A Victory Against Fear
The forty-five of us who attended the Nairobi (Kenya) Young Adults’ Workshop in August 2015 considered it a victory—a victory against the fear of meeting and leading during war. There was a lot of discharge even before we gathered, and we chose the smallest room at the venue as our meeting place, so we could be physically close. One of my thoughts as we were doing introductions was, “So this is what re-emergence looks like.”
It has been difficult for young adults to gather after having been targeted by terrorism this year. Many young adults have been killed. As the leader of the workshop, Ihad big sessions on being responsible for gathering people. Ihad the constant thought, “What if they come for us during the workshop?”
Iled the workshop supported by Humphrey Kasembeli, Nicholas Oiko, Jane Lucy Gachihi, and Rosenell Nyakinyua, who are RCteachers in Kenya. We started out planning for thirty-five young adults, but by the week before the workshop forty-five had confirmed that they were coming. Wanting to be together had won over the effects of war and conflict—the isolation, fear, and not having a lot of hope about life.
My highlights were as follows:
• The class on care of the environment. We committed to what we are going to do differently in our daily lives to positively impact the environment.
• The class on culture and tradition. We shared early memories of being told not to cry or show emotions. The young men talked about how people had clearly communicated to them that crying was a sign of weakness. Ihad them go around the class and tell fellow men how much they love them. Then they held hands and hugged a lot, which led to discharge.
• The class on the effects of war on our lives, and discharging on death. There was an empty chair at the workshop for a young adult who had died a few weeks before. He had loved music and his favorite instrument had been the drum. We brought out the drums and danced to one of his favorite songs. After that we did lots of discharging on how we felt about him not being there.
Janet Kabue
Thika, Kenya
The workshop was rewarding for me.
The new big group is well balanced in leadership, talent, and the understanding and use of RC—thanks to the leaders.
In the women’s group, participants pledged to move on and make a difference in their lives. Congratulations to them all, and long live their re-emergence!
The whole team, especially the men, bid farewell with much discharge to their friend Maximillian, who was to be at the workshop but had died just before. They accepted that it is good for men to cry.
JaneLucy Wambui Gachihi
Nairobi, Kenya
The serene environment at Karen in Nairobi was a great one for an RC workshop.
We were able to mourn a friend and young adult member of the group. Emotions flowed freely. Memories of loved ones whom we had not mourned fully came into reality, and I was able to discharge the feelings of hurt.
I learnt that past hurts sometimes hinder us from being the best people we can be and that it is okay to let ourselves feel and discharge the feelings instead of pushing them aside, where they can “eat” us gradually over the years. There was also a reckoning that we should appreciate everyone for what they are in our lives. We should express our love and concern, as everyone should feel loved and appreciated when they are alive.
The workshop was a great moment, with great learning moments, which created a desire to live by the theories of RC.
Rosenell Nyakinyua
Nairobi, Kenya