Chuo Cha Maisha – Christian Life-skills Training

‘Chuo Cha Maisha’ (Swahili for ‘Institute of Life’)  is a training programme in Christian Life Skills that I initiated in 2006 within Don Bosco Youth Educational Services – Tanzania.  It empowers young people, aged between 14 and 30, to celebrate adolescence and thus prepare themselves for adult life.  It has as its motto: “Uhai Tele – Life in Abundance” – Jn 10:10.
29 May 2011 -Sunday witnessed the fifth ‘graduation’ of 250 youth who participated in this training programme that lasted 20 days of training, spread throughout one year.  Every day of training consists of at least 6 hours of participatory sessions.  I was privileged to be the chief guest at this year’s graduation function, held at Don Bosco Youth Centre, Upanga, Dar es Salaam (Photo below: one of the 5 groups).  It was a very gratifying moment for me to see this programme still in growth – now 5 years […]

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Discipline in School Context – A Session for Teachers

1. Individual work: Give participants individual work.  For instance, last Sunday I gave the teachers two questions: a) What is discipline? b) What strategies do we follow for maintaining discipline in class?
2. Merry go around: After they have answered the questions.  Take them to the 2nd step: Ask all participants to stand in a circle. They say numbers in two’s – one, two; one, two. All the ones stand where they are. The twos face the ones on their left.   Now they start sharing with each other their answers. After one or so minutes when the signal is given, the one’s stand wherever they are (outer circle) but the two’s (inner circle) move a step to the left in such a way that they meet a new person in the outer circle.  And now start sharing your […]

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Via Lucis – 3

Introduction
Reading: Acts 2:14, 22-25, 32-33
Station I – Jesus is Risen!
Reading: Luke 24:1-9

Station II – Peter and John run to the tomb.
Reading: John 20:3-8

Station III – Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene.
Reading: John 20:11-18a
Station IV – Jesus joins the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.
Reading: Luke 24:13-27
Station V – Jesus is recognized in the breaking of bread.
Reading: Luke 24:28-35
Station VI – Jesus appears to a group of the apostles behind closed doors.
Reading: Luke 24:36-43

Station VII – Jesus empowers his disciples to forgive sins.
Reading: John 20:21-23

Station VIII – Jesus confirms the faith of Thomas.
Reading: John 20:24-29

Station IX – Jesus appears on the shore of lake Tiberias.
Reading: John 21:1-14
Station X – Jesus commissions Peter to take care of his flock, the Church.
Reading: John 21:15-17

Station XI – Jesus entrusts his disciples with his mission to the whole […]

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Personal Mission Statement in 4 Steps

 1 May 2011, Nairobi
There was a weekend seminar for secondary school students who are financially sponsored by the Salesian Community where I now stay – Don Bosco Youth Educational Service (DBYES), Karen, Nairobi, Kenya.  The students go back to school this week after their April holidays.  These 29 students are part of a larger project run by the Salesians of Don Bosco in Kenya and Tanzania, that sponsors almost 800 students, thanks to a legacy left behind by an American gentleman. During the weekend, I facilitated two sessions aimed at assisting the students to come up with their own personal mission statement in four steps.
1. As the first step in this process each participant was invited to do a personal SWOT Analysis: in a quadrant they write down their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.  Basically strengths and weakness […]

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