Embracing Collective Dreams and Empowering Change: A Glimpse into Alokito Shishu's Annual Workshop

[Farjana Yeasmin]

Hello everyone, this is Farjana Yeasmin, Co-founder of Alokito Shishu (Enlightened Children) Trust and part of the amazing SALT Team of the 'Addressing Root Causes' project in Bangladesh. I'm sharing today an amazing experience of our organization's Annual Workshop recently organized to recognize the efforts of 2023 and shaping a shared dream for 2024.
Almost at the end of 2023, on December 25th, Alokito Shishu welcomed a diverse assembly of individuals for their annual workshop, bringing altogether a harmonious blend of management, board representatives, volunteers, youths, community advocates, and technical experts. The heartbeat of this gathering was a collective endeavor to revise and restructure the organization's vision, mission, objectives, and working scopes.

The event was kicked off with a thought-provoking icebreaker, facilitated by an External Organizational Development Expert to ensure horizontal participation of everyone. Participants were prompted to envisage their own deaths and think about how they would like to be remembered by those who mattered most. Surprisingly, the responses delved into the finer points of small, impactful actions that revealed the profound significance. This exercise set the stage for a deeper exploration of individual dreams and aspirations, intertwining them with the organizational vision for 2024.

The workshop unfolded with a unique approach: participants were divided into thematic groups- i) child and youth development, ii) climate change and adaptation, and iii) enabling community empowerment. Each group engaged in a co-creation activity, expressing their dreams through drawings and colors, avoiding written words.

The outcome was not just visually striking but also conceptually profound. These artistic representations served as a powerful tool for participants to navigate through current challenges, envisioning the change they wished to see in the future. The exercise instilled a shared purpose and fueled the passion needed to pursue their collective dreams.

As discussions shifted towards actionable plans, a key lesson emerged from the moral message of the starfish story. Drawing inspiration from the recently adopted SALT journey, participants embraced the philosophy that every small action, every ripple created by an individual, holds immeasurable importance, even if the impact is felt by just one person, it's a step towards meaningful change.

In conclusion, the workshop not only restored the organizational framework but also fostered a spirit of unity, resilience, and hope. Alokito Shishu Foundation emerged from this annual gathering with a renewed commitment to catalyze change- one small, impactful action at a time. As they step into 2024, the foundation stands motivated to turn dreams into reality, guided by the belief that collective efforts can weave a thread of positive change in the lives of the people who they are committed to serve.

[Rituu B. Nanda]

Thanks for sharing the story, had not heard it before. Thanks Farjana, your insights are valuable!

[Farjana Yeasmin]

Hi Ritu! Sorry I didn't notice the comment section. To answer your question, we did the workshop very differently this year than the other years. We ensured activities to co-create our vision while linking it with the individual dreams, as we realized from SALT approach, organizational ownership doesn't come from within if the visions are not aligned with our dreams at individual levels. 

The Starfish Story is a well-known parable that highlights the impact of making a difference, even in the face of overwhelming challenges. The story revolves around a person throwing stranded starfish back into the ocean one by one. When questioned about the futility of such efforts given the vast number of starfish on the beach, the person responds, "It makes a difference to that one." The story emphasizes the significance of individual actions and the positive impact they can have on others, even if the overall problem seems very large. So it was not a drawing activity, rather it was discussed to sensitize the participants around the importance of small contributions made by each individual. 

[Rituu B. Nanda]

Am delighted to read the blog and see the pictures.What do you think you did differently in this meeting? 

Please would you share the picture of starfish drawing. Would be great to see the close up