In February–March 2025, I had the privilege of volunteering at KB Academy School in Jaigaon, northern India. Having visited the school several times before through Swed-Asia Travels, I felt it was the right time to contribute more actively. I was warmly welcomed and spent three wonderful weeks supporting students and teachers across many grade levels.

I have a background in early childhood education and have continually pursued further qualifications throughout my career in Sweden. Today, I work as a licensed primary school teacher, special educator, and Montessori teacher, with experience ranging from Pre-school to grade 10. Since 2000, my main focus has been on supporting students with learning difficulties—especially those within the autism spectrum.

During my time as volunteer at KB Academy, I was invited to participate in lessons across various classes in the mornings and work closely with teachers in the afternoons. I brought educational materials from Sweden, focusing mainly on mathematics. The goal was to introduce new tools and hands-on methods that could inspire both students and teachers. The younger students and their dedicated teachers were curious and eager to learn, asking many thoughtful questions. With the older students, we explored practical materials and educational games, which sparked great enthusiasm and many shared laughs. It was inspiring to see how much we have in common as educators, even though our school cultures are very different. Of course, the ways of teaching may differ, but the goals are often the same. I hope some of the ideas and methods I shared will be helpful going forward—because I truly saw the potential in both the students and the teachers!

KB Academy is located in a developing region and has every opportunity to grow even further. Growth does not mean becoming like “a Swedish school”, but rather finding new ways that suit the Indian context and culture. As in Sweden, I encountered students with similar learning challenges, especially within the autism spectrum. This highlights the importance of providing teachers with the tools and knowledge needed to support every child’s learning journey. I was met with openness and interest from all the teachers and am deeply thankful for their willingness to let me step into their classrooms, share ideas, and learn together. It was touching to see how proud the students are of their school, how they care for their younger peers, and how much they value their teachers and education.

Maria Montessori, who spent several years in India, laid the foundation for many educational ideas that still inspire teaching today. I shared different ways to use parts of her material, but above all, her approach to children and learning is something I carry with me everywhere—and it fits into any school environment.

This experience has broadened my perspective, and I hope it also gave something valuable to the teachers and students at KB Academy. A heartfelt thank you to Mrs. Soni, Mr. Mahesh, Mr. Siddhant, and the entire staff for making our stay so meaningful and for your wonderful hospitality.

With warm regards 

Annelie, Strängnäs Sweden

My name is Susanne and I was volunteer at K.B Academy for two month in November and December 2016.I was very well looked after by the school's founder Mr Jay Bahadur Tamang and his wife Mrs Subhala Tamang as well as their son Mahesh and his wife Soni. I was like one of the family. I helped the teacher in the classes. I was also in the kindergarten as a support for the teacher. I spoke English with the students and played games with them.

In classes I had a “Nobel theme” (Swedish Mr Alfred Nobel) where the students had to research different topics. This was presented to all the parents and we ended with a “Nobel party”.

The “KBA-family” does a fantastic work with the students, even for children and families outside the school. I am extremely grateful that I was able to take part in the activities at K.B. Academy. They taught me a lot and I hope they could learn something from me.

Susanne, Kiruna Sweden