vegetarian; I saw beautiful elephants, monkeys and birds; I met wonderful, genuine and kind people wherever I went. I made local friends that I will keep for life. I will come back numerous times; I have experienced but a fraction of what this gargantuan country has to offer. The trips we did take out of Jaipur – to Udaipur, to Mumbai and to Goa – gave me a glimpse of the diversity of the country. Serene temples to world class nightlife to incredible verdant beaches; this country is incredible.
3. My fellow volunteers: all three of my fellow volunteers played a role in making my experience special. Victoria’s passion and knowledge about the world and issues within it made for some fascinating conversations, and I am hugely confident she will make a world class doctor. Her razor sharp attention to keeping things structured and organised kept us all in check, and her desire to get out in the fresh air on Sundays made for some fun trips out. Sandra is a very thoughtful person from whom I learned a lot, most notably to ‘pick your battles.’ I feel very strongly about many religious and political issues, but putting these views forward often alienates others despite my not wishing it to. She taught me when it is necessary and desirable to discuss an issue, and when it is not. Her passion is enormous and everyone feels it, which is highly energising. CJ is a super resilient person and served as the backbone of the group. Never phased by anything and perpetually kind, I am immensely grateful for her presence.
4. The children: never before have I met a group as eager to learn and as sharp as these children. In both Rose and Lily classes the students caught onto new concepts very easily, and very rarely caused trouble in the classroom. The final projects they produced were simply mesmerising. Intricately drawn pictures from cars to jewellery along with some intelligently considered English description of how they would start their companies characterised their work. I am confident that they will go away believing that entrepreneurship is not just for baraa log but for anyone. With an idea and some drive they will achieve great things. They will stride into the bank and understand the terms of their loan, which I hope will be transformative.
5. Lilima: I made an impassioned plea for Lilima to be chosen in the first week and it was without a doubt in my mind the right decision. She was organised, made sure I delivered what was required of me, and helped me to plan my life at the Foundation. She helped bring the best out of both me and the co teachers with her intermittent drop-ins. But perhaps more importantly she was a great personal friend with whom I could share my concerns.
6. Virendraji: a wonderful guy and a great driver; essential when you’re in the car for more than two hours a day! Being one of the only men in the Foundation, we were able to bond over our experiences and I am proud to call him a friend.
7. Bheem, Thilak and _____: without these guys I would not have the energy to do the work I do. Bheem’s food is to die for and I will sincerely miss it when it no longer forms the most part of my nutrition. His spicy concoctions have inspired me to believe that a vegetarian diet can be pleasant. The caretakers at the Foundation keep the whole place ticking over and without them we’d all be doomed
8. Jan and Rosenda: they were fantastic hosts in the first week and without their work the Foundation would be impossible. I look forward to keeping in touch with them and relaying how my experience with the foundation will contribute to the rest of my life.