When Jacopo Agostini decided to join the Lo-Ca project through the ESC HumAid programme, he wasn’t looking for comfort. He was looking for reality. After falling in love with India during a previous research trip, he wanted to return — this time not as an observer, but as someone who could contribute to local change.

Why India? Why Lo-Ca?

India fascinated him from the start:
the colours, smells, noise, endless festivals, holy men on every corner… and the contrast between beauty and poverty.
Despite all its contradictions, India stayed under his skin.

The Lo-Ca project (Local Capacity Building) was the perfect match. It focuses on supporting vulnerable communities in Ecuador, India, and Vietnam through education and local action — and India’s host organisation, OSVSWA, had been working with rural and tribal communities since 1980.

Jacopo, coming from a sociology background, wanted something completely new. Agriculture, field visits, interviews with farmers, and hands-on community work felt like the right challenge.

Life and Work with OSVSWA

Most days started in the office:
• preparing project materials in Canva
• writing funding proposals
• gathering information and documenting field activities
• creating content for social media

But the moments that truly shaped his experience happened outside — during field work in Odisha’s villages.

He joined local communities to collect data from farmers, document their stories, and support OSVSWA’s long-term projects such as RFM and IAP, which help thousands of people improve farming practices and adapt to climate challenges.

Small Local Actions with Big Impact

Through SLOCA (small local community actions), he focused on practical help:
feeding around 100 stray dogs and cows, talking to locals, understanding their daily struggles, and contributing where it mattered.

These actions, simple on the surface, created lasting support structures for animals and people in the area. And locals showed genuine gratitude — one of the strongest motivators during his stay.

Challenges That Became Lessons

Life in India wasn’t always easy. Plans changed constantly, timelines stretched endlessly, and flexibility became a survival skill. Accommodation conditions could have been better — mold, cockroaches, and lack of proper furniture were part of the reality.

Yet these challenges shaped Jacopo’s resilience. He grew in confidence, developed proposal-writing skills, deepened his understanding of community development, and learned what “sustainability” means when you’re looking directly into the eyes of the people it affects.

Would He Recommend It?

Absolutely.
But not to someone looking for comfort.
To someone ready for India’s lessons — its warmth, chaos, humanity, and its endless ability to surprise you.

Interested in volunteering abroad?

KERIC’s Lo-Ca project (ESC HumAid) sends young volunteers to India, Ecuador, and Vietnam to support sustainable community development.
If you’d like to join the next generation of volunteers:

📩 Contact Lenka → This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
More about Lo-Ca: https://www.keric.sk/en/our-projects/1626-esc-humaid-project-lo-ca

The Lo-Ca project is supported by the ESC HumAid programme.

Your KERIC team.

Articles related to the project:

Inspiring Project Activities in Odisha, India – Building Resilient Communities

Do the mandatory ESC HumAid training and apply for a humanitarian project in Vietnam, Ecuador or India

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