After a long travel day, we have now made it to India and wow was the airport interesting. People were very shocked to see us and stared at us like I’ve never been stared at before. We got to the point of just smiling and saying hello to everyone to try and break the awkwardness. It’s like we are aliens.
On our first day, we went to a meet and greet at the nursing school and we’re met with such welcoming warm, excited faces I don’t think I’ve ever felt so welcomed before. All of the students and faculty were so excited to have us there and to show us around. I enjoyed every second of it. We were given these bracelets that were so beautiful and got to see some traditional dances and even a skit on women empowerment which was absolutely beautiful.
Today was the first day of our consent café and although I was quite nervous, it couldn’t have gone better. I absolutely loved the students we were working with and teaching them the content. They were so excited to be there with us and learn and participate. It was amazing. I felt so much joy and gratitude and privilege for being able to be there with them and to spend that time with them.
Talking about consent with them was also extremely interesting hearing about how consent is talked about in India and the differences between India and Canada. Also talking with them and doing activities about how things feel in their bodies was super interesting and they had lots of opinions and feedback about how things felt for them and how they handled stress and their different coping mechanisms and it was all just amazing to get to be a part of. I think it helped that the school was a nursing school and so they were kind of used to having uncomfortable conversations and we’re very open to sharing things with me about relations and how consent looks for them in everyday life. Thinking about social work practice I think I’ve learned through today about how much building rapport matters and being open with the people you’re working with. Sharing my own small experiences helped them open up about their own small experiences.
Reflecting on today, I have learned that I am capable of stepping outside of my comfort zone and building meaningful connections with people, even in a completely new environment. I have also learned that I genuinely enjoy creating spaces where people feel comfortable enough to share their thoughts and experiences. In terms of my social work practice, this experience has reinforced the importance of cultural humility, active listening, and meeting people where they are. It has reminded me that social work is not about having all the answers, but about building trusting relationships, remaining open to learning from others, and recognizing the strengths and knowledge that individuals and communities already possess. This experience has strengthened my confidence in my ability to build rapport while also reminding me to approach every interaction with curiosity, respect, and a willingness to learn.