THE SPIRIT OF REACHING OUT
The 7 a.m Diary
We strap our bags on our backs and head North.Our bold steps, which seem synchronized, speak of mirth and determination,the core of this ‘missionary’ undertaking.The morning is quite chilly and overcast except for the peeping rays of the sun far above the horizon.Scores of minutes later, our legs have gathered quite a thick layer of dust.We therefore bang our shoes before sauntering MEC.Afar, you can hear the gleeful chuckles of boys and girls chasing a ball.They call this the French Soccer.At a distance are a dozen of ‘Boscos’ playing the famous Robertos.The spectacle here attracts my attention.One of the boys does a funny gimmick that sends all the other juniors laughing.Meanwhile, a boy among them smartly makes away, with the whole lot of boys chasing him stealthily.This boy’s agility makes me draw the attention of the Sister in our company, who at the time is having an amicable chat with a group of youth who have rushed in to receive us.Inside the decorated hall, a very inspiring hit reverberates in a deafening pitch.I subconsciously hum the melodious tune intrinsically dancing to the beat.It’s some of these experiences that make me nostalgic of my teenage life. The fifth day of the Catechetical Camp in Mutuini.
Cultivating values in children
Creating wholesomeness in the lives of the young is the dream evident in every educator’s mind. Holistic education does not only entail the academic achievement in school but also the moral,social and religious dimensions of life. An inscription on one of the walls at Mutuini Educational Center states ‘that to build a child is nobler than to repair an adult’.The experience of watching those young children grow from humble beginnings to maturity and responsibility is awesome, and we should therefore exploit the numerous chances offered by the situations evident in our societies.
A friend shares with me a story of three deviants expelled from school-Mussolini,Hitler and Bonaparte - who turned into the most murderous antagonists the human race has ever experienced.Though the story might be a farce, Don Bosco would have shed a great deal of tears for a realization on how neglect and insensitivity can cause such historical catastrophes.Therefore, we should seek to transform our societies by cultivating all necessary Christian values in a bid to create a world that Lord Jesus will identify with in his second coming.
VIDES, though slowly sprouting, still has a major role in our world today.Considering the numerous instances of moral corruption within our homes today, children are in dire need of the role models to learn from.The new era of multi media poses an imminent danger that requires us to speedily act in order to tame the forthcoming effects.We also need to note that, the sporadic violence experienced in our schools in the yesteryears was a direct result of the rot thriving in our own social systems.It was for that reason that VIDES-KU initiated a debutante Children’s Peace Camp in our Parish for the sole reason of instilling the repertoire of values that the society badly requires.Since its inception, the Peace Camp has continued to enjoy good support from the parishioners.We hope that the same initiative will reach a greater number of children next year.
We continue to thrive under Don Bosco’s world-proclaimed legacy of loving kindness, having in mind that it’s through concerted efforts that we can live his Childhood dreams.The society now is full of worldly beasts that only love and tenderness can transform into gentle lambs.We must not allow ourselves to be worn by lethargy, neither should we darken our heart on seeing how the course of success slowly registers.It is through such slow enhancements that great achievements are manifested. Needless to say, working with the young requires surmountable patience, as lack of patience translates into animosity and eventual avoidance by the children, an occurrence detrimental to their innocent lives.John M Mwania. VIDES-KU UNIT
