A single tree stands tall, its roots stretching deep into rock and even with no soil in sight this tree is alive and well, the true essence of resilience. This is the Centre for Developmental Practice’s (CDRA) symbol and how accurately it reflects the strength, flexibility and spirit of the Kicking AIDS Out Leader Level 2 workshop held in Cape Town, South Africa this past October. With 11 different nations present and individuals from all different cultures and backgrounds, this year’s Leader Level 2 workshop took place in beautiful Kalk Harbor on the outskirts of Cape Town. With everyone staying together at the Chartfield Guest House, it was a busy 5 days of listening, learning and sharing. Facilitated brilliantly by Shelly Arendse and Desiree Paulsen from CDRA, the week proved to be a memorable one for all participants. With some special added facilitation from George Otieno, Kizito Chileshe and Wandile Fakudze, who all helped in shedding light into new concepts to be introduced to the KAO curriculum, such as those on sex and sexuality. This new element of the curriculum was seen by most participants as a vital addition to the KAO curriculum. As Boitumelo (Mettu) Magosi from SEDYL in Botswana said, “Most of the youth we work with know more about sex then I do. We must have open discussions with them around sexuality”.
Expectations for the course were high, as a sense of excitement and anticipation ran deep for the first couple days of the course. Paul Zulu from Zambia representing Edusport summarized many of the sentiments of participants, when he said “my biggest expectation is to hear about what other people do in their countries, so I can learn from them and take new concepts home with me”. We all looked forward to a fresh perspective at the developmental process and new ideas and activities for our workshops and methods of facilitation. It became evident on the second day of our training that many of the participants ran into obstacles at workshops they facilitate in getting respect from their audience. This became a running theme through the workshop as we each came to realize that it is not about being the smartest or most qualified person in the room, but about letting each participant grow and work together.
On the third day of the workshop, we each sat down with a partner to discuss turning points in our lives that have largely impacted us; to share the moments we have each experienced that have influenced us the most. Some of us talked about the positive moments we have experienced, such as the birth of a child, going to college or finding our first love. However these positive influences in our lives, were also paired with moments of hardship. Some of us talked about emergence from death of a loved one, the hardships of poverty, miss treatment from a parent, or personal struggles with drugs, alcohol and crime. When we all came together again, it was evident that no matter the hardships we have each faced in our lives, in the end that shaped each and every one of us into the people we have become today. It was often those turning points that had brought each of us together for the workshop and had directed our path’s in life. We have each used those experiences to carry us forward and influence and reach out to others, as we each travel life’s journey.
Each participant brought a new element to the workshop, a unique contribution. Lan even brought his own chili’s from Vietnam. As our facilitators stressed, this workshop was about and the hope of what we would carry with us, was the emphasis on the journey we take as we facilitate. We must promote personal development not only for the participants in our future workshops and courses, but in our own lives as facilitators, creating a continual journey with those around us.
If there is one thing that is certain about this Leader Level 2 workshop, it was the beauty present in the workshop and the positive space that was created by the incredible openness shared by all participants. This course was filled with heated discussions around gender equality, household violence, sexuality, respect and age sensitivity to topics around sex and HIV. It became clear the need to candidly discuss sex and sexuality, in tackling the issue of HIV/AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean. Getting perspectives from many different countries from across Southern and Eastern Africa as well as the Caribbean, the diversity of participants brought different perspectives and experiences to the table, resulting in an eye opening experience influencing all participants. By the end of the week and above all new friendships were formed. Noah Mabutwe, working with SCORE Zambia, said it well on the last day, when he said “we must cherish these days, as you just never know when you will meet someone again.” We all hope our paths will cross in the near future as we each went back to our home countries with new knowledge and new ideas.
Each of us inspired to get back to work with fresh energy and enthusiasm to share our new found knowledge. It really was an incredible and truly memorable week.
