Great athletes have shown us that meshing with an aligned performance coach leads to sustained execution at a higher level—a highly paid career, elite performance, and upgraded mental programming—transforming a regular everyday activity whether running a field, tossing a ball, or paddling waters into a rewarding craft. Me thinks, that the world might use more creativity coaches to assist channel the creative energy of the universe that is in the call of creatives—thinkers, artists, entrepreneurs, and creators—in order to bring harmony to its human occupants with the flora, fauna, and even fungi. I believe so. What do you think?
By Wangari Kabiru
August 16, 2023 I 7 – 9 minutes read
“Young people, enjoy your youth. Be happy while you are still young. Make the most of the days of your youth…” (Ecclesiastes 11:9).
Image: Cohort 2022 Miss Character Champion Deborah Malenya (18) at Mr and Miss YMCA Kenya NTI 2023
PREAMBLE: 60 young women enrolled in three-month courses at the YMCA Kenya National Training Institute (NTI) in 2022 as part of the USAID DREAMS Girls project, an initiative for girls. The girls enrolled in programmes in electrical wiring and computers (mechatronics), hairdressing and beauty, catering and baking, and fashion and design. With the additional benefits of branch membership and opportunities to take part in the activities sponsored by NTI/Shauri Moyo Branch. The batch mates signed up for the Leadership Character Development Club (LCDC), a weekly meetup organised with the YEES! Program. MISS CHARACTER CHAMPION: Each was crowned ‘Miss Character Champion’ on completion in 2022. Together with publication of a memorable 31-Day gift journal, anthology-style; the ‘YEES Girls Have Dreams’ e-book, a compilation of the girls’ dreams in ‘A Letter to Me in 2040’. A member of PWG TVET, the YEES! Program is modeled as spaces to grow leaders through micro-clubs in leadership, entrepreneurship, technology, and community responsibility. THE WRITER IS a Gen Z and Alpha Positive Psychology Character Strengths Facilitator, Character Coaches training and member at the Positive Psychology Association of Kenya (PPAK).
Fast Forward To A Letter to Me in 2040
Fast forward to 2023, Debbie returned to the national institution for an advanced certificate in Fashion and Design. Fast forward to the YMCA Kenya NTI Cultural Week in August 2023 … amiable, confident, intelligent, quick, and somewhat reserved African beauty queen.
Fast forward to the Mr and Miss NTI 2023, where Cohort 2022 Character Champion Deborah Malenya (18), an LCDC club alumni, was named the first runner-up. Fast forward as we celebrate the African beauty queen, read the 18-year-old Debbie’s dreams in ‘A Letter to Me in 2040’; a letter to her then 37-year-old self!
Finding Creativity Spaces For Expression
Every epoch finds spaces for artistic expression of its modalities that speak louder than words about the generation. Character coaching strengthens the innate abilities ‘character strengths’ of creatives; a positive complement to creativity coaching. Strengths that help the creative gifts to be steadier, keep on for longer, and thus go further.
Great athletes have shown us that meshing with an aligned performance coach leads to sustained execution at a higher level—a highly paid career, elite performance, and upgraded mental programming—transforming a regular everyday activity whether running a field, tossing a ball, or paddling waters into a rewarding craft. Me thinks, that the world might use more creativity coaches to assist channel the creative energy of the universe that is in the call of creatives—thinkers, artists, entrepreneurs, and creators—in order to bring harmony to its human occupants with the flora, fauna, and even fungi. I believe so. What do you think?
Creative spaces bolster expression as communities of creatives. As young people opt in for technical-based institutions and courses, gaining creative skills, they require spaces for expression.
As we mesh the diversity in offerings of the different creative spaces, we embolden our appreciation for creativity coaching of the creative gifts. Whether older archives, the custodians, the shrines, the ever renewing, local community spaces, or contemporary newer spaces.
Older spaces have a heritage with stories yet to be told such as the Kenya National Archives and Documentation Services; archives dripping for creatives, with untold colonial stories. Custodians of the nation’s rich cultures such as the Bomas of Kenya, beckon international and domestic tourists with the allure of music, dance, and food. There are ‘shrines’ where the who-is-who gets created since time immemorial; at theatres such as The Kenya National Theatre.
Spaces whose works are constantly renewed such as The Nairobi Gallery hosted by the National Museums of Kenya, dedicated to showcasing African art. With over 12,000 local branches, legacy institutions that provide spaces for young people and local communities such as The YMCA in 120 countries. Contemporary spaces which give new life blood, such as Ardhi Gallery in Nairobi that also provide spaces for discourse on topical areas including mental health.
Setting The Stage For Dreams
The Leadership Character Development Club (LCDC) at the YMCA focused on Character Coaching by adapting the 24 Positive Psychology Character Strengths. At the end of the 2022 club season, the YMCA conducted a club graduation. A celebration and certificate presentation ceremony for the girls.
The club members were invited to write a letter, “A Letter to Me in 2040”, part of individual reflections during the character coaching sessions. This was collected together with publication of a memorable 31-Day gift journal, anthology-style; the ‘YEES Girls Have Dreams’ e-book, a compilation of the girls’ dreams in ‘A Letter to Me in 2040’. To help them reflect, preserve, and keep their dreams alive – together.
