UN Youth Seychelles organized the “Silver Lining Formations workshop from 3rd to 5th November at Eden Bleu Hotel. The workshop showcased the importance and impacts the different Life dimensions have on individuals their lives and what action one can take to develop these dimensions. The target group were youth aged between 12-35 years. The event included a series of modules; mainly the 8 dimensions of life by various presenters, life lesson activities and inspiring guest speakers whereby the participants had the chance to learn about the 8 dimensions, hear inspiring stories and even experience Zumba. Overall, it was a very insightful and productive three days.
Highlight of our first three modules
Module 1
Module 1 of the Silver Lining Formations Workshop focused on Personal Harmony, Decision making and risk taking delivered by Mr. Wellington Manjengwa. A financial services professional, life Coach, Author of ‘Take a chance and Win’ and Founder of Well of Inspiration. The presentation started of with a brain teaser to get everyone warmed up. The first objective was Personal Harmony and he gave an explanation on how to create a life that feels good in the inside not just look good on the outside. He stated that “We also have a responsibility to create harmony within ourselves”. The next objective was personal risk management and decision making. He added that “It is in your moment of decision that your destiny is shaped”. Furthermore he advised to stay away from these approaches such as; The Ostrich Approach, The Prayer Approach and The Denial Approach. Mr. Manjengwa ended the presentation with a reminder that, “Life is not a rehearsal, it’s all about balance”
Module 2- Spiritual Dimension by Mr. Lloyd Baccay. A training & Mission Wellness Manager at Six Senses, Zil Pasyon Resort. Mr. Lloyd started the presentation with a fun paired up activity to get everyone up on their feet. He then explained ‘What is Spiritual Wellness’, he stated that it is being connected to something greater than yourself and having a set of values, principles, morals and beliefs that provide a sense of purpose and meaning to life, then using those principles to guide your actions. He also gave a few examples of Spiritual Wellness and what is not Spiritual Wellness, examples such as; It is not being a deeply religious person but having a relationship with yourself, your heart, and your soul. Mr. Lloyd highlighted the importance of spiritual wellness that is; having a sense of peace, and feeling more connected. He also gave a few tips on how to improve spiritual wellness, such as; trying out yoga, and even speaking to a counselor or someone you trust. He then gave the participants a chance to experience what it is like to meditate. After feeling relaxed, he then moved on to the next objective; your aspirations and what you really want to achieve. The main aim was to reconnect awareness and the power it holds. He explicate what we need to be aware of, that being; Our Potential, Our Energy and Others around us. He provided tips on how to master our awareness; Practice Mindfulness, Conscious Showering, Staying Grounded, and Sharing your Intentions. Overall,it was an insightful and interesting presentation.
Module 3- Physical Dimension by Mr. Stephen Camille, an experienced Fitness Coach. Mr. Camille explained how physical dimension covered the physical education, adopting healthy and active lifestyles, caring for your body to promote health now and in the future and developing a culture of self-care. He went on to state the nations’ main causes of mortality which included Cardiovascular diseases (61%) and (4%) from diabetes but the figure is not accurate since generally the causality of death is linked to other health issues as a result of diabetes. Additionally, he explained the 3 key areas to influence and for effective weight loss ie. Metabolism- a.k.a your energy burning rate with the goal; fine tune the engine to become highly efficient at doing its job that is burning energy, Nutrition-food you consume that are made available as energy to be used and Exercise/Physical activity-by adopting a more physically- active lifestyle. He also showcased the difference between weight loss and fat loss and how to focus on the fat loss not the weight loss, also the difference between resistance training and cardio, this allowed us to understand that someone can weigh the same but have very different body types. Overall it was a very insightful presentation with a reminder; “Be part of the solution, not part of the problem”.
Module 4: Environmental Dimension by Mr. Wellington Manjengwa. A financial services professional, life coach and Author of ‘Take a chance and win’. The Environment Dimension encompasses a healthy relationship with the earth and its resources, and a healthy relationship with your personal surroundings. When it comes to your relationship with Earth, Mr. Manjengwa reminded us that “We have a responsibility to preserve the environment”. He stated that when you become environmentally aware, you will be able to realize how your daily habit affects the environment. But what can we do? He gave examples such as; sticking to reusable water bottles, eat local, save energy by turning electricity appliance off, making your travel environmentally friendly, use reusable shopping bags. Besides the relationship with Earth, he also mentioned the importance of social environment and to surround yourself with positive people who support your goals. Not to forget your Cyber Environment where he quoted “We tend to judge others by their behavior and ourselves by our intentions”- Albert F. Schlieder calling in the participants to place effort in protecting this aspect as well. Moreover, he spoke about Social Engineering which is the art of manipulation, influencing, or deceiving you in order to gain control over your computer system or access to your personal information. Lastly, he spoke about the Mental Environment which he asked question as to what information are you exposing yourself to, what conversations are you having, what books are you reading, who are you spending your time with, what website are you browsing and what places are you hanging out in, since it can have a great impact on your mental health leading to stress, anxiety and depression. Remember to care for the Earth’s environment and also to protect your personal surroundings.
