BUILDING BRIDGES IN THE MONTH OF APRIL

The month of April was a busy one for the Resource Team at Bauchi and some of our volunteer across the North-East; it started with the second annual refresher of the SELL Foundation for facilitators which held from the 4th to 7th of April 2013. The refresher was hosted in Jalingo Taraba State. It also featured the Annual General Meeting of the SELL Foundation. It was a reunion for all the trainees because for some of them it was the first time they were meeting each other since the last refresher which took place in (April 2012) at the same venue. Some of the highlights from the refresher were:- 

• Training on the Human Model/Appraisal of the community training so far held
• Time-line achievements /sustaining growth made visible on the time line
• Annual General Meeting.   

Still in the spirit of building a shared community the resource team between the weekend of 12th and 13th April 2013, broke new ground to ensure our goal of ecumenical spirit of the SELL programme with a workshop at Amazing Grace Baptist Church, in Bauchi Metropolis with 13 young adults from both the Baptist and COCIN Churches. It was a dream come through for us, the team of Leo, Moses and I facilitated the workshop, the Unit covered was SELF-Awareness; some comments by participants at the end of workshop evaluation form were:- “With sharing about my life I have discover that I am not alone in life struggle and I have other part of me I need to know base on other peoples’ view in other to know myself better and live better with those around me”- Nanpan Danjuma COCCIN Church;  “The Workshop has been educative and gives me a broad knowledge about my own personality which I have never taken time to assess myself” – Berlyn Boniface “ The workshop was very interesting and educative. I learnt on how to relate with others, my feelings, how to share, when to share and the manner on which to share with others.”- Kemi Adanlawo Baptist Church     




Next for the month was the community training at Shamdan 17th to 21st April, 2013, the fifth of our community training and like they say ‘the bigger the merrier’. The training had the most number of trainees in the history of the SELL Programme, a total of 43 young adults were in attendance. The Unit of the SELL Programme treated was Community Building; the team of Leo and Moses showed moxie, though it was not easy to manage such a large number in facilitators training from the feedback on evaluation form by participants the dual did an awesome job in delivering the training. Here are some of participant comments. “The Programme has opened my minds and eyes on peace building, community building & unity among different religion in Nigeria, also the important on gender equality”- Jerome Tangkat; “My greatest insights and learning from this training is that the development of my community is my responsibility”- Haruna Ringnap; “Am moved to stay more connected with my family, community and work to help them”- Elizabeth Dapak

Ending the bridge work that started in April and closing the first round of our community facilitators’ trainings that began at Bokkos in Plateau state the sixth community training took place at Sacred Heart Minor Seminary in Jalingo Taraba State from 24th to 28th of April, 2013. The trio of Moses, Jonathan and I were at hand to facilitate the sessions. The unit of SELL covered was the JUSTICE Unit; the passion, confusion, concern and sadness on the faces of the trainees showed a positive signs of going back to inspire other young people within their community to engage the system of injustice as ‘Simon says’ (a tool used to explore the rationale behind the culture of “obey without complain”/finding out the repercussion of obeying such command).  A total of 21 young adults were trained as facilitators of the SELL programme at Jalingo, adding to a total of 25 SELL Programme facilitators at Jalingo. Some comments from participants at the end of the training are: “I have learned to be bold and courageous”- Emily Anthony 

“To whom much is given, much is expected. So the facilitators (trainee) should at least stand up for justice to prevail when there is need for that”- Anthony Mairigima  “In the training number of female were small”- Emmanuel  Achi  “Got more insight on the oppression of women and how to review newspaper articles”-Jonathan Ezekiel   




Let me share with you some Pictures from the trainings, meetings and workshop held for the month of April, 2013.

Upcoming events in the month of May, 2013:

• Workshop with youths of Ungwuan Rogo (A Muslim Community) in Jos-Plateau State 10-11th May, 2013
• Dialogue with Islam as pre-jubilee programme on Wednesday, 15th May, 2013 at the Youth Formation Centre Bauchi and the Jubilee Mass/Reception Thursday 16th May, 2013 for our dependable resource person Rev. Fr. Leo Traynor who turn 25years in the Service of the Lord with Saint Patrick Missionary Society, lets come and celebrate the life and service of a man committed to a just and peaceful society and who has lived his life for Nigerian Youths.

Until we meet again soonest know that “we live and breathe there’s tons & tons of work to be done yet”, so we count on your continuous positive support in whatever form it may be or come.

Gbenga-Issac Oni

Program Officer