GLOW WEBINAR
Jan 9th 2021
Children are God’s creations who are meant to have their own ideas and identities. It is the collective responsibility of parents, families, schools, and organizations to nurture children in order to help them develop positive values, love, harmony, and vigor for life.
Yet there is a sad reality. The rosy image we hold of children playing, laughing, and living joyfully may not be always true. There are children living and coping daily with difficult circumstances such as those children living in poverty, facing abuse, being in the child labor workforce, or dealing with medical conditions.
In this webinar panel Dr. Priti Desai – a child life specialist and Ms. Nikita Patodia – a feminist activist discuss the need for extra care and support for children facing abuse, those who are child laborers, and children coping with healthcare needs.
Speaker: Dr. Priti P. Desai, India’s first certified child life specialist, is an associate professor at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina where she teaches child life, child development, and diversity courses in the Human Development and Family Science Department. Prior to teaching, she has worked as a child life specialist at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the Johns Hopkins Children Centre, and at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, where she worked directly with hospitalized children and their families to promote their adjustment and coping with illness and healthcare experiences. In India, she has worked for CHETNA, a health education organization addressing the needs of children, women, and families in rural, tribal, and urban slum areas. She volunteers her time worldwide to promote child-friendly healthcare services that uphold children’s universal rights. She finds relaxation with her family and marveling at the wonder of camels.
Speaker: Nikita Patodia is a trained social worker and earned her second Master’s in Gender, Development, and Globalisation from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). She was the LSE-India Fellow 2013-14. Nikita has worked in India for over nine years on programs at the intersections of gender, sexuality, technology, disability, violence, and rights. She is passionate about using feminist approaches to prevent and respond to violence against women and young persons, as well as creating more and more feminist spaces – physical and virtual – that feels both safe and brave. Outside of work, you can find her at the local coffee shop, and the football field.
Takeaways:
- Children’s experiences when in abusive situations and when living with medical conditions.
- Rights of children to enhance their wellbeing when dealing with difficult circumstances.
- A brief overview of child life services to promote children’s coping in healthcare settings.
- How can we as caring citizens contribute toward creating hope and bring back joyfulness in the childhood of these children?
Who should watch:
Parents, teachers, special educators, shadow teachers, Human Development and Social work professionals, nurses, doctors, hospital administrators, and anyone who is a well-wisher of children!