Learning Social Work Beyond the Classroom at Caritas India

It is one thing to read about social work in a textbook and another to sit across from the people who do it every day. That was the experience for 19 final year Master of Social Work students from the Department of Social Work, Voorhees College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, who spent a day at Caritas India’s headquarters at the CBCI Centre on 28 September 2026.

The group of 13 young men and 6 young women, accompanied by a faculty member Dr. Edison Nesa Doss, Head of Department of Social Work from Voorhees College came to understand how a national level organisation works, from its structure and administration to the programmes it runs in communities across the country.

An introductory session walked the students through the vision, mission and administrative structure of Caritas India, along with the thematic areas it works on. The students heard how development and humanitarian initiatives take shape and how civil society organisations stand with vulnerable communities when they need support the most. Senior colleagues then led sessions on three areas that touch the everyday reality of social work.

Mr. Patrick Hansda, Lead – Public Relations and Communications at Caritas India spoke about human resources and how an organisation holds together. He covered staff engagement, policies, performance management and workplace responsibilities, and made the point that good programmes depend on teams that communicate and coordinate well. He also introduced the students to public relations and communication in the nonprofit sector. Reports, case stories and photographs, he explained, are not just paperwork. They carry the voices of communities to donors, partners and the public, and they show whether change is really happening.

Ms. Sangita Kulshrestha, Programme Associate- Mainstreaming, Community Based Rehabilitation took up disability mainstreaming. She spoke about inclusion, accessibility and equal opportunity, and urged the students to look closely at the barriers that keep persons with disabilities away from services and community life. Programmes, she said, must be planned with inclusion in mind from the start, and social workers have an important role in protecting dignity, equality and social justice.

Ms. Thangsha Sebastian Anchong, Assistant Thematic Lead at Humanitarian Action & Disaster Risk Reduction introduced the students to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Risk Reduction. She explained how preparedness, timely response and coordination among stakeholders save lives, and why support must continue well after the immediate relief is over. The session showed how humanitarian work helps families rebuild livelihoods and helps communities become stronger and more resilient. The students also learned about the part social workers play when disaster strikes and during recovery.

The visit closed with a lively question and answer session. The students asked about how the organisation functions, how interventions are designed and what practice looks like on the ground. The exchange gave them a chance to connect what they have learned in their courses with real organisational settings and community-based work.

For Caritas India, such visits matter. Young social workers who understand the sector early are better prepared to serve it well. The day also showed the value of close ties between academic institutions and development organisations, since both share the goal of building a committed and skilled social work profession.

Mr. Deepak Minj, Program Associate of Caritas India anchoring the sessions thanked Department of Social Work, Voorhees College, for bringing the students and for its efforts to give them this exposure. He concluded with the hope that the day stays with them as they step into their careers, and we wish them every success.