Working to provide essential aid in southern India.

Project India is a very special project - a partnership between organisations including Lincoln Minster School, the Dioceses of Lincoln and Tirunelveli in Southern India, and Adventure Lifesigns Ltd. Since 2008, the project has seen teams of young adults travel to Southern India to work alongside local craftsmen and provide long-term, sustainable infrastructure to communities in need.

The students return having experienced a culture completely different to their own. Over a three-week period they learn new skills and work as a team to create something genuinely worthwhile. Individual projects have included:

• Building a viable community cafe at the local mission hospital
• Completing a similar building at the centre for the deaf
• Demolition and construction work on a hostel for future expeditions
• Clearing land designated as a fruit farm for the local community
• Construction of retail outlets for a disadvantaged community in Sankarankovil
• Teaching English in and around the local village schools

Add in lots of laughter, maybe a few tears, huge amounts of hard work and even a cricket challenge from the locals and Sixth Formers experiencing Project India are guaranteed to bring home many memories that will stay with them always.

2011 saw seventeen Sixth Formers and three members of staff complete our fourth expedition to the area. The three-day journey using coaches, planes, trains and taxis was an adventure itself. The welcome we received from our hosts was as warm and open-hearted as ever; their obvious delight to see us, together with their generosity of spirit, is truly humbling.

The project this year was to help construct a small row of retail outlets to be used by the deaf community in Sankarankovil, a town 55Km north of Tirunelveli. These shops will be used by the community to sell goods from their own bakery, tailors, farms, etc.

Students also took the opportunity to spend time with the residents of the deaf community and deaf school in Palayamkottia where we were staying. The sign language classes were great fun but they also meant that by the last week, our students were able to communicate clearly with the children of the school. At the now traditional exchange of cultures evening, songs and short plays when accompanied by signing, have never been so warmly received!

During the final week, students spent a few days in a tiger reserve deep in the forests of the Western Ghats mountain range; no tigers unfortunately but an absolutely stunning place. Before the long trip home, the last two days took in the sights and sounds from the very southern tip of India, where the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal all meet. Words from the team such as "awesome", "amazing" and "incredible" sum it all up!