The workshop was hosted by the Holy Family Catholic Church Federal Housing Estate, Woji. 33 Youths participated in the workshop 18 Female and 15 Male.
Highlights of the workshop were the reflection on our faith story and prayer in honour of our ancestors, in the Spirituality Unit. While in the Peace Building Unit, the participants said in their evaluation that they found the Memories and the Problem Tree sessions very helpful.
To close the workshop on Sunday and since it was hosted by the Parish, a Eucharistic celebration was held with all the participants. The theme for the prayer was for Peace in Nigeria and Peace and Healing for our hearts.
We are grateful to all the participants for attending the programme and to the Parish for hosting us.
We look forward to working with the young people of that community again soon so that they can have the opportunity to experience all the six units of the programme”.
I also want to share with you some of the feedback we got from the workshop Leo and Jonathan delivered the previous week for the Friends of St. Patrick’s in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria. One of the participants Rosemary Odum said that After attending the SELL workshop, it has improved her tolerance, she said she no longer want all Boko Haram terrorist to be Killed but to be brought to book in Justice. Eric also a participant at the workshop said he has gotten a life lesson to Think, Review and Choose and this is making him feel better.
After the second SELL training of facilitators which took place in Kumasi, Ghana in December 2012, some of the trainees that came from New Tafo area in Kumasi are preparing in earnest to deliver a workshop to the youths of that area. The date for the workshop is on the 10th – 12th February 2012, from the SELL Resource team in Nigeria we say, have a wonderful workshop. Details of the workshop shall be brought to you in the next edition of the blog.
A SELL workshop that was scheduled to take place in Adamawa state, Nigeria on the 10th – 12 February 2012 has been postponed. This is because of the security challenges experienced in the State and indeed the North East of Nigeria. Also to say to that the following week, there is suppose to be a workshop in Maiduguri Borno State, Nigeria but that too is not going to take place because of the same reason. While speaking with the facilitators from the two areas, they expressed their concern towards having a gathering of Youths amidst the security challenges they are experiencing. More so, most people have travelled out of the two states. It is so sad that the frequent attacks of Boko Haram Sect is posing a security threat especially that we are residing in the North East Nigeria and that is where we do most of our work.
Two weeks ago, we received an invitation from an organization known as Nigerian Graduate Volunteering Programme (NGVP) to work with a group of Teachers they are involved with. The Teachers are drawn from four states in Nigeria, namely; Kano, Kwara, Kaduna and Nassarawa States.
Title of the workshop is ‘Out of the Box’, while the aims are; To activate creative thinking in the context of rural Government schools in Nassarawa, Kwara, Kano and Kaduna with a broad scope on the Personal development of the Nigerian Graduate Volunteers.
The SELL team has agreed to honor the invitation. While it is a four day Programme starting from 13th to 16th February 2012, the SELL team has Wednesday 15th February to give an input. Good luck to Jonathan and Moses who will be facilitating that.
On Thursday 9th February 2012, the SELL team had a mini meeting with a Muslim man, Boppa Saleh from Azare a Local Government Area in Bauchi State, Nigeria. Boppa is the Bauchi Contact Person for the Interfaith Mediation Centre Kaduna, Kaduna state Nigeria. Also at the meeting was Sr. Helena the Coordinator of Damietta Peace Initiative in Jos Plateau State Nigeria. The purpose of the meeting was on how to organize a Peace Mediation Programme especially for the Youths of Azare and other neighboring towns, being that at the moment the Area is much tensed as a result of the crisis they experienced during the presidential election in Nigeria and crises reoccurrences. Mr. Boppa informed us that there is already an association of Muslims and Christians Relations in the Area, so we all agreed in the meeting that he goes back and meet with officials of the association and plan on how the SELL Programme and Damietta will deliver a Mediation and Peace Building Workshop for them.
Stay back and enjoy our photos from the SELL training of facilitators that took place in Kumasi, Ghana in December 2012 and of course photo from the workshop in Woji.
Maria Dagogot,
For the SELL Resource team.