KFUK-KFUM Information Tour!

KFUK-KFUM Information Tour!


The success of the Arab springs in most of the Arabic countries lies behind the mobilization and organization of the energy and passion within the Young people.The fight against Apartheid,Genocide in Rwanda and now the biggest catastrophe climate change is due to the passion and energy within the youth.Therefore all this is just but an alarm showing that the only solution to bringing change in the world is investing in young peoples energy and commitment to life.

Different organizations have chosen to engage the young people in different levels and ways through creative and innovative platforms.One of the ways through which this has succeeded is by having exchange programs such as Communication For Change and Young Peace Performers which are implemented by the Fredskorpset in partnership with Kirkens Nodheljp(Norwegian Church Aid) and KFUK-KFUM Norge(YMCA YWCA)and other organization in 9 other countries.

One of the main activities carried out by the young Communication for Change participants during their exchange in Norway is advocacy and campaign work focusing on a thematic area like climate change or poverty with regards to the thematic area of that year.Therefore this years Information tour with the Norge KFUK-KFUM was focused on one of the biggest long term campaigns by the Y global known as Stop Poverty with very key demands on Climate change which included;

• Cutting drastically the Carbon Dioxide emissions of Norway by 40% as compared to the 1990 levels.
• Finance Climate adaptations initiatives in developing countries through committing more than 1% GDP to the Green Fund.
• Stopping Carbon Dioxide leakages outside Kyoto countries.

South team pose for a group photo before the show with new hats from the Norwegian KFUK-KFUM

From the 27th of January the CFC team was divided in two with my team which was the south team going to Oslo and the rest to the North.We begun with a show at the Night volleyball cup where more than 200 hundred young people gather from the different youth groups within the Norwegian KFUM-KFUK.This is a whole night event where young people play volleyball and compete for different prizes as well as share with one another and also spiritually get nourished.Here we got to present a 20 minutes show and had them send Sms to Jens.we also got to play 3 games despite that we did not proceed to the finals but we inspired them to be part of the change they want in the world as young people which is what we do best.

The south team at the night volleyball cup after winning the last match though we did not make it to the semi-finals

This was one the best nights without sleeping but having so much fun with other young people very energetic to make a change in the world.For sure young people have all that it takes to move masses and solve the global issues affecting the communities.

Having fun with some of the young people from the KFUK-KFUM youth groups

Noen sør deltakere bare chilling og ha det gøy på volleyballbane som de nyter konkurransedyktige kampene

The second day of the information tour starts with a preparation for the evening show with a local tensing group at the chicken waterfall known as Honefos in Norwegian after which we start our journey which is an hour and half drive fro Oslo to a place know as Rengerike.Here we meet young people of the age of 13-15 who have sessions on singing and other extra curricula activities during the free time and evenings after school.Here we have an hour and half show where we share with them what we are doing and they get to send the sms to jens as well as get to know bout the Communication for change program which they can take part in.What a nice way of inspiring young people!!!

We also had a chance to visit very many other local tensing groups within Oslo and below are some of the groups we visited;

Kirkens Nodheljp participants at the Change Maker Norge Winter SNU camp with Markus the leader of change maker after the show

 

The boys at the Stop Poverty Kick off concert in KFUK-KFUM Oslo hall

Performance at the KFUK-KFUM winter festival in Arendal with the theme of Courage

Conclusion
It is important invest in what the young people have by believing in the them, giving them space to do what they want and at the long run letting them speak out what they believe in and this is what the world needs to change.
"Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For in deed, that is all we ever have." Margaret Mead, Anthropologist

These are what the young people are and together we will make incredible things happen!!!!!!!!!!!

Making a Change

Two weeks ago when we begun planning for the information tour it seemed like we would not do it but for sure unity is strength as we now seat down and look back to a long tiring and exhausting two weeks period of preparations.As we now embark on our information tours both to the North and the South we have all learnt that working together and listening to each other are very key contributors of success.

Discussions by one of the group on how to make the show during the first days of planning for the information tour.

  After a long approximately 2 weeks preparations of the information tour the day to show it to the students before we started our tour came and this was for me the best moment within the first month of the CFC program as i was so proud of myself and the entire team for the terrific feeling that we instilled to the entire student and staff community for what we did.