Session with the Deaf Community
Our peer to peer session on the topic of mental health was presented by Ms Steffie Khan on Wednesday 24th November. The discussion started with an introduction to mental health and the various types of mental illnesses. Ms Khan went on to show some statistics from 2017, stating that 10.7% of the population suffers from mental illness. She proceeded to focus on one type of mental illness for the session which is anxiety. Ms Khan explained what causes anxiety and the possible symptoms one may experience. Furthermore, Ms Khan unfolded the reason she chose the topic of mental health is due to her passion for studying psychology and her desire for the topic to be an open discussion, whereby people can voice out without feeling judged as mental health is really important. She finished the presentation with the statement “women are more likely to get help than men. But there is a higher rate of suicide in men.” and members were asked to share their views on this particular statement. To add on, members were questioned on whether they think most people focus on mental health and if they think it’s important to talk about it or go through it. The session was insightful and interactive whereby members were able to share their opinions of the subject matter and have an open discussion. Thank you Ms Khan for the intriguing presentation.
Virtual Launching of the Silver Lining Project 2021
We are pleased to announce the official Launching of the Silver Lining Project 2021 which took place Virtually on Saturday October 30, 2021. The event can be accessed on Youtube here > https://youtu.be/mVwDVQGsePE The event regrouped 23 participants inclusive of both local and international supporters of the project and youth who registered to know more about the project.
The President of UN Youth Seychelles (UNYS) Mr Raymus Laurence delivered his opening remarks highlighting his contentment in seeing the same youth UNYS has touched and work with being present and helping in giving back to the society. Mr Daniel Gordon, an External advisor for UNYS provided a historical overview of the Project and gave an overview and Ms Annarose Clarisse the Founder, Country Presentative and Project Coordinator explained the essence and objective of the project.
The event continued with Mr. Bernard Jackson who is the Managing Director for Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB) MCB Seychelles shared with us their reasons for being an early enabler for the project and the importance in contributing towards such initiatives. Ms. Andrea Jean Louis the Head of Finance & Accounts Division and a past beneficiary of the project gave her testimony on how such an experience added value in her life.
The second half of the event engaged the participants directly in the 8 Life Dimensions, with insights from two time Ted Talk Speaker Mr Deepak Ramola, Founder and Artist Director of Project FUEL and Author explained the life dimensions through Life Lessons and shared wisdom. He reminded us that wisdom does not come with age and that our Talents are not our gifts but our responsibility. We progress don the journey together by unpacking how the Life Dimensions could lead to world peace with International Peace Youth Group IPYG Coordinator Ms Cloe Baartman, she urged to "Let us not only see the Silver Lining but Let's become the Silver Linings in our Society" Ms. Renee Lighton Experienced Life Coach and Motivational speaker from South Africa added on by enlightening us on how we can Shine the LightOn Education through the 8 Life dimensions as a means to develop one’s full potential and she highlighted that it is our responsibility to make learning fun!
Wellington Manjengwa, Financial Services Professional, Author and our main facilitator for the project from Well of Inspiration delivered the last presentation on Why the dimensions are a big deal! Mr. Manjengwa remarked that 40% of what we do stems from our habits and if we change our habits for the better we change our life for the better.
Ms. Amy Jean the Vice President and Treasurer of the UNYS concluded the event by thanking all the participants, supporters and enablers of the project and expressed the appreciation of the UNYS Board towards the members who contributed whole heartedly towards the project. A Special mention goes to the National Grants Committee for being the main funder, Eden Bleu Hotel as another supporter for the Silver Lining Project 2021 and the MCB Seychelles for supporting the project from its inception since 2019. We are also thankful for all the other sponsors and support we have received with the project.
The Silver Lining Project under the flagship of “promoting the holistic development of our youth” aims to educate youth on 8 identified dimensions of life to ensure a holistic approach in their decision making process as well as discovering their full potential. Youth are often negatively stigmatised and with the existence of various social ills they are often labelled and society fails to appreciate what they are good at, what they care about and what their qualities are. There is a need to reinforce students’ life with different skills, values and mindset that will help them achieve their ion and belief that they can pursue and achieve their dreams by taking a more informed and strategic approach.
Holistic development and wellbeing encompasses eight mutually interdependent dimensions: physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, occupational, financial, and environmental. Attention must be given to all the dimensions, as neglect of any one over time will adversely affect the others, and ultimately one’s quality of life. The dimensions, however, do not have to be equally balanced. Each person should aim, instead, to strive for a “personal harmony” that feels most authentic to him/her based on the person’s priorities, approaches, and aspirations. This project will guide youth to reflect and formulate an action plan to develop a lifestyle and a personalised approach to living life in a way that allows them to create the best version of themselves.
'Sharpen your Silverlining' Workshop for our Members
On Saturday September 04, 2021 some of our members experienced the 'Sharpen your Silverlining' half day workshop under one of our exciting projects coming soon. The session covered topics relating to decision taking and personal risk management. In the second half of the session the team broadened their knowledge on the 8 dimensions of life and wellbeing. Each member shared their own experience and interactions with the dimensions and which dimension they felt they had to place more effort on. For us it is important that our members are touched by the same actions that we envision for society and our members experience and understand first hand the projects we strive to deliver.