Progress and What Went Well

This week, I began reviewing the Sevak training materials and started outlining lesson plans for my health education classes. I developed a structured outline for each session, with the goal of building 6–7 classes over the coming weeks.

One of the most rewarding aspects of this process was intentionally connecting health education content to culturally relevant examples. For instance, I incorporated local games into the fitness module and explored carbohydrate sources rooted in traditional Gujarati diets, including commonly available grains. This approach allowed me to integrate my own cultural background into the curriculum development process, while also reinforcing preventative health concepts in a way that feels accessible and familiar to the students.

I am especially proud of how this grounding in cultural context shaped my early planning. It pushed me to think more deeply about how health education can be both scientifically accurate and locally meaningful, rather than abstract or externally imposed.

Challenges and Adjustments

The main challenge this week was a delay in receiving training materials, as my coordinators were out of town during my arrival. As a result, I had to navigate the initial phase of my work with limited guidance, which temporarily disrupted my planned timeline and prevented me from completing my initial reflection last week.

Once my revised start date was confirmed, I was able to recalibrate and feel more confident in the structure moving forward. Although this delay was frustrating, it helped me become more flexible and proactive in organizing my own initial drafts and preparation work.

Leadership Reflection (3Cs Model)

Values:
This week, the value of dete stood out most strongly in my leadership approach. Despite time pressure and uncertainty, I remained committed to progressing with my work and adapting my plan as needed. At times, I experienced tension between staying flexible and wanting clearer structure, especially while working under shifting timelines.

Character:
Integrity was tested as I navigated a situation with limited direction. Rather than waiting passively for instructions, I made the decision to begin independently drafting materials and later planned to verify them with supervisors. This allowed me to maintain momentum while still respecting the collaborative nature of the work.

Capacities:
This week, I relied most heavily on process and performance capacities. Structuring lesson plans and organizing educational content required me to think systematically and stay output-focused despite ambiguity. I did feel somewhat stretched in terms of communication, particularly due to the lack of immediate feedback loops during the onboarding phase.

Ethical Engagement

A key theme this week was communication and role clarity. Communication was less consistent than expected, which required me to be more proactive in interpreting expectations and next steps.

In terms of my role, I see myself primarily in a learning-supporting capacity rather than a leadership position at this stage. My clinical background as an EMT will be especially useful for specific components such as vitals measurement, but the broader focus for me right now is building rapport and ensuring effective engagement with students.

This experience did not significantly change my understanding of the organization or context, as I have worked with this organization previously. However, it did reinforce the importance of adaptability and clear communication structures in cross-cultural and field-based educational work.

Adjustments for Next Week

Moving forward, I plan to strengthen my communication with supervisors by scheduling more frequent check-ins. Specifically, I will shift from primarily text-based communication to structured Zoom or call-based updates to ensure clearer alignment.

My intentional focus area for development will be communication. Practically, this will involve establishing a consistent check-in rhythm and actively seeking feedback earlier in the process to improve clarity and efficiency in my work.