PEER COUNSELLING TO SCHOOLS, 28th Jan -12th FEB. 2011

Maseno school was our first stop in this season's trainings. Established over a century ago, the school prides itself in having produced great leaders, some of whom have occupied high positions like the first Vice-President of the Republic of Kenya, the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, and several others who have played notable roles in this country.

The four trainers spent three days at Maseno school, training 51 prefects and senior boys on leadership and other life skills that was aimed at empowering them to be leaders and helpers. In their new roles, these boys can now help the school administration in its task to maintain and improve the school as a center of academic excellence. The training took place from the 28th to 30th January 2011.

On the 3rd to 5th of February the team moved to Sagam Mixed Secondary School, followed by Usenge High School and Sawagongo Secondary School on 10th to 12th of March. The objective of the later three trainings were:

• To make students and students leaders aware of their counseling potential. 
• To introduce students to basic counseling skills, processes, and approaches. 
• To equip students with basic leadership skills to enable them make informed choices and take responsibility over their actions. 
• To update students with necessary information about HIV/AIDS and other STIs. In all the trainings undertaken, the need for further trainings, follow-ups and one-to-one counseling was underscored depending on available resources. 

1ST. QUARTER YEAR 2011 PROGRAMMES

AGAPE COUNSELING AND TRAINING SERVICES (ACTS) TAKES COUNSELING TO PRISON:

ACTS started the 2011 year's events by a visit to the prison located six kilometers from Kisumu town. The team of five comprised of Jenipha Wasonga, Director; Sam Omondi Bunde, Programmes Officer; the Rev. Eli Ogudha, a medic at the New Nyanza Provincial Hospital; Evelyn Anyang', an expert in drug and substance abuse, and counseling trainer; and Dan Ouma, counseling trainer with Agape.

The goal of this one-day training to prisoners was the elimination of RISK BEHAVIOUR such as drugs abuse, sodomy and other risky and deviant behaviours taking place behind the prison walls . This also follows an assessment carried out in the recent past to examine the need to intensify correctional activities in the prison service.

It is worthy to note that ACTS was identified amongst others as an organisation that would be used to help in the rehabilitation of the inmates due to the nature of its mission and experience in the area of counselling and rehabilitation.

The training event took place on the 27th of January 2011, at the Inmates Training Centre situated within Kodiaga main prisons, and was attended by one hundred and three inmates (103), representing all sectors of inmates in the prison.

The inmates and officers felt highly rejuvenated and requested for an arrangement to be made for PEER COUNSELING TRAINING to be conducted for inmates and prison officers in order to empower them be able to deal with issues that confront them on a day to day basis.

ACTS have found a great passion and desires to share the same with our friends and well-wishers.

Our appeal is this: "COME LET'S GO AND FIND OUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT OUR BRETHREN BEHIND THE PRISON WALLS" or better still, support ACTS to provide this rehabilitative service by partnering with us.