Week 3 Activities & Key Contributions
This week was dedicated to the final, critical preparations for the roundtable and involved a series of crucial meetings with high-level government and community stakeholders.
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High-Level Stakeholder Engagement
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Governmental Alignment: Attended a pivotal strategy meeting with the Minister of Social Integration, the Minister of Gender Equality & Family Welfare, and the Speaker of the National Assembly to align on key objectives for the upcoming roundtable.
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Community & Religious Dialogue: Met with influential religious leaders to understand their perspectives on family welfare. I engaged in a substantive dialogue, posing critical questions to ensure our approach would be culturally and religiously sensitive. This was eye-opening and humbling - I have never had the opportunity to speak personally to a Pandit, a Christian Priest and an Imam, let alone question them. This was truly surreal.
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Final Preparations for the Strategic Roundtable
As the event approached, my focus shifted to finalising all operational and content-related details.
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Branding & Materials: Refined the organisational logo based on ministerial feedback; the new design has now been formally adopted across all branding. I also created key event materials, including business cards and the official programme.
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Technical Readiness: Spearheaded the technical preparations for the event, conducting multiple rehearsals of the setup, coordinating with the venue's IT department, and creating comprehensive backup plans to mitigate any potential issues.
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Presentation Finalisation: Finalised my presentation content and visuals and conducted a successful final rehearsal with the FAM team.
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Data Analysis: Oversaw the final phase of the national survey's data collection in order to analyse and integrate preliminary findings into my presentation.
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Reflections and Cultural Insights
My third week has further deepened my understanding of the professional and cultural landscape in Mauritius.
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The Intersection of Faith and Policy: My meeting with religious leaders provided a direct and powerful insight into how faith influences societal attitudes toward family matters. It underscored a key learning: for social reform to be effective in Mauritius, it must be designed and communicated with a deep respect for the community's prominent religious and cultural values.
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Embracing Fluidity: This week was a practical masterclass in adaptability. Responding to last-minute requests, such as a 9 PM summons for a ministerial meeting the next day, and navigating unexpected cancellations has been a valuable learning experience. I am internalising the local professional ethos, which prioritises key outcomes over rigid adherence to schedules, and teaches the importance of not letting minor deviations from the plan disrupt the larger mission.