A year later in July 2023, the Character Champions application of what they had learned ‘character strengths adaptation in my community/katika jamii’ was captured in a Vericheck report (M&E). This, through conversations with them.
”Positive Psychology provides scientific evidence that Character Strengths are the ingredients of wellbeing and authentic happiness. It also demonstrates through empirical data that young people can be coached in character strengths, and thus assisted to flourish! – Founding Chair at PPAK, Sahaya G. Selvam, sdb, PhD. (1st Wellness Conference 2022).
Congratulations to all participants at the Mr & Miss YMCA NTI 2023 and college mates. As we celebrate the kings and queens, read the 18-year-old Debbie’s dreams in her letter to her then 37-year-old self! Remember to leave an inspiring comment below.
READ letter 5: a letter to me in 2040 – deborah malenya I age: 18
Image: Mr & Miss YMCA Kenya NTI 2023 Photo Momento Courtesy of YEES! Program (2023)
name: deborah malenya
age: 18
a letter to me in 2040
written in the year 2022
dear deborah,
i hope in my 37th year,
i will be a famous
fashion designer
in the world.
i will be able to
associate with different
kinds of people
in the fashion and
designing industry.
i will have employed
many people
in my own company.
i will help people
who are in need
in terms of jobs.
i hope i will be able to
sustain myself and my family.
i hope i will be
a successful woman in life.
“Coaches, we are dream catchers, dream hatchers, and dream patchers for our clients. We coach DREAMS of people who are in different contexts in today’s rapidly evolving world. We then have a demand to show up robustly in order to support the evolved needs of our clients, for the long term gains of coaching
– Coach Wangari Kabiru
Vericheck report in July 2023/M&E from Deborah: Feedback one year on in 2023 on character strengths adaptation in my community/katika jamii
- Has a growth mindset, is resilient and also a critical thinker
- Has shared skills of self-control and self-regulation with peers in the community
Image: YMCA Kenya BYC Youth Chair Otieno Onyango and Miss YMCA Kenya NTI 2023
1st Runner-Up Character Champion Deborah Malenya (18)
Coach To Flourish Young People
The publication ‘YEES Girls Have Dreams’ e-book; ‘A Letter to Me in 2040′ is a reflection that just as for top athletes, with the right coaching, the realities of tomorrow can mirror even today; shining the creative rays upon all young people.
“To young people: you have been born at the right time when you can create positively, with an awareness of the virtues of wisdom; courage; humanity; justice; temperance; and transcendence!
– Coach Wangari Kabiru
Time to invest in structured and sustainable youth development programmes such as Character Clubs. Whether village-based, community-based, school-based, or digital-based.
Remember to leave an inspiring comment below.
Image: Debbie’s Hustle
#DiscoverYEES!
The YEES! Program an education-leadership model, grows leaders by creating Futurepreneurs Now! Modeled as spaces for micro-clubs, supporting schools to set up 4-in-1 school clubs; leadership, entrepreneurship, technology, and community responsibility.
- Kids say, ‘we learn about money while still young’; as critical thinkers, with creative solutions, and highly adaptable to a rapidly changing environment.
- The Program has been enriched progressively through the years, broadening the demographic reach of school kids from age 10, to teens, and into college years.
- Program delivery is by the unique collaboration of youthful leaders in the local host communities with in-school tutors.
- Sponsor host institutions subscribe to the Program. Enabling participants to graduate through four progressive levels in micro-clubs of interest as subscribed to by their sponsor host institution.
- The four progressive graduation levels in a year (9 months of club interaction) are; Champion, Builder, Master and Leader.
- The YEES! Program, a blend over the years of in-house range, local youth and community resources, in-school expertise, is leveraged with partner learning resources including character.org.
- The Program as an education-leadership model, has gained global recognition by R4D; and is a member of PWG TVET.
READ: Cut Through The Hustle: Become A Youth Character Coach In Kenya – Mastermind
Images Source: 1st Runner up; YMCA Kenya NTI; Branch; Photographers.
The contents of this publication may be shared with acknowledgment to the source as:
Reposted: For activating minds at mastermind.co.ke
Wangari Kabiru is an Innovations Evangelist; researcher and writes about society. Learn more.
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Updated: Wednesday, February 01, 2023
PPAK ACC – Level 1 Training Mandate: Accomplishments and Impact by Wangari Kabiru in Delivery of Level 1 Training Mandate
During the PPAK (ACC – Level 1) Training in 2022-3, Coach Wangari supported +100 youngsters by delivery of 2 core mandates in Kenya and two subsidiary mandates. Established a dual college-based and local community-based Leadership Character Development Club (LCDC); a cohort for a TVET institution and out-of-school youth; At the YMCA Kenya National Training Institute (NTI, TVET)/Shauri Moyo Branch with the USAID DREAMS Girls project cohort; Impact: Together with publication of a memorable 31-Day gift journal, anthology-style; the ‘YEES Girls Have Dreams’ e-book, a compilation of the girls’ dreams in ‘A Letter to Me in 2040’. To help them reflect, preserve, and keep their dreams alive – together. Roster Coach at a church-based Character Transition Programme; With other coaches-on-call, for St. Dominic Savio high-school finalist teens transitioning into the youth group. Along with one high school talk day to 500 students, with their teachers and parents, and one employee lunch session; both forging on elements of character strengths.
