Letter, June 2020 from AJ Lester, volunteer at Sadhana Forest 

"Hi again John

As promised, here is a little bit about our experience with Sadhana Forest.

My wife and I volunteered at Sadhana Forest in India for 2 weeks in the middle of 2017.  We had been searching online for meaningful volunteering opportunities, and when I read about Sadhana Forest's work and way of life, I felt like we had found the perfect place.  We weren't disappointed.

Every single aspect of the way Sadhana Forest operates resonated with us deeply.  We have volunteered in many places throughout Asia over the years, and Sadhana Forest was the first place where I felt like all the different aspects of ethical and sustainable living were covered properly with nothing overlooked and no conflicts.

For example, some other volunteering initiatives we've participated in might have a mission to protect and conserve animal species, but don't do a great job at being environmentally friendly.  Or other places may work towards community development, but still treat animals poorly.  In contrast, Sadhana Forest ticks all of the boxes:  environmental sustainability on all levels (including zero waste goals), ethical treatment of animals, community development, healthy lifestyle and diet, and so on.

And all of this was in addition to the amazing changes Sadhana Forest had created through its reafforestation mission.  We were very impressed by the way the entire landscape had transformed since Sadhana Forest's inception, and the way the organisation has grown so dramatically to have such an impact from its very basic beginnings.

Not only were we impressed by Sadhana Forest's work and way of operating, but we also fell in love with the location and especially the people.  It was truly a beautiful environment to live in, filled with amazing people who we connected with deeply, and many of which we still consider good friends and remain in contact with to this day.

In short, we loved our time at Sadhana Forest.  I've been very happy to support its work by donating and will continue to do so in future, because I know the money will always be well spent on important initiatives.  I encourage everyone else to do the same, and of course, to visit and volunteer at Sadhana Forest - it will be a life changing experience :)