Alumni gathering YoungLives Myitkyina was held on 1st August 2020 at ALAM Holy Cross Mountain, an hour away from the Young Lives Myitkyina center.
It was a joy to see 36 alumni from 5 batches to come together.
The Young Lives Myitkyina team prepared one month ahead to make this event meaningful for their Alumni. They prepared games, a special talk, and a time of sharing to get to know each other and hear each one’s stories.
Since we don’t use chemicals, our mushrooms are deliciously good for the consumers’ health. This also makes the remains from the mushroom farm (such as cow dung, water hyacinth, and hard paper) easily disintegrated. It can then be reused as organic fertilizer for other vegetables.
How do we sell it?
Fr. Jerome, the resource speaker for that day, gave a talk that caught the alumni’s attention. He asked, “What is your relationship with God?”
He invited everyone to “Reflect and pray in order to know where you are right now. We as a human, just pray to him ask him what we want but we never listen what his replies. So, it is important to listen while praying.”
He then talked about the challenges of the young people’s faith today.
“Please, think about it. We are living with people who have different beliefs. Our faith can be shaken. So, where do we start to firm our faith? We should know our catechism. We must learn and study more as a youth. Youth are future leaders for the family. To teach catechism to your children, you must know what the catechism of the Catholic Church is.”
The talk inspired the alumni that in the progress of growth, what is important is Not only the “Doing” but also the “Being”.
Sharing time
Afterward, during the sharing time, some Alumni shared how their lives changed after attending the Young Lives program.
- A Roi Nu (Batch 2) shared “I was a shy person before applying in Young Lives. But after this program, I am able to stand in front of people thanks to Young Lives. I learned English very well and it helped me to take the high school exam again.” She passed the matriculation exam after the YLDC program and now she is a university student.
- Naw San (Batch 1), currently working in a CSO (Civil Society Organization) in Myitkyina, also shared “before I do not know how to communicate with people well. But Young Lives taught me how to communicate well with people around me. This helps me when I am working with the priest, catechist, and youth in my parish.”
- Zar Zar Aung (Batch 5) said “I do not have self-esteem and I do not know I have my strength and weakness. But after the Young Lives Program, I know how to apply my strength and improve my weakness.” Now she actively participates in Church activities.
Conclusion
The alumni crave for more gatherings in the future.
This kind of program helps us stay connected with friends, and allows us to listen and share about our lives and experiences.
This is true not only for the alumni but also for the team.
We may not know what the future holds especially with the COVID situation. But we will do our best to continue this mission for the young people in Myitkyina.
Alumni gathering YoungLives Myitkyina was a success by the Grace of God and through each one’s efforts.