Workshop for Africa in Kenya

The Workshop for Africa (WfA) team, led by Anthony Duigan, joined the Kenyan team of Initiatives of Change for a refreshing retreat held at St Mary’s Pastoral Centre, Nakuru on 6-7 July 2013. WfA is a movement based on personal change and a commitment to work for ethical leadership and accountable citizenship in the institutions of Africa.

The participants comprised about 20 volunteers with IofC programmes and six WfA participants (Warija Mikaele and Khamis Kennedy from South Sudan, Roy Ncube – Zimbabwe, Samuel Muiruri and Mediatrix Masava from Kenya).

The purpose of the gathering was to create a time of fellowship for the local team as well as to welcome the WfA group which will be in Kenya for three months, starting in July.

For the two days the team looked deeply into personal transformation. ‘Be your own original. Be like incense. In all situations radiate sweetness. In all situations, with everyone, everywhere and every time live your own values,’ Ashwin Patel, President of IofC Kenya, shared. The selfless personality of Dr Frank Buchman, founder of Moral Re-armament (now known as IofC) in the early 1930’s set a revolutionary path that every human should seek, he said. Passion, courage and commitment to one’s calling and starting with change in yourself, is the only way to change other people. The exemplary lives of people like Mother Theresa, Mahatma Gandhi and Frank Buchman were based upon ‘thinking about others, listening to their stories, pains, concerns, anguish and being an answer to them’.

Patel concluded that everyone is called to act and be an answer in their own unique way. And this realization therefore challenges everyone to stick by what is right and strive not to compromise personal values. Accommodating each other, even in the hardest of times helps us learn how to get along with different characters, and this builds trust between people.

The two day retreat also saw the launching of a new documentary A Call to Action that was produced by Mike Muikia. This is a short documentary that shares the story of six friends in a local University engaging in Social Responsibility. The idea for this short film was inspired by Initiatives of Change.

The WfA programme was launched in January, 2013 with a six weeks training programme for 11 people from seven African countries. In order to put ideas into action the team decided to spend time in Kenya to engage in outreach, build networks and inspire positive change. During their three months in Kenya, the team will engage with community leaders, students and local administrators to explore the values and disciplines that make good citizenship.

Joseph Wainaina, Vice-President of IofC Kenya, welcomed them saying,‘The team will be a great resource to IofC Kenya and we welcome the idea wholeheartedly. We will work with you to enable the team to give its best as well as gain stronger roots,’

Report by Mike Muikia

Photos by Mbindyo Kimanthi