Educative Model of Integration

During these days a continental formation meeting is underway in Kinshasa gathering all the Vocations promoters and the formators of prepostulancies and Postulancies in the French speaking African Provinces. The meeting is divided in two parts namely an On-going Formation course focused on the "Educative Model of Integration" and then a sub-continental Formation Assembly. Among the participants there are Fr. John Baptist Opargiw, Secretary General of Formation and then Fr. Elias Sindjalim and Fr. Joseph Mumbere (DRC) invited as facilitators to help the participants to provide quality service in the initial phases of Comboni formation. There are 17 participants from 9 countries: Congo (7), Togo (2), Italians (2), Mexican (1), Benin (1), Peru (1), Chad (1), Malawi (1) Uganda (1).

It all started on Thursday, September 1, 2011 with the conference of Father Josph Mpundu, a psychologist, on the current situation of the youth. He helped us to identify the needs and feelings prevailing among young people today. There is a strong need of freedom, independence and autonomy and the need to love and to be loved and to feel valued. To these needs we must add the feelings of fear and frustration due to the many things (physical and emotional) that the youth are deprived of. Needs that are not sufficiently met create frustrations. However, we also find among the youth a great passion for life. There is the feeling of joy, a lot of dynamism and vitality.
Father John Baptist Opargiw in his opening speech thanked the participants coming from Provinces of French-speaking Africa for having responded to the invitation and, after expressing the conviction that first and foremost this course is for the good of each participant, he declared the OGF Session and sub-continental Assembly – Kinshasa 2011 open. It was then that Fr. Elias, came in and introduced us into the Course proper focusing on the Educative Model of Integration which the Institute has chosen for our Comboni formation. This model, characterized by a Christian anthropology, and rooted in Comboni tradition, helps candidates to grow in inner freedom. It takes into account all the dimensions of the person and promotes the harmonious assimilation of values. The praxis of this model offers a formation that goes through all the stages of the life of a missionary. The course is alternates between group work, sharing experiences, discussions in the plenary and informal exchanges. To the sweet freshness of Kimwenza we add the fraternal and spiritual ambience. The Eucharist is the most beautiful moment of every day. On the first Sunday we went to the Comboni Parish of Bigwa and St. Eloi where we prayed together with the faithful of the local Church. The course continues, the mission as well ...