Anjana Nagarkoti (6th Cohort)
Hishila Danuwar (7th Cohort)
Prerana Tamang (8th Cohort)
Rachita Shrestha (8th Cohort)
The concept of “Paying It Forward “ is about using one’s resources and abilities to help others, and Samaanta Foundation has been doing the same for 12 years. As its Fellows, four of us Anjana Nagarkoti, Hishila Danuwar, Prerana Tamang, and Rachita Shrestha followed in its footsteps through our session on teamwork and goal setting given to the children at the “Helpless Children Home” in Chobhar gate, Kirtipur. By sharing our knowledge and skills with these children, we hope to improve their lives by helping them build stronger communities. The session was given to children studying in grades 7-12. Our focus on teamwork and goal setting was particularly relevant for them to understand the importance of working together and setting goals for themselves. Additionally, by making the session entertaining and engaging, we ensured that they had a positive and enjoyable learning experience.
BACKGROUND OF THE HELPLESS CHILDREN HOME
The children’s home is currently caring for 31 children who lost their parents during the Maoist insurgency in Nepal. A couple initially co-founded the home to provide care for these children. Currently, it is sponsored by a group of young adults from Luxembourg who has raised funds from friends and relatives to support the home. The Board of Directors is currently led by Reinert Vero. Despite their difficult circumstances, the children have been able to maintain positive attitudes, and a mission called “Sharing a Smile” has been initiated to support their accommodation, education, and health.
OBJECTIVES OF THE COMMUNITY WORK
The objectives of this session were primarily focused on building a sense of community and connection among the children living in the orphanage, who did not have the presence of their parents or other family members. By participating in team-building activities, they had several opportunities to form bonds and understand each other better. These activities also helped to improve communication and collaboration among them.
Similarly, by participating in team-building activities, they were able to learn the value of working together and are more likely to engage in group activities in the future. The session also provided examples of teamwork to motivate them to take small steps to boost their innovation and creativity.
EXPECTED OUTCOME
As a result of this session, we expect to see them collaborating more often and effectively, and feeling more motivated to engage in group activities within the orphanage. Furthermore, the goal-setting session was designed to provide them with tools that would help them chart clearer goals and work towards them more efficiently. Overall, the goal is to empower them to support each other while working together to achieve their aspirations, ensuring their personal growth and development.
CHALLENGES
Initially, we faced challenges due to scheduling conflicts which required lots of planning on our part. We were also informed that there would be limited space, making it difficult to carry out all of our planned activities. Additionally, the participants had little familiarity with computers, which added to our challenges. Another obstacle we encountered was the lack of a projector.
MITIGATION
Finally, the number of participants was still lower than expected due to the aforementioned scheduling challenges. We finally settled on a date for our event, the 1st of Poush. Since the space would be limited, we decided to hold all our activities on open ground. We also decided to bring a projector from Samaanta Foundation’s office which allowed us to make our presentations, making the session more effective.
OUR LEARNINGS
Our main takeaways from conducting this session on teamwork and goal setting are, the importance of clear communication and setting realistic, measurable, and achievable goals, the value of diversity in a team, and how different perspectives can lead us to better decision-making and problem-solving. We also realized that regular progress updates help to ensure that the team stays on track and stays motivated.