Dear Reader,
August was a month of learning, but in different ways and for different people. Some learning happened through formal training, some through exposure, and some through simply creating spaces to participate, interact and experience something different.
This month’s update is a little longer, since many things unfolded.
What We’ve Been Working On
Building Capacity Through Recognition
This month, we had the opportunity to conduct a Leadership and Personality Development Training for Anganwadi Sevikas and supervisors from the Mulund region.
The session created a space for the Sevikas to reflect on the value of their work, strengthen their communication and leadership skills, and step away from their everyday routines.
Learning the Social Security Systems For Better Rehabilitation
Social security documentation is a significant part of our work through DeepRoots. What can appear to be a simple requirement – an Aadhaar card, ration card or income certificate can often involve complicated procedures, multiple documents and several steps.
This month, the Seedling team had a learning session with Sneha, an organisation working on documentation support. The team was guided through the processes involved in obtaining important documents.
Exposure to Possibilities
In August, we also had the opportunity to host Arun Mali, a former Army officer, for a conversation with the boys at the Chembur Children’s Home.
He shared his own journey, including his experience serving at the Siachen Glacier. For the older boys especially, the interaction was an opportunity to hear about a career and a life path that may not otherwise have been visible to them.
Exposure does not necessarily tell a child what they should become. Sometimes, it simply expands the number of possibilities they can imagine for themselves.
Learning Through Participation and Competition
We continued the Dongri Ke Mastermind event at the Dongri Observation Home, with the intention of making it a regular part of the Home rather than a one-time event.
The quiz brought together not just children, but also Home Staff, , and other NGOs working in the space.
For us the value of the activity lies not only in the quiz, but in creating regular opportunities for learning, participation and healthy engagement within the home.
Team Outing — Spending Time in the Outdoors
This month, we had a unique team outing, the first one with many of our new team members. We went for a local day trek to Karnala Fort.
It was a fun experience for everyone and more importantly a way to bond with each other in an informal setting. Being outdoors, close to nature was a unique setting which felt special and broke the monotony of everyday work. It allowed for new conversations, bonding and a sense of togetherness.
One Insight from the Ground
Conference – National Consultation on Juvenile Justice Act
Seedling Foundation was invited to a “National Consultation on JJ Act commemorating 10 years of Juvenile Justice Act, 2015” hosted by Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow and sponsored by UNICEF. Karan and Sheetal from the team participated in the conference.
It was a great forum to meet people across the country working for CCLs and in Observation Homes, holding various positions including JJB Members, Probation Officers, Police Officials, Faculty members, Researchers, Lawyers, Retd. Judges, and other NGOs. It helped us better understand the realities and challenges faced in different cities by different stakeholders.
At the same time, the discussions and thought process of many of the participants was very different from our approach and beliefs, and at times it also felt extreme. Many of them wanted to completely take away the responsibility and accountability from the children and place it on their surroundings and families or on the system. It left us thinking about the unintended consequences that this might lead to, especially based on our observations and experiences from the ground. It was important to hear their perspectives to understand and realize the ongoing narratives in the field.
A Question We’re Sitting With
How to think about any system in a holistic way while keeping in mind potential unintended consequences that might arise from it?
An Invitation
As we continue to understand the ecosystem around rehabilitation, we are also looking to connect with organisations working in related areas that could support the children and families we work with.
If you know of such an organisation, we would be grateful if you could share their details—including name, location, and area of work—through this form.
Thank you for continuing to read, reflect, and stay connected with us.
Planting Seeds of Transformation,
Why This Newsletter Exists
We believe this work is incomplete without society’s awareness and participation. This space is for sharing our work, approach, and learnings, including insights, questions, and challenges, and for building a thoughtful community around this often unseen area of work.
