When the Dreams We Once Saw Come True…

[Shahrukh Atpade]

When the biggest dreams of our lives come true, it becomes difficult to express the feelings and happiness that arise in our hearts. Yet, I always try to put my emotions into words.

For the past several years, Avani Sanstha has been consistently working on SALT activities. During this time, Ritu Nanda visited the organization, conducted SALT activities with all the staff, and also facilitated a Dream Building session. At that time, one dream was shared that people from around the world would visit the organization and show interest in the changes brought about through the SALT process. We saw this dream in August 2024, and it came true in November 2025 when two professors and eight students from Denver University, America, came to visit Avani Sanstha. During their visit, they explored various projects of the organization and learned about its work.

On December 3rd, they met the Avani Smile Team. The session began with an interesting and engaging introduction activity. Everyone shared their name, their mother’s name, and their mother’s favorite food. Hearing this question, everyone paused for a moment because no one had ever introduced themselves by talking about their mother. Everyone introduced themselves beautifully. This warm beginning filled us with enthusiasm.

After the introductions, we began the SALT activity. The Avani Smile Team conducted the entire session. As soon as the questions were asked, everyone recalled the good moments of their lives and started speaking. One of the professors, whose name was Nikki, shared her feelings first. She said, “I have twin children, and managing both my job and my home was very difficult for me. At that time, I made changes within myself. I wanted to give time to my children as well as to my work. Now I’m able to manage my kids, home, and job very well. This was possible because of my self-reliance.” In the same way, everyone shared their experiences. They were speaking in English, and although we could not fully understand the language, the emotions on their faces made their feelings very clear to us. Everyone participated wholeheartedly and openly in the discussion.

After that, we presented a PPT that explained SALT, CLCP, and the changes brought about at the village level through SALT activities. The PPT included information about the positive changes seen among young children, adolescents, men, women, and elderly people. We also shared the research done by the community regarding the idea of a “Happy Village.” They expressed their reflections on SALT and appreciated how people are using their own strengths to bring change.

Finally, we did a reflection through AER (After Experience Reflection), where they said that they had never had such a discussion before. Although they all belonged to the same university, there were so many things they didn’t know about each other.

This visit was a big milestone in the fulfillment of a long-awaited dream one that had now become a reality.

There is a Marathi saying: “Anand gaganat mavena” meaning the joy is so great that it cannot even fit in the sky. At that moment, our hearts truly felt the same way.