Workshop Report

New Delhi 4-9 September 2008

A collaboration between
Participatory and Children’s HDCA
Thematic Group with Project Why

HDCA Conference 2008 – New Delhi

 Workshop Objectives
 Strengthen the work of Project Why
 Support the organisational capacity of PW
 Investigate the impacts of PW on the well-
being of children benefited by the programme
 Improve our understanding on how to
apply participatory tools with children
within the Capability Approach framework

HDCA Conference 2008 – New Delhi

Project Why
 NGO working with children from low
income households
 Community based programme Workshop
site

HDCA Conference 2008 – New Delhi

Preparation
 December 2007:First contact with PW
 Preliminary stage:
 Integrating in the organization - Volunteering
 Getting to know the NGO
 Being known by NGO management, teachers and children
 Focus group discussions – identifying dimensions of
well-being
 Teachers
 Children
 Parents

HDCA Conference 2008 – New Delhi

Dimensions Identified
 Education  Time Autonomy/ Child
 Love and Care Labour
 Physical Health  Leisure Activities
 Social Relations  Mobility
 Shelter and  Mental Well-being
Environment  Religion
 Respect

HDCA Conference 2008 – New Delhi

Workshop Activities
 SWOT analysis
 Photo mapping
 Card Games I and
II
 Snake Game

HDCA Conference 2008 – New Delhi

 Swot Analysis
 Aim: Promote
communication
among NGO staff
 Procedure
 Outcomes:
 Recognition
of the wall
 Identification of
strategies to break
the wall

HDCA Conference 2008 – New Delhi

 Photo Mapping
 Procedure:
 Distribution of
cameras
 Group discussion on
pictures
 Relation with PW

HDCA Conference 2008 – New Delhi

 Card Game I (collective)
 Procedure
 Elaboration of cards
based on dimensions
of well-being
 Selection and
discussion on cards
 Relation with PW

HDCA Conference 2008 – New Delhi

Card Game II (individual)
 Procedure
 Elaboration of cards
representing 4
scenarios: school,
Project Why, street,
home.
 Elaboration of cards
representing violence,
affection, family love,
education to be
associated to the 4
scenarios.

HDCA Conference 2008 – New Delhi

 Snake Game
 Procedure
 Dice and cases
 Elaborating questions
with teachers
according to 5 themes
 Gender
 Age
 Aspirations
 Work and money
 Accessibility

HDCA Conference 2008 – New Delhi

 Activities preliminary results
 Positive impact of PW in expanding
children’s capabilities in the dimension of
education
 Room for improvement in PW
organizational capacity: need for more
collaboration and interaction between
management, teachers and families

HDCA Conference 2008 – New Delhi

Links to Capability Approach
Some initial reflections:
 Proposal of a two-step approach
 Identifying
dimensions
 Weighting and contextualizing dimensions
through participation
 Adaptation
 Children are critically aware of their realities

HDCA Conference 2008 – New Delhi

Conclusions: workshop strengths
 Enjoyable experience both for us and PW team
and children
 Implementation of tools revealed insights of
well-being of children and of the activities of the
NGO
 Tools able to effectively involve also special-
need children
 SWOT was much appreciated by NGO staff
 Some relevant steps towards the CA
operationalization through participative methods

HDCA Conference 2008 – New Delhi

Conclusions: workshop weaknesses

 Difficult balance between two objectives

 Need for more discussions on the
theoretical issues in future practical
workshops

HDCA Conference 2008 – New Delhi

 Workshop participants
Alexandre Apsan Frediani – University College London
Nicolò Bellanca – Università degli Studi di Firenze
Mario Biggeri – Università degli Studi di Firenze
Sara Bonfanti – Università degli Studi di Firenze
Francesco Burchi – Università di Roma Tre
Ina Conradie – University of the Western Cape
Renato Libanora – Università degli Studi di Firenze
Cristina Lomi – Università degli Studi di Firenze
James McAteer – University of Ulster
Jean-François Trani – University College London
Sara Vicari – Università di Roma Tre

HDCA Conference 2008 – New Delhi

 Thanks to Anou Bakshi and
all the PW Staff

Special thanks to all PW children!!