If you read our last blog, my final words there were; “you will be reading about SELL Programmes that were delivered by the Sharing Education and Learning for Life (SELL) Resource Team”, so this is it now. The report on the following workshops you are about to read were delivered by the SELL Resource Team.

- Two Resource persons of the SELL Foundation Leo and Jonathan went to Benin in Edo State, Nigeria on 5 – 7th July, 2013 to run the SELL programme with a group of young people, the unit explored there was Self Awareness of the SELL programme.

- For the first time, the Sharing Education and Learning for Life (SELL) had her Programme delivered to a group of young people at Kiri-kiri area of Lagos State, Nigeria. This was on the 19th - 21st July, 2013. The facilitators were members of the Resource Team; Moses and Beji, and they worked with 39 participants; 27 ladies ad 12 gents.

  -  While still in Lagos, Moses and Beji lead another Programme of SELL at Ijebu-ode town at the St. Patrick’s Formation House on the 26 – 28th July, 2013. The programme was for ‘the Friends of St. Patricks’ Warri branch, Nigeria. In this workshop, the numbers of female and male were 17 and 7 respectively, bringing it to a total of 24. The unit of SELL explored there was Leadership. After the Programme, the duo returned to the resource office of SELL in Bauchi, Nigeria. 

 - As it is at the moment, SELL is a programme for young adults in Nigeria and Ghana. As part of the vision of the organisation, it desires to become a West African programme. We are gradually moving towards this vision with the support of the young people we work with and other allies of the programme. In view of this, Leo and I from the Resource room (SELL Office) in Nigeria went to Ghana in the month of August 2013, precisely on the 2nd to 11th. This was to strengthen and encourage the seed of the programme that has long been planted over time. This was done by building the capacity of the existing trained facilitators of the programme there, and also train more young persons there for a greater spread of the programme in Kumasi, Ghana and beyond. In all, 22 young persons took part in the SELL facilitators Training and Capacity building, and for the training, two units of the programme Leadership and Self Awareness were explored. Some of the trainees had these to say;

Jane: we love the SELL programme and hope to see it develop into other languages spoken across West Africa, so that other young people will benefit from what we that have experienced it are benefiting.

Denis: our Vision for SELL is that SELL becomes an integrated programme into the education curriculum in our Nations.

 Leo and I saw the training to be a success, we feel happy because young people are contributing ideas in the development of the programme. 

 While the training in Kumasi was going on, Moses, Isaac and Beji were also delivering training concurrently in Nigeria. The training in Yola was for 4 days, from to 7 – 11th August, 2013 and the Self Awareness unit of SELL was shared there. 22 persons came for the training which was done in Jemeta-Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria. According to the facilitators, it was an interesting group to work with, because the trainees were informed by their different religious views.  Though challenging, but it was a useful challenge.  Some parts of the training were recorded on videos and one of the trainees from Ganye Town of Adamawa State Miss Patience gave an account of her experience of SELL. Patience said that the programme has taught her dialogue and how to forgive. She said she had always not agreed with someone in her community, according to her, the person was always annoying, but now, she and the person are building a good relationship. 

- On the 9 – 10th August, 2013, the Youths of Yelwa Community in Bauchi Town received a workshop on the Self Awareness unit of SELL. Mary from the SELL Resource team was supported to deliver the programme by James a volunteers from the SELL Team in Kabba, Kogi State Nigeria. The workshop recorded a number of 14 men and 8 ladies.

- Education in recent times is seen as a need that has to be met. It cuts across all facets of life, one cannot be said to be completely educated or have attained the climax of education. No wonder it is said that life itself is a learning process and until we die, we continue to learn. The challenge now is whether the formal or non formal educational institutions are giving their best. Sometimes, one is tempted to ask if educators are knowledgeable enough to impart on others. I suppose that was what was in the mind of the proprietors of St. Luke’s School Miya in Bauchi, when they came to the SELL Resource Team and made their request from us. The proprietors said that the 8 teachers they have in the school are doing their best, but they will want us to have a programme that will challenge their teachers’ thinking towards creativity, teaching by participation, which means involving the students in the teaching process; here, the students will also contribute their ideas when the teacher is teaching. Another area of concern was on corporal punishment in school, particularly flogging their students, though they don’t do that in the school but the teachers needed to know the risk and danger of corporal punishment on students. We honoured the request and worked extensively with the Teachers for two full days. A lot of insights emerged, some of which were;”I am a Teacher as well as a mentor to my students”. “my students are equal human beings as me, therefore ,they should be encouraged to express how they feel”. We are also grateful to the proprietors for the invitation to work with the Teachers.

Talking about community trainings, for this second round, the Jalingo community team were not left out, they organized for their Training and the SELL Resource Team gave the training .The Unit of the SELL program that was shared was the Peace Building unit and 22 persons were in attendance.

Lastly, for the month of August, Beji, of the Resource Team lead other members of the Community Team in Jos to a computer school in Bukuru area of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. At the computer school, the SELF Awareness Unit of the SELL was shared and 22 participants took part in it.

On a sad note, we wish to commiserate with the members of the SELL Family on the sudden passing away of one of her members from the Jalingo Team, Marcus James. Who passed on to eternity on the 24th  September, 2013. We will miss Marcus in the SELL Family for his humour. May God grant rest to his soul and all of the faithful departed.

See you again soon with “busy bees” – the SELL Resource Team in West Africa (II)! 

Maria Dagogot,

Communication Desk, SELL