Community Life Competence and Inspiration

[Sanghamitra Iyengar]

Hello friends!

A deeply fulfillling 2010 to you! Let us hope the cup of inspiration overflows!!! It all started with Jean Louis' words at the Chiang Mai Knowledge Fair." If we believe that others can be the agents of change, they become the agents of change and then we are inspired" Believing communities could be the agents of change, the Samraksha team had been trying to be catalysts for change in the community for many years. We would often say...we are so charged when we are in the field!! What we had not adequately recognised was that it was a cycle of change. We were being changed!! That day at Chiang Mai and in the subsequent SALT visit, I had a blinding insight that the core driver for this "charge" as well as for all change was Inspiration. This opened a completely new way of thinking. This was reinforced with Phil's sharing on the power of stories and Gaston's on the importance of learning and transfer. Transfer of Inspiration and creation of energy and a sense of marvel, that is what the Community Life competence Process is doing.

We recently had what we called a " Spoorti Yatre" ( Inspirational journeys ) an event where community members from different districts came and shared what they felt had been a meaningful moment/ episode in their life or the story of someone who inspired them. the inspiration went around and people recognised the significance of the small and big things they were doing in their communities, around HIV and beyond. A daughter shared her mother's story of courage and determination which had rescued her from an aimless existence to caring for others; a positive woman shared her story of her bitterness and anger turning to joy and freedom when she started listening to others stories and supporting them; a father shared care of his son- in- law dying of HIV, when the young man's own family shunned him, to find that his daughter was inspired by it to become a community health care worker. Inspiration spreads and how!!

Thank you, my friends at the Constellation, for inspiring me and starting me on this wonderful journey!

[Lawan Vejapikul]

What a nice activity!!!
Now the inspiration is spreading all over the world with your sharing : )

Thanks a lot!!!

Lawan

[wiwin winarni]

Dear Sanghamitra;
Greeting from Bandung-Indonesia. Thanks for your inspiring blog on how an inspired women could stimulated and empowering her daughter to be a community health worker. That's true a little change thta could we, by vehicle of SALT approach, do concretely as one of agent of changes in our surrounding.

Keep sharing me others, since I do believe thta we all are agent of change, for better life, and live competent life.

[Rituu B. Nanda]

Dear Sanghamitra,

Heart warming! You and the Samraksha team inspire me to dream more, learn more, do more and become more.

Affectionately,

Rituu