On the day of the event we realized that we had run out of gas in the kitchen of the creche. No gas meant no food. The team went knocking on doors in the township and found a family that kindly borrowed us their gas to use for our cooking. Every single challenge offers an opportunity. One of our objectives is to involve more of the Nyanga Community. The challenges that we experienced both in the days leading up to the event and on the day of the event was opening the door for further community involvement. WOW!
And what an amazing day it was!!
We are singing "I know I can be what I want to be..."
We are walking in UNITY...
Each child showcases a vision on stage...
Ivan shares of his creativity. This poster he made for the event!
CUMA VISITS US IN MUIZENBERG
Cuma lives in the Nyanga Township and has been part of our SmilingOne Family and Saturday workshops for the past 9 months. Life in the township can be very challenging and we are experiencing how Cuma - only 6 years old - is struggling to cope. We would love to help the family. We are doing home visits (one-on-one talks) and have also invited the family to take part in our programme and benefit from the Circles of Sharing with the rest of the community.
Cuma visited my kids and I for a couple of days. He loved the beach, cherry tomatoes, FunLovingSharingCaringMoments, hugs and lots of attention... Here we are visiting the Aquarium in town:
AGM
On March 22nd 2011 the Board of Trustees / The SmilingOne Foundation met for our annual general meeting. Xhanti Lamani, Meeghan Norwitz and I, Karina Andersen were present at the meeting. Sarah Hewland was excused. Sarah is resigning as a trustee due to other priorities and commitments.
Key points at our AGM were approval of our audit by the board and planning for 2011 fundraising events and activities. We are excited about bringing the foundation to the next level and in doing so touching even more lives!
PRISON COACHING DAYS (115 inmates active in the process)
Mondays @Goodwood Prison.
On March 14th we explored how each moment and each challenge is an opportunity to know more about ourselves and ‘WHO WE REALLY ARE’. One of the guys had a challenge on religion. The window offered in the circle was that we are all wonderfully different/unique and here to find our own beautiful way. For everyone in the circle 'divine inspiration' played a role. Sometimes we just call it differently. For some it is religion. Others call it spirituality.
We used the AWARENESS SPECTRUM by adding in the challenges experienced, how we felt, re-acted and then the middle of the spectrum we used to find the purpose/gift in the experience. In the session we moved more and more towards speaking about TRUST. And how imbalance often is connected with a distrust within. We spoke about what does it mean to trust and what is trust really? One of the guys felt distrust towards his stepmother who now was looking after his kids. We looked at the mirror she was to him. We also explored if the circle felt that everything in life is meaningful / comes with a lesson/learning. And if so – how even the most challenging experience can be turned into a gift.
We have 30 inmates in the process (two of them are in coach training)!
Wednesdays @Worcester Prisons
On March 16th 2011 I started the day with the Quality Assurance Committee for the Brederiver Management Area. The Worcester Men's Prison falls under this area. We have been working on this quality assurance for the past 9 months. All programmes offered to DCS has to be approved and endorsed before it can be facilitated. This process has been amazing learning for our team. It has asked us to trust the process and to be patient. Learning opportunities goes beyond a weekly Circle of Sharing. Each day life offers learning. And not to forget: DCS is also learning! The meeting today was the final meeting prior to officially opening the process in the Men's prison where we since May 2010 have had some of our inmate coaches incarcerated (they transferred from Brandvlei Maximum Prison).
After the meeting I went inside prison to meet the team. Another stunning session with deep processing and preparation of upcoming workshops. Thando is working on a workshop called 'uTHANDO' (LOVE), Luyanda on a workshop called TOLERANCE and Maka on a workshop called BROTHERHOOD. The workshops are part of their educational training as coaches/guides.
We were also looking into some of the processes that both Luyanda and Maka were busy with. Both of them are keen to be transferred to Drakenstein and Allandale Prisons - to start THE RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUAL there, bringing it to more people. We spoke about not living in the future; but to be present in the moment. A challenge that both of them had as they were planning ahead for the transfer. TRUST came up, which we unpacked and explored.
We have 5 inmate coaches/students in Worcester Medium!
March 23rd 2011 @Brandvlei Maximum Prison:
The drawing is from our PBP (personal balanced profile) workshop today in session with the SmilingOne inmate coach/guide student team.
Do we approach life, every experience, people/relationships, our role as a Guide... like the natural growth / unfolding of a tree? Or do we tend to control?
This tree was created over our 2-hour session. Each of us taking turns to add an ingredient as we shared of current processes. For each add-on it opened up a world of possibility. It showed us how each piece was unique and added/contributed to the UNITY. Not one without the other!!
We spoke about how we sometimes can be 'stuck' on/in a plan if we are not allowing flexibility (possibility). This is an essential reminder also in Guidance. It is KEY to enter your session (meet your client) open and flexible, and allow the session to unfold naturally - like the process of a tree.
This exercise also served as an ingredient in understanding the potential of the Active Development of the PBP (Gauging My VISION, My FOCUS, My ACTIONS and My IMPROVEMENTS).
I am deeply grateful for todays session. The idea of doing this exercise was born in the session, it unfolded in the session and it planted a seed in each one of us - a seed that we are passing on to those around us; not just in words but in our doings, walking the journey true to our heart.
The team (5 inmate coach students) has 40 clients in the process!
March 23rd @Goodwood Medium/Juvenile Prison
I had a 2-hour session with Franklin (inmate coach student) who is both guiding fellow inmates in the youth centre (16-19yrs old) and in the medium centre (20yrs upwards). Keywords of learning that we focused on in our session: Growth, Freedom, Guidance, Leadership, Neutrality, Humility. Amazing how life avails learning opportunity to assist us in deepening ourselves. Sometimes this brings us into an imbalance first and from there we can build the bridge to balance. All is meaningful as we journey through life. It was an inspiring session!
Franklin is currently guiding 34 inmates through the process.
SMILING ONE RECEIVES REGIONAL QUALITY ASSURANCE
March 23rd 2011: Today I received a fax from the Western Cape Regional Office of Correctional Services. The fax says: "The Regional Quality Assurance Committee has given careful consideration to your presentation and found the programme supportive to the core objective of the Department of Correctional Services. In this light the Quality Assurance Committee has concluded to endorse your programme and service, namely SmilingOne, for use within the Western Cape Region... " What a fantastic achievement! My deepfelt gratitude goes to the SmilingOne Family. Each one an essential puzzle piece!
Now we are calling out to sponsor to kindly assist us take on this amazing task. We are currently in 5 prisons. Our aim is to expand to 5 more in 2011 and by 2012 be ready to accommodate at least 20 correctional instituations.
This was my past two weeks. Eventful!
Thank you for your continuous support!
IN GRATITUDE
Karina
