Venue and Location: The Great Himalayan Village, Sonapani, Uttaranchal
Date: 17-23 June 2009

We at Pravah believe that fun is serious business. Every year, we Pravahans go underground for a few days and emerge with fresh, new ideas on things we could better in the organisation. This year the Pravah organisational retreat took place at a quaint little place called the Great Himalayan Village which is located in Sonapani, Uttaranchal.  We spent four days there and had time to interact with our fellow colleagues outside the work space and also enjoy being in nature’s lap.

For a lot of us who have recently joined the Pravah bandwagon, this was a unique and enriching experience. We got to know the organisation as well as the people in it a whole lot better. We also gained greater clarity about the various programmes and processes within the organisation.
 
The theme for this year’s retreat was “Values”. The first two days were spent brainstorming on how we could enhance the processes and programmes that we currently run, keeping in mind our organisational key values and strategic directions. During all the processes we deepened our insights and articulated key takeaways for each of us as leaders in Pravah. On the third day, we embarked on a trek in four small groups. Once we reached the campsite we were given a number of energising tasks to do and the evening was brought to an end by all the groups getting together and cooking dinner.

After spending all day brainstorming, each evening was punctuated by a “mehfil” ( get-togethers accompanied by song and dance). Every evening was unforgettable- with sumptuous food, jovial people, delightful music and a crackling fire to keep us company.

The retreat was a splendid mix of work and fun. Each one of us came back with greater understanding of ourselves as leaders as well us better understanding of some of the processes that are prevalent within the organisation.

Looking forward to another marvellous mix of fun and work next year!

PHOTO GALLERY