Inspiring Workshops at FCTrelief

The second school semester ends with inspiring workshops. A varied two-week programme broadens our pupils' horizons. We educate them in various areas of life. This enables them to become responsible adults who can build a good future for themselves. Gordon Merk reports.

The Theatre Group

A diverse programme

We round off each of the three school terms with two-week workshops. The school holidays last four weeks. Two of these weeks are spent at our workshops. We offer our pupils a diverse programme. This broadens their horizons and encourages them to become responsible adults so that they can build a better future for themselves. Our workshops are inspiring and address relevant topics. We also provide our pupils with meals during the workshops. This nutrition and the programme give them a good alternative to the mischief and negative influence in the compound.

For example, Eugene spoke about the negative effects of social media. He drew attention to issues such as depression, sleep deprivation, cyberbullying, anxiety, lack of communication and misinformation. Social media offers advantages, but its negative effects should not be underestimated. We help our students to deal with this appropriately. Young people often immerse themselves in a virtual world that they are unable to cope with. This is a global problem that also affects Zambia. Eugene reports that his presentation was helpful and that the pupils themselves realised that they need to address these negative effects. Pointing out dangers to young people and showing them the right way forward helps in difficult situations. They want to be more careful in future. They are grateful to us for the input. We encourage the proper use of technology. We support Misheck's IT studies in India.

Misheck shares about his studies and experiences in India

Social media and technology offer many positive aspects, but they also involve risks. ‘Technology’ was therefore an important topic of discussion during the workshops. This important topic was discussed in a debate chaired by Rachael. The children really enjoy this forum. It allows them to express themselves and makes them think. There are two groups, each with three speakers who present their arguments and defend their positions. The topic: ‘Does technology make learners smarter or does it have the opposite effect?’ Arguments and counterarguments are presented and the audience is actively involved. At the end, there is an evaluation of the participants’ short speeches and the topic itself. The learning effect is good and positive.

These communication skills are very important for our students. Good communication is required in all areas of life. Rachael gave a presentation on the different types of communication: verbal and non-verbal communication; various elements and aspects of good communication; and the importance and effectiveness of healthy communication. Gordon also emphasised this important topic online as part of his series on life coaching. The topic of ‘success’ has been the main topic in recent weeks: which elements are crucial for life? Good communication is an important aspect that is necessary for success. Another form of communication is poetry. Elizabeth, Chaliko and Patience recited some poems. We encourage creativity and art.

Patience and Chaliko after their Poetry Presentations

To balance out the communication aspect, Peter Zulu gave a talk on the seven types of thinking: critical, analytical, creative, abstract, concrete, convergent, and divergent thinking. We also encourage ‘thinking outside the box.’ Another important topic is mental health. Ernest spoke about this and pointed out that academic pressure and conflicts among friends or within families are major challenges. Social media can overwhelm children and young people, cause social isolation and have a negative impact on our mental health. Gordon often addresses this issue and emphasises the importance of a healthy mind. He encourages everyone to deal with difficulties in life in the right way and shows practical ways of doing so: we either become bitter or better in life; the choice is ours. He points out that despite obstacles in life, we should consider possible options so that we can make good decisions; such that help us get ahead in life. In doing so, we should cultivate a positive attitude towards life and all its challenges.

They are becoming better at Chess!

Competition and Fun

Peter and Ernest led various types of ‘competitions’ in the form of quizzes. The content covered general knowledge, chemistry, geography and other subjects. This way of learning is fun and therefore very effective. In Africa, activity is often associated with great joy. This also applies to sports and theatre plays, which are also part of our programme. Our pupils are creative, and we encourage that. Peter reports that some of the young people have made great progress at chess. Sometimes he even loses! The sports activities were also enjoyable. We promote holistic education.

Inspiring Rolemodels

Misheck, who has already spoken at a youth meeting about his studies in India, is an inspiring role model for our pupils. Esnart and Priscilla, who have completed their studies in nursing, described their experiences over the last three years at the ‘Makeni School of Nursing.’ They too are inspiring role models, as they all come from the same background as our pupils. The inspiration is: ‘If these three can make it, so can I!’ When they see that someone from the same background can make something good out of their life, it gives them hope that they too can achieve something. We encourage this spirit with practical help and positive words.

From the Left: Priscilla, Misheck and Esnart

General Satisfaction

Overall, we are once again very satisfied. The teachers have given good feedback regarding these two weeks of workshops. We appreciate the initiative of our teachers’ team. They have designed these workshops to be creative, diverse and profound. We will continue to do our best to promote ‘a future through education’.

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