SELL MARKED ITS 8TH ANNUAL GENERAL REFLECTION
The Sharing Education and Learning for Life (SELL) Foundation Nigeria has marked its 8th Annual General Reflection (AGR) with the theme: The role of SELL volunteers in building peaceful and model communities.
The 8th Annual General reflection brought together SELL volunteers from different faith groups, organizations from across the North East and Plateau State Nigeria. The Annual General Reflection which was held concurrently with the mentoring training featured different activities, some of which include: Training of SELL mentors, field visit, processing of experience from the field visit, capacity building on Developing and publishing on YOUTUBE, How to write a compelling Curriculum Vitae, Sales Exhibition, Business meeting and others.
The Annual General Reflection/mentoring training took place from the 25th to 29th May, 2021 at Country Home Hotel, Hill Station, Jos and recorded forty six (46) participants in attendance.
SELL VOLUNTEERS EMBARKED ON FIELD VISIT TO DYEMBURUK, IN JOS SOUTH
SELL Resource team alongside community SELL volunteers embarked on field visit to Dyemburuk, a community call Dogo Nahauwa, in Jos Plateau State on Thursday, 27th May, 2021 as part of the 8th Annual general reflection activity.
Dogo Na Hauwa is a small community located in the outskirts of Jos, in Barkin Ladi Local Government of Plateau State.In March 2010, the community experienced a heinous incidence where over six hundred persons were brutally masacared including women and children by armed herders.
SELL Foundation Nigeria chose Dogo Nahauwa for the field trip so that SELL volunteers who are championing forgiveness and reconciliation in their communities will learn from the Dogo na Hauwa experience. Looking back at their experiences these past years, the people expressed mix feelings about their ordeal. The key take home from the community is the resilience of the people who despite the tragic event have resigned to fate and offered forgiveness to those who have massacred their loved ones.The people have not given up on life but still exclaimed that God who is on the throne knows all.
During the sharings, some SELL volunteers asked the Dogo Nahauwa people how they were able to move on after the incidence and still embrace peace, adding that where they came from the people are not willing to dialogue nor forgive which has kept affecting the peace and development of the community. So how can they inculcate the forgiving spirit amongst their community members?
The first respondent (name withheld) stated that Dogo Nahauwa has a forgiving spirit, and they are peace loving and trust in God. That was why they were able to forgive and move on.
One of the elderly men who shared his experience narrated how he lost his family of fifteen persons in the incidence, he noted it was difficult for him to move on, but with the interventions of individuals and groups like SELL who came to check on how they are fairing he was able to overcome some of the trauma that came with the incident.
Another woman who spoke during the sharing shared her experience how she was able to survive the incident and how most of her neighbors were mascared during the incident. She added that the attack was at night which no one knew about but were only taken by surprise.
Another person also shared saying, Dogo Nahauwa people are peace loving, patient and accommodating. He added it’s unfortunate the incidence happened in their community, this was because of greed and selfishness by some individuals. He stated before the incidence, they all live as one family in the community with no difference to faith backgrounds, he also added that despite all that happened, it has not stopped them from relating with their fellow Muslim brothers and sisters as they still live and eat together in the community.
The Mai Ungwa of Dogo Nahauwa stated that the incident was an unfortunate one, however, he appreciated the government, churches, groups and individuals who reached out to them during those difficult moments. The people of Dogo Nahauwa encouraged the SELL volunteers as they return back to their various destinations to embrace peace in their lives and among community members irrespective of whatever afflictions and also learn to forgive one another as forgiveness is key and God is still on throne to shield all.
Rev Fr Robert Psinon Director of the Foundation thanked the people of Dogo Nahauwa for accepting to host the SELL team and for taking out time to share their experiences, he prayed for the people of Dogo Nahauwa for Gods continuous protection upon their lives and families.
After the prayer the SELL team all marched to the mass grave where the six hundred people massacred were buried. As part of our own social support, the SELL family also donated some money and requested that the well at the primary school should be taken care of and the grasses at the scene where the people were buried should be cleared off.
SELL VOLUNTEERS HAD AN INTERACTIVE SESSION WITH THE LEADERS OF DADIN KOWA COMMUNITY
As part of our role in building peaceful and model communities, SELL volunteers at the 2021 Annual General Reflection had an interactive session with the leaders of Dadin Kowa community in Jos, Plateau state.
Dadin Kowa is a community in Jos who has not experienced any form of violence; the people in that community have embraced peace and have learned to leave with one another as family, Muslims, Christians and traditional worshipers.
SELL chose Dadin kowa due to its unique nature having shared and heard from Dogo na Hauwa, the Foundation thought of bringing the leaders of Dadin Kowa over to the venue of the AGR to share their own experiences and the strategies they adopted as a community which has helped them live together as one family so as the SELL volunteers will learn from them and to inculcate such unity in their various communities.
Speaking at the event, Alhaji Tanko, leader of the Muslim group appreciated the SELL volunteers for the good work they are doing towards peace keeping in their various communities. He added that Dadin Kowa as the name implies is a small community but peace loving and accommodating. Baba Tanko affirmed that it is not as if Dadin Kowa has not experienced any challenge, but that they have their internal challenges to the extend even those who are always against any form of violence are been called names, however, due to the support from individuals, they were able to overcome the challenges.
On his part the Mai Ungwa, stated that the only thing that helped them in the community was their constant meeting with the various religious and youth leaders which has helped them proffer solutions to some of the internal challenges they were having or might have encountered. He also appreciated the youths of dadin kowa for always listening to their leaders when a call is put across.
The Youth leaderalso stated that Dadin kowa community members live as family, what affects one affects all. He affirmed that as the way forward, they always have meeting with their elders, listening and doing as instructed and also carry out sensitization on the importance of peace to the community members.
The interactive session was attended by the Mai Ungwa, the Christian Leader, Muslim Leader and the Youth leader of Dadin Kowa community in Jos, Plateau state.
Written by Miss Emily Ranna Yinala
SELL communications officer
