Stories from the front line

“Many young people live having lost themselves. So instead of living on their own will, they live according to another force,” Korean author and international youth educator Dr. Ock Soo Park writes in the preface to his book, Navigating the Heart: Who is Dragging You? The key to overcoming the forces that push young people astray is to understand the world of the heart, according to him. “Change in life does not come from determination and labour; it is the heart that must first be changed because like a river, there is away the heart flows.”

This is also the essence of the teachings of his International Youth Forum (IYF), which has transformed the lives of many youths across the world through its Christianity-based “mind education”. Last month, KUCCPS staff and management had the opportunity to participate a three-day mind education training programme. The training focused on three themes: critical thinking, building a strong heart and cohesion through exchange. Audrine Faith Otieno shares her insights from the training.

“The programme was engaging. There were testimonials to illustrate the lessons being learnt. For instance,  Mr. Derrick Ogare, one of the designers of the e-citizen portal, allowed us to see the power of an improved mind set. Even though he was lost in drugs previously, the IYF’s dream of “everyone who sleeps in happiness wakes up in hope” caught up with him.

The facilitators guided the team through engaging group activities. My main take-out was on the importance of mind education at the work place; creating a conducive working environment. The most important thing about the world of the heart is to have an open heart and to walk with kindness to the world around us. Particularly, I loved the analogies that were used in delivering the messages – the Bedbug’s Mindset, Koi’s Law, the Empire State building, the Blueprint and the Redwood Tree.

Bedbug’s mindset

Chung Ju-yung from South Korea, the founder of automobile firm Hyundai, was awed by the ways of the bedbug. Born in a poor family, he got tired of being bitten by bedbugs and he decided to build a metal bed, where he placed his mat. After a while, the bed bugs were still onto him and on investigating, he saw the little pests climbing the walls and falling onto the bed. This made him learn the importance of always finding a way. He went ahead and used the bedbug mind set to pioneer the Hyundai Company.  This was eye-opening to me, and to all other KUCCPS staff,  I believe.

Koi’s Law

The Koi’s law was that of the Koi fish that are kept for decorative purposes. When in a pond, they grow only up to 8 to 15 inches. However, when growing in a river, the same fish can grow up to 48 inches. This was compared to our mind-sets which are limited in certain environments. Humans are social beings and when opened up to conducive environments of growth they are then able to deliver more than what was expected of them. The Koi fish law was used to encourage the staff that challenges can make them stronger and when one thinks outside their ‘ponds’ they will achieve better results.

The Empire State Building

A story was told that when the Empire State Building, a 102-storey building was built, no one wanted to lease any of the spaces. Their reason: it was built in 13 months. Everyone wondered how such a tall building was built over such a short period. It was only in 1945 that an aircraft crash on the building captured the attention of the American society. The crash that was caused by a thick fog did not have as much impact on the building as it had on the aircraft. This enabled the American society to believe in the strength of the building. Lesson: Holding on to a positive mind set inevitably bears fruit.

The Architect’s Blueprint

Having a blueprint is very important to an architect. We are all architects in our lives and we need to have a blue print of the lives we want to live. The point where change begins is within each individual. To create a better life, one has to develop a blue print of one. The Eiffel Tower was built from a blueprint.

The Redwood Tree

The Redwood tree sprouts from a tiny seed but grows into the largest tree, up to 300 to 350 feet up. This was compared to the thoughts we sow; they have the power to create ripple effects.  Everyone is to be mindful of their thoughts. As a man thinketh so is he.

The Triz Approach

Samsung uses the Triz approach to solve problems and to create innovations like bending phones. KUCCPS staff were able to see ways in which innovation may be attained through creativity. Part of critical thinking is being able to come up with simple solutions to complex problems.”

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“For another three days, we were sensitised on the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), which is being implemented in basic education institutions across Kenya. I learnt that CBC emphasises the role of the society in a child’s learning. It takes a holistic approach in developing innovative, citizenship-minded and problem solving learners. This followed by the authentic assessment of their competencies, to determine if they meet, attempt to meet, exceed or are below expectations.”