On September 4, 60 students and 12 staff members from the Kariyalur Boarding Homes in the Kalrayan Hills participated in the inaugural "Dialogue Hours" program. The program was created to bridge communication gaps, nurture positive caregiver rapport, and build strong mutual trust between boarding home children and staff.

Victor Prince, Sponsor Relations Coordinator (SRC) at the Kalrayan Hills Boarding Homes, shares how the program came about.

"The idea came directly from my own home. My son once suggested that we try a role reversal—me stepping into his shoes as a son, and him taking on my role as the father to discuss everyday feelings and expectations. That simple conversation completely broke down our natural barriers and built immediate mutual empathy. Seeing its power, I realised our boarding home children and staff—who live as surrogate families—needed that same gentle, nonjudgmental space to connect person-to-person."

Throughout the day, students and staff participated in three sessions that promoted connection, reflection, teamwork, and creativity. 

Session 1: Group Formation & Role Reversal Icebreakers

Team Formation

Each staff member joined a group of five students. To foster an atmosphere of safety and openness, all group members took a pledge affirming that there would be no hierarchical division between staff and students throughout the session. All participants would interact as members of one supportive family.

Introductions & Rapport Building

Each participant shared their personal background with their team. Then, one representative from each group shared these reflections with the whole group.

Role Reversal Activity

Staff members stepped into the shoes of boarding home children, while students took on the roles of boarding home staff. Through this perspective swap, each group highlighted one positive aspect of boarding home life and shared one area for improvement. 

Before a short tea break, each group was assigned the task of making over one team member using available materials. Before flexing their creative muscles, participants took a well-deserved break for refreshing tea and snacks.

Session 2: Creative Presentations, Empathy Dialogue & Fun Games

Makeover Showcase

Following the break, groups presented their makeovers and explained their character choices. Characters included queens, princesses, movie stars, doctors, and allegorical figures.

Reflection

Boarding home staff shared their takeaways from the morning's conversations. They had learned about students' socioeconomic backgrounds, home lives, life goals, and daily challenges. 

Team-Building Activity

Participants were split into two teams for a relay game that encouraged teamwork. New rules were introduced throughout the game, and the game ended with three winners. 

Session 3: Staff Introspection

Questionnaire

Staff members answered a self-evaluation questionnaire. Questions included:

• Who am I?
• What is my true purpose in this assigned boarding home role?
• What are my strengths in my role?
• What are the weaknesses in my role?
• What are some daily operational challenges in my role?
• What is my dream for the boarding home?
• What is my role in realizing that vision?

Staff members then rated their performance on a scale of one to five stars across a variety of areas, including:

• Daily duties
• Positive discipline
• Friendly relationship with children
• Approachability
• Academic guidance
• Moral mentoring
• Parent communication
• Peer collaboration
• Institutional rule compliance

Finally, staff members provided written responses across four categories:

• Positive qualities appreciated in their colleagues
• Peer critiques received
• Professional suggestions offered to others
• Constructive concerns/expectations regarding boarding home administration

Victor explains, "As this was our pilot initiative, we are giving it time to observe the long-term impact. That said, we are already seeing heartening shifts—staff interactions have softened remarkably, moving away from strict supervision toward warm, parental care."

Victor continues, "The children responded with genuine joy and relief. For the first time, they truly understood the daily struggles, responsibilities, and pressures the caretakers carry. Students like Shalini, Meena, Vaishnathi, and Thropatha personally came up to me afterwards, beaming with happiness about how close they now felt to the staff. In fact, they felt so comfortable that they enthusiastically told me they plan to stage their own lighthearted skit soon, affectionately imitating the staff's habits and mannerisms!"

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