By Wilma Jakobsen | Project Leader
VOLMOED YOUTH LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM
APRIL 2024
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR GENEROUS DONATIONS!
Life with VYLTP is always exciting! There have been wonderful opportunities for drumming, learning, and as always, visitors who enrich our lives together. As 2023 ended, some of the young people went to the local Waldorf school and provided drum circles as part of the end of year program for learners. This was a great opportunity to try out their drum leadership skills. On a rainy night, a group played to welcome guests at a New Year’s Eve party. Last month a small group played at the new harbor to welcome guests arriving off an ocean liner that was the first ever to come to Hermanus.
Our leadership team planning meeting took place at the end of January. We have made great progress organizing our financial systems, thanks to Cathy Bruce our bookkeeper. We have program goals to grow and develop by the tenth anniversary in 2026. This was followed by our annual five day workshop on ‘Building Beloved Community.’ The growth in confidence and understanding of what beloved community means is visible in the young people.
In February the drum making program started again for the year, along with the Thursday program, with a new cohort. They have been busy making drums so that we can use our own drums for gigs, rather than borrowing them from the Drumba drum trainer. Six members of last year’s cohort stayed on to do a second year and deepen their experience.
The focus in February and March was on peace and justice, and understanding in depth the many complex issues of peace in the middle east. They participated in a Gaza peace pilgrimage, walking 28 miles, stopping at various places to reflect on peace. They practiced for this by walking 4 miles uphill each week to the Thursday program.
The current focus in the Thursday program is on spirituality, mindfulness, meditation and the power of silent reflection, and its importance for leadership. Another addition has been a weekly Friday session by a Dutch volunteer, who aims to instill a love of reading in the young people.
Our visitors have included the Tutu travel seminar group from the USA, visitors from the Netherlands and the USA, and interested South Africans. Visitors often buy the colourfully decorated drums. After Easter, a group of young Palestinians came on retreat at Volmoed and visited the drum making factory. Both groups engaged energetically with each other in drumming, singing, talking and being together.
As always, thank you so much for your support. We could not do this important work without the support of so many. We appreciate you!
YOUR GENEROUS DONATIONS ARE ALWAYS MUCH APPRECIATED! THANK YOU!
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