I've just popped across from Kenya to Rwanda for a couple of days, to spend a bit of time with Pius and his GNPDR team here in Kigali, and also to be out of Kenyanito's way whilst all the schools in Kenya start their new academic year today and tomorrow.
One of the main focuses of today was to meet with Ketia and Justine, who are both involved in the prison ministry work that GNPDR carry out. Justine is a prison chaplain and carries out visits to some of the Rwandan prisons on as regular a basis as all the other demands on a chaplain's life allow, especially when that chaplain is also widowed mum to three young children. Ketia doesn't class herself as a chaplain in that she hasn't done the ordained bit, but in every other way she could be - she certainly has the heart and the faith for it. Instead, she considers herself to be a trainer, and loves to get to the prisons whenever there is an opportunity or invitation, to deliver talks and workshops to the inmates.
As a result of the 360Life training that I've delivered in the past, and which they have both attended, and as a result of the massive increase in mental health challenges amongst the population generally, and particularly in prisons, much of the training recently has been to do with trauma, mental health, and the links between the two, as well as potential impacts on life choices, behavioural patterns, social skills, decision making etc.
Today, our meetings revolved around the desire by Ketia to formalise some sort of contextualised 'mental health curriculum'. This has grown out of feedback and additional questions from the prison inmates regarding the training mentioned above. Ketia shared how hungry the inmates are to gain more understanding and insight into the brain, how it works, what happens when it goes wrong, what can make it go wrong, and how all of that together can help them work out and understand themselves better. She spoke of the times when one of them has a 'lightbulb moment', and something clicks into place. No more shame, no more guilt - when they realise the role that negative external influences can have, even if many years ago. Then there is also a realisation that they don't need to carry shame and guilt, or think that it is all because they are just a bad person, or worthless, or a waste of space, or whatever else they've been led to believe all these years. The release from all those negative thoughts can open up space for a new perspective on life, including thoughts on how to live life post-release. Self-belief starts to grow, and dreams start to take place of a more positive nature.Wondeful!
It was so good to have the meeting today and to spend time discussing with Ketia and Justine what this new programme could look like. It was lovely to see how 360Life is feeding into the development of something that can serve these prisoners here in Rwanda in a culturally-contextualised way. And I am looking forward to continue to support and feed into the curriculum as it develops further, until of course it is the right time to step out of the way.
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