Attendance: 38 participants from 12 churches and 2 organisations registered to attend. 26 participants of these received Certificates of Completion for attending the entire workshop.
The Youth With a Mission (YWAM) team under the leadership of Hans-Peter and Kathy Rüegg coordinated with the churches and organisations for the workshop and handled logistics throughout the five days. The facilitators were hosted at the YWAM dormitories alongside 4 participants. The rest of the participants commuted from their homes near the workshop venue. The participants paid a fee towards their meals while YWAM covered the rest of the budget. The facilitators catered for their transportation.
Workshop Leadership and translation
The workshop was run in English and Acholi. The facilitators used English and five participants helped to translate from English to Acholi where it was necessary.
Timekeeping throughout the workshop was highly commendable. The participants were always on time at the start of the day at 8:30 a.m.
The YWAM team encouraged the facilitators with their eager participation and involvement during the lessons, as well as their efficient coordination of meals and attendance registration which resulted in the smooth running of the training.
Participants were engaged through questions in group discussions and presentations. Adult education principles were employed throughout the workshop giving both the participants and facilitators the opportunity to dialogue and learn from one another.
Transformational Development Principles
Principles covered include the four relationships God created for us at creation, thinking about community, made in the image of God, shalom – holistic health, choosing a community open to development, Sunday-Monday Christian, appreciative inquiry, beginning an initiative, setting people free to be all that God wants them to be, poverty, sustainability, the role of donors, income generation, responding to the poor, building trust, culture and world view, the change cycle, a living holistic church – the body of Christ, partnership, mobilizing the church for TD/holistic mission and implementation of a simple program without outside donors.
Initiatives planned:
The participants that were present on the final day of the workshop formed groups based on the church they belong to, discussed and drafted the steps to start the following initiatives:
- Ot Pawora (House of My Father) Christian Church: Crop farming
- Independent Group Participants: Village Savings & Loans Association
- Divine Word International Gospel Church: Starting a nursery school
- Bethel PAG Church: Sunday School Ministry
- Dream Team Northern Uganda: Improve community hygiene and unity
- Kitgum PAG Main Church: Envangelising the community.
- St. Marks Catholic Church: Crop farming – sunflower and soya beans.
- YWAM Kitgum: Garbage management
Follow Up
The Mazima team in conjunction with Hans-Peter Rüegg and Kathy Rüegg, the coordinating team at YWAM, will keep in touch with the participants and carry out periodic follow-ups. We will try to get them together within 6 to 12 months to share experiences and stories of change. TD-2 will be done at a future date.
