Upcoming events on the blog Last week were the workshop at Boi, in Bogoro Local Government Area, Bauchi State and Input on Sexual Health at Miya. Am glad to say that both events took place simultaneously. While Moses, Jonathan and Jacob went to Boi to deliver the Leadership Unit of SELL with the Youths over there, Noel who recently came back from studies drove to the country side of Miya. The weekend at Boi was quite fulfilling. About 33 young adults including Fr. Henry Dabang took part in the reflection on Leadership. As a rural community, their responses and grasp on the unit was impressive. Part of their challenge was how to evolve a humanist model of leadership in a hierarchical society like Nigeria. As usual, the sexual health piece was very lively, given that they live in a community where discussions around sexuality were seen as ‘taboo’.
Noel is here with the report on Miya.
At the invitation of Fr’s Likoko and Kisabuli, I went to give an input on Sexual health, with an emphasis on HIV/AIDS at Miya. It is a rural community, about 60kilo metres away from Bauchi town on the Kano road.
The parish in fact is a Pastoral Area, so this was the first time that the youth of that area gathered for such an event. There was about fifty youths and scores of children. I used the DVD with three ten minute dramas brought out by Voluntary Service Organisation, VSO using our projector and Lap top, with a generator to supply the power. I processed each of the dramas in turn to bring out the information and facts.
As I was part of a programme I only had an hour, so we had half an hour questions, and answers clarifying the information and mis-information.
We were all surprised by the lack of awareness among the youth regarding the basic facts on H I V. I gave out a fact sheet to each participant and a bookmark for them to take home to their parents. The hour given was enough for the group; there is no doubt that the area has been neglected by government programmes and activities around World Aids day will need to be organised.
Other activities by the SELL team during the week include the journey to Kumasi, Ghana for the Training of would be SELL facilitators in that axis. Jonathan and Maria left Bauchi on Monday 9th August. As at the time of compiling this report, I got a call from them to say they were about leaving Accra via OA transport to Kumasi. Leo is already there to prepare the ground. We shall keep you posted on this after the training.
Also during the week, Moses attended a briefing at Rockview Hotel, Abuja on the New funding scheme by Misean Cara, one of the funders of the SELL programme. It was an interesting session. And I hope to update you on the outcome soonest.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Workshop at Azare on Community Building: Date 13th – 14th August 2010.
Report by Moses and Noel
For the SELL Team.