Covid pandemic that has got the whole world in its grips and as most people in the world we at Pathways have been experiencing the pandemic anxiety. When I was in Coimbatore in January 2020, we were very enthusiastic in taking Pathways forward in 2020 following the conference which was a big success for a small organisation such as ours. A new enthusiastic team was all set to go and we successfully started Pathways clinic to provide direct clinical service to the community. However, things have not worked out as planned due to a number of reasons directly related to the pandemic and lockdown.
I was thinking and reflecting about how we make sense o this and how to move forward despite the challenges. That is when I came across the well-known saying “Rome was not built in a day”. Although I have heard and read about it in a number of contexts in the past, at the moment this phrase gives me a sense of hope, purpose and meaning in keeping Pathways going.
A little history about the saying. Contrary to popular belief, the old saying “Rome was not built in a day” did not originate in Ancient Rome. In fact, apparently Rome played no part in coming up with this famous phrase. It actually originated in France. The first known reference to the saying wasn’t made by a Roman, or even an Italian, but by a 12th-century cleric in the court of Phillippe of Alsace, the Count of Flanders, in present-day Belgium. Recorded as ‘Rome ne fu pas faite toute en un jour’, the phrase was captured in a medieval French poem dating to 1190 that was published in the book Li Proverbe au Vilain by Swiss linguist Adolf Tobler in 1895. Three centuries later the expression appeared in the English language in Richard Taverner’s translation of Desiderius Erasmus’ work, Adages and in 1538 John Heywood an English playwright and author included it in his work, A Dialogue Containing the Number in Effect of all the Proverbs in the English Tongue. Heywood is known for his poems, proverbs, and plays but more than any one work, it’s his phrases such as “Out of sight out of mind.” “Better late than never.” “The more the merrier.” “Many hands make light work.” that have made him famous.
In general, this phrase is used to remind ourselves that it takes time to create something great. Although Rome or for that matter any great architectural masterpiece(s) were not created in a day. However, people were working at it every day little by little, brick by brick or one wall at a time and so on… Sometimes we underestimate these everyday efforts that we put in towards our goals.
What does it mean for us at Pathways? We can see very clearly how the pandemic is affecting all businesses including NGOs such as ours. Bad news can make anyone anxious and a pandemic can certainly make people experience anxiety, depression and stress. It has been a few months since the nationwide lockdown began in India. Business analysts say that this financial crisis is bigger than any other in recent history. We are not immune at Pathways being a small NGO.
How do we keep moving forward? Like everyone, we have been experiencing lowered morale and pandemic fatigue and helplessness. Although our team is ready to work, face to face work is not possible and definitely group interactions are not advisable. We have been creative with our ideas and actions to keep going.
- We have seamlessly moved from classroom situation to individual login for our CAMH course students. This has been working well.
- We are keeping up our team connected by weekly online meetings.
- We are providing online consultations via phone and video link.
- We have started an informal parent meetup group “Pathways Parent Café”
- We are planning for future programs including an educational program to cater to the students whose needs are met in our current educational system due to developmental and/or emotional needs.
- We are utilising the time available to learn and expand our skills.
- We have started laying the bricks one at a time to keep creating something great as we go along.
On behalf of Pathways team
Dr Porpavai Kasiannan
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