Vides Kenya
Vides Kenya
INTRODUCTION
VIDES KENYA an autonomous unit of VIDES international. VIDES started in Italy in 1983 as an NGO, offering voluntary services especially for the women and the children. The initials stand for:
- V – Voluntary
- I – International
- D – Development
- E – Education
- S – Silesian
Vides Kenya takes its inspiration from Vides U.K but its fully autonomous in matters pertaining to administration. Vides is a branch of the Salesian family consisting of 25 other families from priests, sisters, co-operators and many more, formerly started by our Patron Saint John Bosco who had a great passion and love for the young people. This was also echoed by other saints i.e. Mary Mazzarello, Laura Vicuna, Dominic Savio, Francis de Sales and Don Michael Rua.
HISTORY
Vides Kenya works/operates under the Salesian Sisters of Daughters of Mary Help of Christians Dagoretti market to enhance development and education of the young internationally.
In Kenya it began in Namanga in the year 2000 with nine members who had joined together with VIDES U.K volunteers to organize a children camp. This initiative has grown rapidly since then reaching out to many young people around Kenya i.e. Dagoretti, Embu, Marsabit,and Namanga.
The movement is blessed with volunteers in Kenya from various institutions of higher learning as well as colleges, members in diaspora and the local youth the current membership being over 150.
Volunteering
Vides volunteers undergo series of formations to be come full volunteers by the preventive system of education. this mode was initiated by the patron Saint. Every year the Rector Major of the Salesians releases the strenna of the year to be incorporated in the formations and the education of the young everywhere in the world.
The Experience
Vides in Marsabit North Horr
For the following two weeks, our day to day experience and interaction with the children and young people became deep and wide. We were particularly amazed at the openness of the young people and in particular the seniors. Their superiority and passion in looking at and talking about touchy issues that affect their community and their role in the life of their communities. What a challenging experience!!
All these was culminated on Friday 20th with a mighty celebration that saw the various groups make eye catching presentations including a Gabbra Traditional dance in the presence of their parents, friends and relatives. A closing Eucharistic celebration commissioned all the participants to go & see Jesus in each other. This hence pared way to a busy youth mass followed by the 21st anniversary celebrations of the youth group on Sunday.
Looking back at the wonderful experience with the people of North Horr, the cauls that are still thirsty, the faith education that needs to be done, the need for a full government presence and improved infrastructure, we just can’t sit back, relax& watch. We want to encourage our Salesian sisters (FMA) as they look forward to opening a community in North Horr, that souls are really waiting for your missionary educative presence. We are also pressurizing the government to be swift in executing the plans it has for the upper North and just to remind them that our people up there are also honorable citizens of Kenya.
Vides is grateful to have survived 10 years in Kenya and this was graced by having 3 running Children camps in Marsabit, Dagoretti and Mutwini this year attended by over 1500 young people (Children) and managed by approximately 40 volunteers (teachers).