Promoting Positive Living Among People

[ukeme okon]

Every single step we take as young people involves risk. We want to be like our friends, movie star, musician, not minding the consequencies of actions being it positive or negetive.

I remember some couple of years ago, i was faced with alot of challenges and responsilities. I never enjoyed my childhood, my mum left me in the care of my aunt when i was just a year and 6 month. My aunt never showed mea motherly care and was always yelling at whatever i do. Sometimes i will be locked indoor for days, no friend, no good food, very few cloth and this whole thing affected my growing up. All most my eyes while trying to sneak out of the house, i ran into my brother who was holding a breakable plate and gave me a deep cut, was immediately rushed to the hospital.

I saw my mum for the first time when i was 16yrs. Had alot of bad friends who were into smoking and gambling and i became one of them. My parent had to move me to a rural area, real community setting.

So i had a new life, kind of a regeneration. Met with The Salvation Army Africa Regional Team, they were on SALT Visit to community and i was with my Football team when they started a conversation with us.

I later joined the team to Salt visit as an interpreter and this great opportunity as helped me to reconcilled with myself and have been helping other young people in promoting positive living.

How do we help develop and strengthen leadership capacity among young people across our community? How do we help connect homes and community facing similar issues?

Especially increasing care in the home and other settings ownership for response.

 

[wiwin winarni]

Dear All,

 

Rituu taught me how to appreciate our beloved, survivor Ukeme's blog that is chosen as blog of the month by The Constellation's News Paper this January.  Congrats Ukeme and Thanks a lot dear Rituu..You two thanks to inspire me doing this moderation services at our youth competence.

 

Warmly

[ABEDNEGO KITHEKA MUTUNGWA]

                 Ukeme .

This is a powerful sharing and i definately know it will touch someone and stimulate a change .

[Gusto Aihan]

Hi...Ukeme!!!

Every single moment has their own problems and their own needs.

But

we might be could learn these are the aspect of the mankind.

 

thank you for sharing your story

[Gaston]

Hi Ukeme, thank you for sharing this personal story. Your transformation is inspiring.

[Virgilio Suande]

Hi Ukeme

There are things in life that realy help us to connect and develop leadership within communitiies and young people. I remember that I was part of the salvation Army Frontier team in Nigeria and the first time we met you guys playing football in the field and we joined you guys as we knew that we would spend 6 weeks in your community so it was good to have a sence of belonging and connect with local people.

We did not consider the times you promissed to join us for some home visits and you did not come for some reasons but we realized  that AKAI community had potential young people and we created space for you guys to connect and join us as interpreters.

Trust, inclusion,stimulation of a sence of belonging and being available for others are some of key elements that helped the team to stimulate leadership in AKAI community.

 

I remember Emanuel one of your friends who cried when the team said bye and none of us knew why and it was after an year when I met him in Ghana I had a chance to ask and he told me that being part of the team helpd him to change the focus of his life and it was fantastic to hear the impact of the presence of the team in AKAI.

thanks you for sharing your personal story

 

Virgilio 

[Laurence Gilliot]

Hi Ukeme,

 

Thanks for sharing your story. I believe that we grow from the difficult moments in our life. They are an opportunity to become stronger and to learn. And that's what you did. It is not easy...

 

My parents always trusted me and that gave me a lot of self-confidence. Even when I was a small child (maybe 4 or 5 years old) they would send me to the shop to buy bread or groceries. People would be so surprised to see my on my little pink bicycle. My parents trusted me. Because I didn't want to loose their trust, I respected them a lot.

My parents also always asked my opinion on any decision, even as a child. They considered me as a 'person' not a child. 

For me these are two important elements that help young people.

Laurence