April 2025
Namaskar,
In the discussion programme of the Aawaj Child Club, we began by revisiting the outcomes of the previous session. Everyone took turns sharing what they had learned and the changes they had tried to implement in their behavior. After listening to their reflections and appreciating their efforts, I introduced today’s topic — SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats).
I observed that today’s topic felt quite new to everyone. Even though I had mentioned it in our last session, this deeper dive was something unfamiliar. I explained that we would be exploring and identifying our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges in detail.
I shared with them:
- Until we understand our strengths, we cannot build on them.
- Until we acknowledge our weaknesses, we cannot improve our behavior.
- Until we identify the opportunities available to us, we cannot fully exercise our rights or participate meaningfully.
- Until we recognize the obstacles and barriers we face, we cannot overcome them or be prepared to fight through life’s difficulties.
Therefore, it is crucial for all of us to explore these aspects and apply this understanding in real life.
Then, I gave them a couple of minutes to think quietly and asked each of them to express their views related to the four areas. After some thoughtful silence, the children began to share the following insights:
Strengths:
- Always attending school regularly
- Cooperating and getting along well with friends
- Hardworking, honest, friendly
- Speaking politely
- Physically strong
Weaknesses:
- Watching too much TV and mobile
- Not studying at home
- Difficulty in changing behavior
- Habit of overspending
- Talking too much or being too shy
Opportunities:
- Being able to participate in various programmes
- Having the chance to be part of a child club
- Learning new things and making friends
- Getting to play games with friends
Threats/Challenges:
- Family stress or conflict
- Pressure of “you must do this”
- Lack of safety and protection
- Bad habits or negative influences
- Playing excessively and forgetting rules
- Forgetting responsibilities and wasting time
I read aloud everything the children had shared. Then, I emphasized that for our holistic development, it is essential to understand our individual characteristics, interests, behaviors, and environment. SWOT analysis is a simple yet powerful tool that helps us reflect on and evaluate these four areas separately.
Overall, SWOT analysis supports our self-awareness, helps us set direction, enables us to progress based on our capabilities, and assists parents, teachers, and the wider community to understand and support us better.
At the end of the session, all children agreed to do their own personal SWOT analysis. Together, we committed — to build on our strengths, reduce our weaknesses, seize opportunities, and face our challenges. With this core message in mind, we joined hands in unity and ended the session by informing everyone about the next meeting.
Thank you,
Binod Kumar Ram
Simrabhanipur, Rautahat