Hello All,

Compliments and thanks for joining us on this week’s edition of the blog update. In the last edition, Maria did say that two provincial mentoring were coming up in Shendam and Maiduguri on the Leadership unit of the SELL programme. Am glad to say that Maiduguri held while Shendam couldn’t, due to circumstances beyond the trainees.

Maiduguri mentoring was excellent in many respect. The trainees (Joy, Essien, Fabian and Stanley) were well prepared for the workshop. According to Jonathan and Maria who went for the mentoring, they had a good grasp of the principle and philosophy behind the SELL programme. Hence, they presented it brilliantly. All the sessions in the Leadership unit were also well delivered by them. Secondly, they chose to hold the workshop at the University of Maiduguri. The turnout was good; numbering up to Thirty five. And given that it was an Academic community, the response from the evaluation was great. As a matter of fact, one of the participants, Agada – an undergraduate was so moved by the content and presentation of the programme that he made a financial contribution to the Team. We appreciate Agada’s effort and are glad to know that our little effort is making a reasonable impact out there.

Back to the office, Maria was set for another journey, this time to Miya, in Bauchi state, Nigeria. She Travelled with Tommy Hayden, a Priest of St. Patrick’s society based in Lagos, Nigeria, and a very good friend and supporter of the programme. They went to deliver the Spirituality unit of the SELL programme to the Catechists who were at Miya for their annual course. Now guess what! This workshop was done in Hausa, the local language. A total of twelve Catechists were in attendance. Report from Maria and Tommy held that they (the participants) found the unit and indeed the programme very helpful. They suggested that such a life transforming programme should be extended to Parents and indeed everybody instead of only the youths and young adults.  Moses and Mary shall meet the next set of Catechists in February.

Still during the week, Leo travelled to Abuja and had a meeting with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) an International NGO. It was an opportunity to present SELL profile to the organisation and also get to know more about CRS with a view to Identifying areas of collaboration. The outcome of the meeting sounds promising, that in no distant time SELL shall be partnering CRS in certain areas. Thanks to CRS for opening this door of friendship. We look forward to a good working relationship with CRS. 

What am I forgetting? Ok, now I remember. Before, I actually started writing this update today, all of us at the SELL Resource Team attended our late Bishop’s (John Moore’s) one year in mind memorial Mass celebration. It was organised by the Diocese of Bauchi where John worked for some years before he passed on. It is hard to believe that Twelve months has gone since the death of this Great Man. May God rest him as we still wait for the Vatican to make pronouncement on who his successor will be. I leave you to watch the pictures in this edition and to read the upcoming events. 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

This weekend, Moses and Mary shall be introducing the SELL programme and delivering the Personal Growth Unit to Kafin Tafawa, a community few miles away from Bauchi town. 

Next week, precisely on 26th January, there shall be a Team Life check in for the Resource Team.

Lastly, on 27th – 30th January, the Bauchi Local Trainees shall be having a Refresher programme at the Youth formation Centre, Bauchi, Nigeria. We hope to bring you the sights and sounds of all these upcoming events next week. Stay tuned.  

Moses: For the SELL Resource Team

Happy New Year dear friends and welcome back from the Christmas and New Year break.

 I was enjoying the break not until I was reminded on new year day that I was going to resume office in 4 days time, like an Hausa language adage that says ‘laifin dadi kare wa’ meaning that the fault that enjoyment has is that it will end sometime. Any way I am happy to be back to work and I guess my colleagues Moses, Jonathan and Leo are happy too. 

Am I to tell you how we spent our holiday, like we were always asked to do in the primary and secondary school on every resumption day by our English teachers, or maybe say a little that happened as regards the Sharing Education and Learning for Life SELL programme? On this note, on behalf of the SELL team I will like to thank one of our colleagues Moses who while we were all on break was still checking and attending to some official matters, you are indeed a great man.

I am so pleased to inform you that we in the SELL programme are practicing what we give out in workshops. Our programme is gender sensitive and is captured more on our community building unit of the programme in view of this; we saw that gender will not be balanced if only Maria is working among 3 men, so we saw the need to invite another lady on the team. Mary James the new member on the team was before now an attachment student with the SELL team from the federal polytechnic Bauchi, she has now being invited to join the team on a part time basis because of her studies that is still ongoing. We are so happy to have Mary with us and we do hope she will enjoy her stay with us.

Just before we went on break, I informed you that Leo travelled to Ghana and will be mentoring a workshop at Sacred Heart Church Aketego in Kumasi region of Ghana. The workshop held on the 10th – 11th December, 2010. Those who delivered the workshop were John Evans, Wisdom, Emmanuel and Augustine. Participants at the workshop were 12.

Still talking about the Ghana team, we here in Nigeria are so proud of you for your hard work and commitment towards the SELL programme. Leo informed us of your meeting with him and I also acknowledge the text messages and emails we have received on the series of meetings and practices you have had, this has given us great joy, also to mention is the workshop you had with some of the students of S.M.A. High School in Kumasi. As reported by Augustine one of the trainees, he said that they recorded 35 participants who said they are eager to have the SELL workshop every weekend. Augustine also informed us that some of the participants at the workshop said when they heard about it they were reluctant to come but after attending the workshop they know it is worthwhile. Those that gave the workshop were Leticia, John Evans, Wisdom and Amoah. Manaf, Nyass Juliana and Eugene helped in planning the workshop. Those acted the Drama at the workshop were Mary Constance, Raymond and Augustine. Once more Kudus to the Ghana Team, keep it up and don’t forget to always feed us back with the outcomes.

Upcoming events

On the 14th - 16th January 2011, two teams will be out to mentor the SELL provincial trainees at Shendam and Maiduguri, the unit to be mentored in the 2 places is the Leadership Unit of the SELL programme. 

Stay back and enjoy the photos from the Ghana workshop. Happy New Year.

Maria 

Communications, SELL