AJAN trainers returned to Mukuru on the 5ème and 6ème of December 2019, enthused and armed with knowledge to transfer to a group of young people at St. Catherine South B, most of them secondary students from various schools across Kenya.
Trainers helped the youth to discover and appreciate the stage they are at in life, which is adolescence and teenage. They shared changes from which come challenges including inability to abstain from sex, something which they shared ideas on how they think they can be able to overcome, with the help of trainers.
An interesting engagement emerged from the subtopic of self-awareness and self-acceptance. It was clear to the participants how the lack of self-awareness might expose them to negative peer pressure which leads to poor decision-making. The need to set personal goals and aiming at them came up as pertinent for a victorious living. This was further examined through group sessions where goals were identified and shared through presentations to entire team.
The core subject of AHAPPY, knowledge on HIV and AIDS was dissected from the level of awareness, prevention, factors, risks and the impact of the disease in people’s lives and the global scope. This world I Life In is a topic related to the vision and mission of AHAPPY program. It was demonstrated enough that the young people are at the risk of having HIV/AIDS due to the less emphasis on awareness on the matter even at homes. At the end of the session, the participants had the opportunity to watch one video precious pearl which highlights the challenges youth must overcome which endanger their lives. They were then requested and enabled to review what they had learned and to relate it to what they have watched. Later they were requested to make an individual life motto/commitment statement which will guide them throughout their teenage into adulthood.
Inner healing was the last session on the seminar that entails, self-conscious examination and forgiveness of oneself. Scripture verses were read to relate to our origin as human beings from Genesis and then how God made man through Psalms 139. A reflection on how humans ‘inflict wounds’ to their own hearts happened with an emphasis on forgiveness of self and others. This was complimented with a ritual of burning people on which the young people had written down their ‘wounds’ as a sign of repentance and forgiveness from Christ. As the last prayers were made to close the gathering it was evident that besides adding to their archives of knowledge, the students had also experienced a process of healing, marking a significant milestone in their lives.