At Latika, our incredibly dedicated staff are at the heart of all our operations. We take pride in their enduring investment in our organization and commit to their ongoing success by empowering them to take on increasingly challenging tasks through continuous development in a culture of learning.

Surjeet Negi, a member of our support staff, and Archana Sharma, an assistant teacher, recently completed the Child Development Aide (CDA) Training Program conducted by Ummeed Child Development Center, Mumbai. Encompassing six months of intensive training in theory and practical fieldwork under supervision, it was followed by six months of mentorship at Latika. Our two successful participants emerged equipped with the skills to promote typical child development, educate communities on preventing disabilities, identify children with developmental disabilities or vulnerable to developing them, conduct play and educational activities to promote development, and advocate for children and families by liaising with teachers, doctors and government officials.

“What I found most interesting about the course was learning about child development milestones, finding the root cause of delays and developing effective strategies for working with disabled children,” says Archana. “Recognizing a child’s strengths is very important and using play methods is a fantastic way to achieve their goals”.

Surjeet particularly appreciated the teaching style. “They explain to us with lots of examples and with practical work. I learnt to observe children based on how they play, whether its constructive play, destructive play, SMART or sensory play, as well as how the child communicates their needs and does their activities of daily living”.