100 kids who don't speak English and me

I've just finished my fifth session at Jyothis School, my volunteer placement. The school is one of two local institutions supported by Kerala Link (www.kerala-link.org.uk), a small charity started ten years ago by a British woman. Jyothis is a school for children with mild to moderate learning disabilities, age range around four to late teens.

The kids are lovely - and completely exhausting. They're all passionate about balloons and colouring, so I spend a lot of my time sharpening pencils. The two kids pictured are Jithis and Sutana, both very able and, like a lot of the kids here, would probably be in a mainstream school in the UK. Most of the children are keen to engage and join in, although others are quiet and withdrawn. It would be good to work with each of them over the next couple of months, but it's the ones who shout loudest (in Malayalam - they have no English) who are demanding my attention right now. Not sure how to get round that, as there's only one of me and around 100 children.

We attempted some simple stitching today, my idea being to work one-to-one with an older girl. Seconds after producing the canvas and threads from my bag, I could feel a dozen little hands tugging hard at my churidar (I've given up on the saree!) and demanding to join in. Chaos and a mess of tangled thread ensued, while I tried (with limited success) to distract them with the lure of colouring on another table.

The school has a headteacher, but the big cheese is Achen (the priest). Religion plays a huge part in Keralan life, with probably 100 percent of Mavelikarans signed up to either Hinduism or Christianity. Schools, colleges, universities and, for all I know, hospitals and supermarkets are all spearheaded by senior religious figures, who are hugely respected, revered even, by the kids and staff.

My particular Achen (real name Rama) seems an OK guy, and I like his wife Lindsay a lot (I was sold when I discovered she has two pet cats, allowed free run of the house - unheard of in most places here). The kids seem to be happy and well cared for, and I've been made very welcome and allowed free rein. NB any ideas for very simple projects would be gratefully received.