Notes from the Field: IFLI India Visit

Reflections from Tina Spencer: India

We finished our first day of training with around 40 participants which include practitioners, supervisors and coordinators of the Potali project. The event began with a ritual lighting of the lamp of learning. Introductions were made by Bhimrao. Flowers were presented. The new chairman of BHT, our financial and programmatic partner, welcomed the group to their training center and encouraged us in our work with families and small children.

Miriam gave the overview of the three days and then we launched into our first session focusing on the Practices that Make Us Strong. Many practitioners are using the techniques. Several parents on the site visits told us how they are using and valuing them. Today each practitioner received a set of blue activity cards describing these practices in Marathi (the local language). We learned on the site visits that parents and practitioners are hungry for more printed materials in the local language on child development concepts. How wonderful to see the creation of these materials for parents eager to learn in support of their children. Neena led the finger holding exercise followed by a practitioner who repeated the finger holding exercise. It is a favorite among the group.

The rest of the morning was focused on a review of the programs where practitioners were very eager to share their experiences from the field. During the afternoon, we focused on reflective practice. Role plays were conducted and practitioners learned a method of giving constructive feedback based on the “sandwich” method which we renamed the “masaladosa” method.

There were many gifts from the day, but what is most exciting to see is the enthusiasm for this work in spite of great challenges.

One final anecdote from the day’s training: we did the Shower of Light Practice in the hot afternoon and re-imagined it as a Shower of Cold Water to refresh us in our work.