SWEDEN-INDIA Project – Jan to Apr 2012

Sweden-India Project is a cross cultural training programme in social work. Students from different universities of Sweden choose this training programme and have field visits, seminar and  group conferences  to understand Indian social work, social problems,  intervention strategies and methods at individual, group and community level. While they go through this programme, culture becomes framework in which they study the above. They are here on 15 week field study. They are doing their undergraduate programme in social work. The programme has 7 semesters. They are either in their 5th or 6th semester. They will get 15 credit points on successful completion of this project.

This project started in 1994. Currently 4 universities are participating in this project. So far, approximately 700 students have gone through this training.

They visit urban, rural, tribal community projects dealing with problems related to economically, socially marginalized communities and groups. They attempt to understand these dimensions at micro and macro level. Seminars and group meetings are designed to make this learning, observation relevant to Swedish and other International social work program.

Following students are participating for January 2012 semester.
Group A

1. Trifa Fili: From Orebro university.24 years old. Parents moved from Iraq 30 years ago. She wants to visit India to get whole new perspective on how people cope with problems and how society helps them deal with it.
2. Tina Zafari: From Orebro university. 25 years old. Originally from Iran and then moved to Sweden in 1988. Her own life experience as being refugee with her family motivated to come to social work education. Has worked with children and adolescents with problems and unaccompanied refugee children.
3. Ida Forss: From Orebro university. Originally from Finland. Wants to visit India to understand culture and how people deal with social problems. This way she will also understand the similarities and differences between cultures.
4. Victoria Lofwenhamn: From Orebro university. Wants to work with International aid organizations. Interested in social work at structural level and specially in countries like India.
5. Lydia Hjalmarsson: From Orebro university. 24 years old. Interested in other cultures. Spent six months in Egypt. Worked with elderly and mentally disabled youth. Plays cello, Piano and sings in choir and plays in big symphony orchestra.
6. Elin Lofgren: From Orebro University. 28 years old. Studied culture geography at Stockholm University. Worked as personally assistant to visually challenged and mentally handicapped. Travelled widely.
7. Erika Flodin: From Orebro University. 24 years old. Worked as nursing assistant both in elderly and disability care. Wants to meet people from different cultures.
8. Jenny Andersen: From Orebro University. 33 years old. Loves travelling. She hopes to get deeper understanding about different cultures and immigrants coming to Sweden.
9. Monika Nagy: From Stockholm University. 24 years old. Has visited India several times. Studied behavioral sciences. Wants to come to India through the project so she can meet people not as a tourist.

Group B

1. Malin Troeng: From Orebro University. She is member of Orebro Red Cross youth cooperation and involved in projects regarding unaccompanied children . Worked as prison officer and worked on correctional treatment. Wants to understand how different approaches to social work happens in different cultures.
2. David Ronnas: From Orebro university. Worked as student assistant for students with disabilities. , teenager with autism. By doing the field practice in India, he hopes to understand the social problems in another cultural context and also different approaches to social work.
3. Matilda Sjogren: From Orebro University. After finishing school, stayed in France for six months. Has been an active member of Red Cross youth organization. The work is mainly with unaccompanied refugee boys and contribute to their daily lives while they are waiting for decision on asylum.
4. Michaela Nordstrom: From Orebro University. She hopes to get deeper understanding about different cultures and immigrants coming to Sweden. This will also give opportunity to work in group situations.
5. Litizia Kapil: From Stockholm University. 25 years old. Wants to work with children who are facing abuse. She wants to get a whole new experience about India at a more people to people level.
6. Tina Petersson: . From Stockholm university. Travelled extensively. Studied philosophy and Human Rights . Been on an exchange programme to Copenhagen. Feels strongly about learning from other cultures as an essential part of learning.
7. Maria Markusson: From Orebro university. 21 years old. Has travelled to idnia before where her aunt worked with Red cross Delhi. Wants to understand religion and how it affects social work.
8. Emma Jansson: From Orebro University. 24 years old. Travelled a lot around. Worked in health care system , with people with disabilities and the support for them in their daily lives. Wants to understand culture and social problems and how social intervention works in various cultures.
9. Maja Staf: from Stockholm University . 23 years old. Worked in social welfare at social services for economic allowances. Worked in pre-school with children between 1-5 years.