The beautiful communication for change participants with their costumes during the rehearsal before the premier at Sunmorefolkehogskole

Performance of one of the strongest song during the premier at Sunmorefolkehogskole before we left the following morning on the information tour to the North and another group to the South

A moment before the performance as a family all together

For sure ending Poverty and global injustices is possible with such minds dedicated to working towards what they believe in and standing for what they know is right even though they will stand against billions of people.For this group of young energetic group of people nothing is impossible in life and it it was possible to end apartheid then it is also possible to end climate change,poverty and other social,economic and physical injustices in the world.

"It always seems impossible until it is done"

Nelson Mandela

A moment before the performance as a family all together

Media as a Development tool;

The power of Media in addressing community problems;

Within the slums of korogocho lies a small but very influential community radio station which started in 2006 in the quest to address community issues and empowering the community.It might not be relevant to you who lives in utmost comfort of everyday, but for that person who the next day is not guaranteed due to issues surrounding the environment like crime, pollution, diseases and deaths the community radio is very important and dear to their hearts.

Koch fm which is the community radio station that serves Korogocho  slum and other major slums was the first community radio station in Kenya to be established.During the period before its establishment the area was terrible due to the problems the community members were facing.It is so amazing how media has a major role to play in the development sector.Right from the dissemination of information, awareness creation, educating and entertaining, Koch FM has made very significant differences in the Slum of korogocho and other surrounding slums as well.

The birth of Koch Fm and the significant change it has made within the community led to the birth of other community radio stations which include;Pamoja Youth Fm which works in the Kibera slums and Ghetto radio within Maringo slum. The success of Media does not entirely rest in their circle but as a result of mutual partnership with other development partners and therefore as a communication for change (CFC) participant this is a lesson that to end and advocate for economic justice we need to be in a harmonious working relation with other stakeholders as well.

The same scenario happens even when you travel with your partner that your success in those countries will entirely depend on how good you work together and in harmony. 

Communication for change participants and the Koch FM volunteers during a visit to their offices

A dream Come true!

Climate Caravan participants in Nairobi after a come back home

Youth Mobilization towards COP17;

The sounds and sights of the 6 caravans’ trucks and young energetic passionate people about mother Earth may fade away in the distance and eventually die down but the impact and memories will never fade, that’s everybody’s view as we sit still and look back at those moments that made the caravan a truly amazing experience! And as we slowly part ways after paying an expensive price one still wonders if it’s not a dream, and yes it is, a dream come true!

Among the many global issues such as Poverty eradication, Economic injustices, diseases eradication (Malaria and smallpox) and Environmental conservation, the young people have placed their engagement very high on addressing climate change and they are at the forefront in this fight against climate change consequences. Over the years since the Conference of parties was launched under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,COP17 in Durban marked the year with the highest mobilization of young people towards the meeting after COP 15 which was held in Copenhagen.In the history of the African continent, this was undoubtedly the biggest youth mobilization project ever! Going through six countries (Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa), the 161 young environmentalists from 18 countries held concerts and mobilization rallies, which were well organized and attended. 

Caravan participants during the demonstration in Durban

Surely there is strength in numbers, and the young people have realized this, and taken the honors to change their societies for the better. We are the leaders of today, not tomorrow, and if you can’t beat them, you surely have to join them. We Have Faith, and We Are Acting Now!

The fight against climate change has proven impossible without the engagement of young people in this fight in line with the other stakeholders.Therefore the young people are key  stakeholders in addressing climate change and other global issues thus mandatory for the world leaders to involve us in all aspects of tackling global issues.

Caravan Participants at a concert in Tanzania

Caravan participants collecting petitions all over Africa

Personal development!

Welcoming evening at SUFH with the other students

Organized Gap Year!

The year between the end of high school life in a teenagers  life and the joining of university or college is a very crucial year where one can get to understand his/her personal identity or at the same time lose focus in life. This two things involved during this one year period are very important in determining what kind of a person you will be in life or even what kind of life you will live in the future times.

Many of the young people all over the world are facing a condition what we call or would like to understand as identity crisis and therefore it has been every important to mould a young person’s life because at first they don’t even understand themselves.

Therefore during my exchange program to Norway I stayed in a School called Sunmore Folke High skole which is basically a school if you like you would call or people call it an Organized Gap Year. The meaning of the organized gap year phrase is that it is a place where  young people after high school spend the one year before they are admitted to University or college and focus more on the personal building through different activities such as music,Dancing and sports among many others.  This period that they spend in school is organized in a way that they focus on programs such as Music, Multi-sport among other programs that help them understand themselves.The question that is in my mind now is whether such an initiative is what developing countries are lacking when it comes to empowering the young to understand themselves or what is the cause of what many psychologists are calling as identity crisis within the young people?

