First Visit to My Workplace

Hi Crew,

Just wanted to share with you a moment from my first visit to my workplace on Monday. For those not exactly sure what I'll be doing, I'm going to be working at a local NGO here called SEEP (Social and Economic Enhancement Program) as a Child Rights Advocacy Officer. Monday was just an introduction day that consisted of a couple of meetings with my supervisor and a tour of the office. The organisation looks fantastic and seems to be doing a lot of great work - with their main focus on children and a holistic approach to child rights issues.

The highlight of my day, which particularly the CHRE uni crew at home will appreciate, was when I went downstairs to check out the drop in centre. A group of 12 child labourers aged 10-12 were there, practising a play that one of the girls had written. They were sitting in a circle as the girl directed everyone and told them their lines, etc - and then they stood up and acted out the play, which was about child labour. In the play, the girl was working in a sari factory, and when she doesn't turn up to school the other children tell their teacher why. The teacher then goes to speak to the parents and eventually the girl is allowed to go to school. This may sound simple enough to many of you, but what astounded me was how the children directed themselves and listened to the leader - who was a girl; and that this community education tool was being utilised to address what is a huge and complicated problem here. It was also so fantastic to see something I have studied being practiced at a grassroots level in a local context.

I can't wait to start work on Sunday!