My name is Lavountae and I am a SYFI (Summer Youth Facilitator Institute) member at the Gandhi Institute. I have worked and spent my time at the institute for the whole summer. I enjoyed my time here thanks to my coworkers and staff.
I have learned how to keep my composure in tight and difficult situations thanks to the interactions I participated in. For example, when me and my team first came together we had different points of view which brought tension and separation among us. The Gandhi staff or our mentors gave us steps to take to bring the intensity of the problem down which we took and it actually worked.
The instructions we were given were to speak and let the other party listen and then the other party had a chance to speak while we listened. We would talk about how the disagreement was affecting us then we troubleshooted some ideas so that the next time we were having problems we could be able to solve them on our own. The instructions I have been given throughout the summer have been clear and has changed my mind about a lot of things such as gardening and taking care of people that are in need.
Going to Harambee and learning how to connect with the children was also another positive take away from my experience with SYFI. I taught and instructed kids to do tasks at Harambee Summer Literacy Program such as planting seeds, how to read, and also how to walk in a straight line. When we first got there it wasn’t all easy but the kids liked the way we taught them.
I was taught how to be a great leader and how to embrace my calling, and use my leadership skills in a positive way such as showing initiative when others aren’t so willing. I also learned how to just go with the flow when you have a group’s attention. I can use these leadership skills that I have learned in multiple conflicts or problems. My leadership skills can be used to guide someone in the right direction and that’s what I intend on doing.
