Introduction
On the 25th of Poush, 2079, a group of St. Xavier’s College students arranged a program in the Shikharapur Community Learning Centre centered on the theme of self-expression and communication. The Entrepreneurship women group, consisting of 15 women, was the activity’s target group. This activity was led by 5 students in the morning in Bottle House and that lasted around 2 hours. The Chinese Whisper game, a sharing session, art therapy, and a short meditation session were all part of this event. They were able to demonstrate the importance of self-expression and communication via these activities. The entrepreneurs group of SCLC has been supported by ONGD-FNEL, Luxembourg.
Objectives
● To inform entrepreneurship women about miscommunication and the value of communication for mental wellness.
● To assist them in using art therapy to communicate their suppressed thoughts.
Rationale
Effective communication is one of the most essential skill sets for any individual. Communication, specifically focused on sharing one’s own emotions or experiences is an essential promotive factor of mental health as well as a healthy coping mechanism for several mental health disorders. The activities within this program thus focused on awareness regarding the barriers in communication, as well as ways to express our emotions and experiences within a close-knit circle.
Activities in Detail
The first activity that was carried out was Chinese Whisper. The main objective of playing this game was to learn about the importance of proper communication and miscommunication. Firstly, the participants sat making a half circle and instructions on how to play the game were given. Then the game started, which opened up the participants who were shy and everyone enjoyed the game. This also helped the participants bond with each other.
The second activity was a sharing session. Here, each participant was given a word like, “happiness”, “childhood”, “food”, etc. where the participants had to share a few words about the word relating to themselves. This session helped the participants understand about themselves and others even greater than before. This activity taught the participants a new way to share about their emotions and feelings.
Art therapy was the following procedure that was carried out. The main goal of art therapy is based on the idea that the creative process, which includes artistic self-expression, aids in problem-solving, the development of interpersonal skills, the reduction of stress, the control of behavior, the augmentation of self-esteem and self-awareness, and the acquisition of insight. The participants in this game separated the group into three teams and gave them words like “myself,” “nature,” and “family.” After receiving directions on how to carry out the exercise, each member actively drew and expressed the diagram, which helped them form bonds with those around them and helped them communicate their innermost ideas.
Short mediation sessions served as the session’s conclusion. The primary goals of these sessions were to increase participants’ self-awareness, awareness of their surroundings, and ability to unwind. These exercises helped the locals feel more at ease.
Major Learnings
Through this program, the St. Xaviers students were able to observe the women in the Entrepreneurship group and gain knowledge about the value of unity and cooperation. They were also able to learn more about how local community organizations function for the benefit of their members and the local area. Similarly, they were also able to share their knowledge about self-expression and emotional regulation with the women of the entrepreneurship group through various activities.
Challenges
The major challenges faced while conducting the activities included:
● Lack of financial resources – as the students had to collect the fund within themselves.
● Language barriers – as majority of the students struggled with finding everyday Nepali words for certain English terminologies.
● Limited time – as almost all of the women in the program had to work on the farm or at home, we were only allocated an hour to conduct all the activities.
Strengths
● Prior understanding of self expression: As psychology and social work students, they were able to clearly explain the essence of self expression and its value to participants.
● Prior experience of conducting similar programs: They had gained experience of conducting similar programs in previous internships, which strengthened their public speaking skills and gave them the confidence to conduct the event.
Conclusion and Recommendation
The program was centered around communication and its importance in our daily lives. Even though communication is a common practice, it can be harmful to our relationships if not done correctly. So, with the help of the program, the students of St. Xaviers College attempted to convey the message that if we share our views and ideas in a simpler, clearer manner, there is less chance of impacting any kind of relationship in life and the information that we wanted to transfer is also done in an appropriate way. They also attempted to convey the importance of communicating our feelings, emotions, and problems with the close ones in life. Even if we cannot solve our problems immediately simply by expressing them, we may lighten the weight or burden of those problems and find the confidence to cope with them and solve them.
The program was successfully conducted thanks to the help and cooperation of participants and CLC members. All of the participants were very interactive and showed their full participation by completing all of the planned exercises with their hearts. Even if the program was effective, it may have been more effective if the duration of the program was expanded and the participants had more time. The participants might have enjoyed more towards the conclusion of the session and could have been more relaxed as well. Overall, the program was a success.
Report by:
Ankita Mainali and Team
Social Work Interns
St. Xavier’s College
Self-expression and Communication Skills for Women Entrepreneurs
