Sangath

Training Courses and Workshops

In the last 2 years, more than 150 workshops and training courses were conducted by Sangath with a wide range of population which includes children, young people, parents, teachers, community and other health care professionals.

Workshops for children:

We have conducted a series of workshops for children below the age of 12 years through schools and community groups like churches. The topics of the workshops include selfesteem, relationships and childhood sexuality. An art camp for four days also was conducted for children in April 2006.

Workshops for Health Care and Other NGO Professionals:

Strengthening existing resources in the community is one of the Sangath’s strengths. Workshops have been conducted for medical doctors, PHC staff and other NGO colleagues. Most of the workshops conducted for doctors and PHC staff were part of the MANAS project on improving care of persons with depression. Other examples are a workshop on working with groups and communities, conducted by Dr. Achal Bhagat in August 2006 for NGO professionals. Sangath initiated its annual intensive training program on Community Health Research Methods in 2002, through a grant from the MacArthur Foundation. We have continued to run this course every year since then. Participants for these trainings have come from all across India. In the past two years, 37 persons have participated in the training course, including 6 medical practitioners, 18 health professionals and 13 social workers.

Workshops for teachers:

Over 20 workshops have been conducted for teachers in school and colleges. The topics included orientation to learning disability, behavioral problems, learning preferences, disciplining, understanding young people, mentoring and counseling, creative teaching and inclusive education.

Workshop for children on Building Blocks

Interactive session in the class

Workshops for Young People:

More than 20 workshops were conducted for young people on various health and educational aspects. Most of the workshops conducted were done as a part of Yuva Mitr project that aimed at promoting the health and well-being of young people in the community. The workshops focused on a range of themes such as study skills, life skills, mental health, making career choices, reproductive and sexual health and relationships. Through the Yuva Mitr project, more than 200 young people in educational institutions and communities were empowered to be a reliable source of health related information for their peers.

Workshops for the Community:

Sangath has been in constant discussion and consultation with the community for all its programs. Workshops have been conducted for women, parents, couples, anganwadi workers and for lay people in the community. The topics of the workshops differ according to the population. Some examples of such workshops can be found in the respective project descriptions in this report.

With nuclear families increasing, a number of young couples have to cope with parenting without the support of experienced elders. Consequently, there is a call for more information on pregnancy and childbirth. Baby Talk is a program developed by Sangath where antenatal sessions provide information on healthy practices during pregnancy. The training aims to put couples in charge of their pregnancy and parenting. In the last 2 years, we have held classes for 10 couples

Workshop in the community

Awareness meeting with aganwadi teacher