As i embark back home from my program back at home i have chosen to focus on empowerment of teenagers to understand them first of all before even giving them the opportunities they need to grow.It is important that our teenagers get to know who they are and what they are made of.

A lounge at the Sunmore FolkeHogSkule(SUFH)

Information Disemination(CFC Life)

FK Participants during a break in the FK course

After a long trip it was unfortunate that we could not get to rest for some time and we directly begun with training from the donor organization known as Fredskorpset Norway. FK Norway is a public body answerable to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and financed totally over the State Budget which arranges reciprocal exchanges of personnel between organizations in Norway and developing countries. Their objective is to contribute to lasting improvements in economic, social and political conditions in the world through many ways such as sharing information and also advocacy work targeting a specific problem within the communities in which they work. The participants came from 9 different countries all over the world which included (Kenya, Madagascar, Armenia, Brazil, Nicaragua, Uganda, Norway, Mozambique and the Philippines)this marked the year with the most countries within all the youth camps that have ever happened since the program begun.
This I would say for me that it was a really educative time for me and more so having very well experienced facilitators like Pellegrino Riccardi who is well known to the world for his good knowledge in intercultural communication. The topics covered included;
• The role of social media in addressing global issues.
• Blogging and how to make use of the FK world page where every FK member feeds in information that he or she would like to share.
• Photography and storytelling.
• Development issues and challenges
• Environmental challenges
• Poverty and Wealth
• Intercultural communication.
The training had 36 young people from 9 different nations across the world from three different groups under the FK youth program; this were; Communication for change, Latin American Group and the AIESEC.
'Africa can feed the world'
The president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development claims that, by focusing on farming, Africa has the potential to feed not only itself but the rest of the world (The Guardian, 2011)said Maren Aase, Research Fellow, Centre for Development and the Environment, (SUM) , University of Oslo

Edutainer Pellegrino Riccardi one of the facilitators

One of the Programs under the FK Norway projects

Alpha CFC Diary!

Children at Mothers of Joy school trying to secure education.

Children with hope for the future

Hosting Internationals In Kenya!

When Hope in life is the last notch in the life ladder!
Poverty in Africa ad beyond has really made it sad for the entire lifetime of the human person to be quite disgusting within certain extreme conditions.Therefore people have ended up living in quite messed up circumstances and also engaging in quite degrading economic activities just In the search for a better living and daily bread for themselves as well.
Therefore as a CFC participant trying to campaign on ending economic injustices it is disheartening to experience the vast injustices that are happening on a personal basis with putting in mind the disparity between the rich and the poor people.This is very evident as you can see people who have more than they can consume and living in extreme comfort while someone else is living below 1USD a day.
With all these said and done I had a chance to experience the first hand information on my first visit to the National Council of Churches Kenya community center in Huruma which has a Community hospital with very subsidized rates putting in consideration the low income of the community members,Youth resource center which use art and drama to do advocacy on pertinent issues in the community.
My first visit was an awesome encounter with very young innocent children whom because of the effects of poverty they had to do with what was available to them but that did not mark the end of their lifetime as they still have hope that they will one day make it in life with the little they have.Thanks to the community project by National Council of Churches Kenya which has provided somewhere for them to acquire some knowledge and we meet with them during a normal school day in the Mothers of joy Informal school.

Amsterdam airport stopover

Arrival in Norway!Amsterdam National Airport
All the way from Kenya we leave with a 10; 55 o’clock flight and through Amsterdam where we arrive at around 5; 45 with our next flight being at 7; 05.Here we are confused of which way to take so that we can get to the flight bay and with lack of attendants at the airport but very many signs which most of us are not used to we get lost for some time and then afterwards get our way to the bay. Having traveled all night we are very tired and having some time with us to rest we take a short nap on the chairs at the waiting bay and funny enough is that we get to have a very good sleep even though not comfortable at all. After a short while we get to board the flight to Norway and within no time after an hour and 45 minutes we are in Oslo and there we meet Thomas our coordinator who receives us with a very warm welcome to Norway by saying Velkommen which means welcome in English and we say Takk meaning thank you.