Celebrating Children Workshop Alumni in South Africa recently completed a full 8-week Workshop for those working with children at risk. Read as participants share how they were impacted by this training:
My experience with CCW these past 2 months has been an eye-opening, informative period. Every lesson was fun and exciting, and some lessons were heartbreaking and triggering- recognising that I went through moments as a child, and letting go and forgiving myself for those moments. I looked forward to each session and in each I learned to see children differently. I learned that the decisions I make as an adult would in turn affect the children around me.
CCW has taught me to be patient with myself and the children/people around me. It has turned me into an advocate ready to stand with the children of this world. I am very grateful for every moment and highly thankful to all my teachers. – Fatima
Firstly I would like to start with the fact that I learnt 90% of new things, things that I never knew, like how to view a child in God’s way. CCW has taught me that every child is important no matter how the child portrays herself/himself. Also the fact that we must advocate for children. A child must feel loved in order for the child to grow in a safe environment. Above it all, I learnt that every child is fearfully and wonderfully made and that God never created a mistake. – Phili
I want to thank God for this course…it has shaped my spiritual life towards the ministry and other people in my community- especially how to advocate for the children. The children have their rights to live and be happy because God loves everybody. I learnt how to plan for ministry and to deal with my stress. To find out about my strengths in anything that I am doing and to excel in it. To do more than enough. Lastly, I’m wonderfully and fearfully made- I must celebrate myself! Thank God for this course. – Pastor Lambo
CCW taught me things that I didn’t know. I gained more information about understanding children. I learned about God’s intention for children and that we have to listen and communicate with children because it is very important. The health of a child is very important. Now I know that it’s very important to safeguard children because children sometimes experience trauma.
CCW revealed touchable things like if you want to start your own ministry, you need to plan first, ask people for advice, and also include people in your ideas. I also learned about discipline and that beating children is not always the solution but there are other ways. We also learned about self care and how it is very important.
– Thubelihle
CCW has allowed me to grow mentally and in perspective of things and has taught me to heal and forgive from past hurts as a child because our parents are not perfect and we are not perfect as well. We are all learning, breaking, reforming and being better in our ways of living differently, with our different upbringings. I am really grateful for all the lessons, even the modules I never thought were important became overwhelming but I believe that God has given us a heart of peace and not to fear. God has a plan and He is intentional. Thank you. – Natasha
