Br Paul Noonan Formation Centre, Tamale

COMMUNITY PASTORAL PLACEMENT

2012-02-11T11:22:00.004Z

We the novices are doing our CPP (COMMUNITY PASTORAL PLACEMENT) and are divided into two communities namely GURUGU and CHOGGU HILL TOP .The CPP will last for three months which commenced on 6th Jan to 31st March 2012.It is a time we are living on our own as novices attending to our daily chores and ministries.Each community has a community coordinator and bursar who are taking turn of leadership after every month.

GURUGU COMMUNITY

On 6th January,2012 six of us novices Belamino Muunga, Blaise Semoso, Christian Hazeley, Nature Busiku, Romano Rambu and Septimus Sama set to our new community at Gurugu a suburb of Tamale about 2 kilometers south of Tamale town on the way to St.Victor Major Seminary. We were all anxious of what awaited us to our new settlement considering it is a new experience to all of us as Non Ghanaians away from our familiar grounds of our novitiate house. Nevertheless, we have now acclimatized to the new place.

Grateful experiences to live, work, pray and interact with each other into forming a Community and the wider community we are interacting with daily. It is to our commitment inspired by the spirit of Edmund and Jesus to live a Gospel community. We admire the way as individuals, settled in to the new environment with our diverse experiences, uniqueness and gifts. A good brotherhood spirit felt over the first four weeks in adapting to our daily routines. The experiences encountered in our community are dealt with responsibly. In all these experiences, we would say, it reflects the quality of the novitiate programme we undertook over the last eleven months together with the giftedness of each novice.

Meeting the Atlantic Ocean

2012-01-02T19:50:00.004Z

The long awaited day knocked at our doors and we welcomed it with great joy. On the 21st of November, 2011, we travelled to Cape Coast, on the coast of Ghana, for a short holiday. Cape Coast is a town in Ghana which boarders Atlantic Ocean. It was the first time for some of us to see the ocean, and our eagerness made our journey seem longer. Our accommodation at Moree Beach Resort was just 30 meters from the beach and the Atlantic waves.
The next morning some of us were already in the ocean at 6 am having a taste of salt water. The weather was cooler than Tamale and the thick green vegetation and coconut trees made a welcome change from the hot, dry conditions in Tamale. We enjoyed a good swimming area, and the clean ocean water, though salty, was refreshing. The many types of beautiful shells on the shore made the sandy beaches more attractive for a walk. We were close to the fishing village of Moree and each evening could watch when the fishermen brought out their catch to the shore, including eels that for many of us resembled snakes.
One day we visited Elmina Castle, which was built about 500 year ago. It was mainly used for the slave trade by the Portuguese and Dutch. It was moving for us to see a room 20’ by 8’ which was used to keep 100 women waiting to be sold as slaves. They could stay there for up to three months waiting for the ships to come. They were underfed, had to use a bucket for a toilet and were used for sex by the officials and soldiers. The male slaves were held in similar conditions. It was hard to imagine how people could go through such things, and this experience made an impact on us all.On our tour at the Castle, the guide showed us two punishment cells, one for soldiers, the other for slaves. The soldiers’ cell had good ventilation and the soldiers were only kept there for a short time, but the one for the slaves had no ventilation and they were provided with no food or water until they died.
We saw the Door of No Return, the gate that was used by the slaves to board the ships. After passing through this, there was no return to their native land in Africa. It was painful to hear all this.
Another day we had a chance to visit Kakum National Park, in tropical rain forest. We enjoyed the Canopy Walk, where we walked on a suspension walkway in the treetops about 40 metres above the ground. It was quite an adventure.
Travelling down and back, we saw thick bamboo groves, cocoa plantations, tall coconut trees and many other beauties of God’s Creation. It was a great experience and we look forward to a similar opportunity for adventure and discovery.

2011-12-23T11:01:00.002Z

We remember and celebrate how he came among us to show us how to love with generosity and compassion for all.

May he be born again in our hearts.

May your Christmas be blessed with light, love and peace.

May you experience and reflect the light of Christ throughout 2012.

May the light of Christ guide your steps safely on the path that leads to God.

Happy Christmas from all of us

at Br. Paul Noonan Formation Centre, Tamale.

From Sunson to Christmas.

2011-12-15T19:54:00.003Z

At the centre of religious life is the search for God. Time alone with God is crucial, and, as part of this, Christian Brothers each year make a retreat of at least six days.
So it was that, during the second week of November, the twelve of us novices and our three formators from Br. Paul Noonan Formation Center, Tamale, negotiated the 54 speed bumps on the road from here to Yendi, nearly two hours east of Tamale, to make our retreat at St. Martin’s Centre run by the Divine Word Missionaries (SVD). The retreat was led by Fr. Kofi, an American SVD priest, who has spent nearly all of his time as a priest in Ghana.
We had two talks each day given by Fr. Kofi himself, and they were words that drove passion and inspiration into our hearts. Almost every one of us admitted that the retreat was an extraordinary, powerful experience. We were challenged to the depths of our hearts to respond with sincerity and integrity if we were to ‘make a lifetime commitment in this dangerous world’ as young Christian Brothers. We were called to reconcile with one another and with our own self. We were moved by the Holy Spirit for a conversion of mind and heart to accept Christ into our lives once more. Each of us in our own individual reflection experienced a personal conversion.
The whole atmosphere of the place played a significant role in the quiet time spent with the Lord. There was ample time for personal reflection and walks around the retreat centre in the heat of the day or the coolness of the evening.

The retreat also set the tone on which we will walk into this Advent period and onto Christmas. We feel we have a reason to celebrate Christmas with true happiness and joy in our hearts. We are not only going to celebrate the birth that took place two thousand years ago in Bethlehem, nor prepare for the second coming, but celebrate the reawakening consciousness in us of the constant presence of Jesus in our lives each day. He comes to us every single moment but we were too slow to recognize it. Today we look forward to celebrate Christmas and we sing glory to Emmanuel, God with us!
A novelty for us was reading in the dining room! During lunch times we heard read the lives of Br. Leonard Tavup from Papua New Guinea and Br. Celestino Mgala from Tanzania. The lives of these two men brought inspiration to us - each of them had a unique personality and his own journey towards Christian Brotherhood. Their spirituality was influenced by different cultural backgrounds, but they shared the same dream and charism as Christian Brothers. We hope to follow in their footsteps as disciples of Jesus and Edmund.
We offer a sincere word of thanks to Fr. Kofi and the retreat centre staff, as well as Brothers Kevin and Tony, who were present to support us with prayer and listening.
Merry Christmas everyone, and a happy New Year 2012.

TAMALE REHABILITATION CENTRE:

2011-11-02T20:49:00.005Z

Elly Sakwa working with students

SKILLS TRAINING CENTRE FOR PEOPLE WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES

Training for the physically disabled has a long history in Tamale - the Training Center for people with physical disabilities was established in Tamale on the 1^st July, 1962, so will celebrate 50 years next year. The centre is operating under the Ghana Ministry of Social Welfare, and it provides skills training for disabled people between 15 to 45 years of age.

The training is basically in rural crafts, which include tailoring, dress-making, shoe-making, leather-work and weaving. The course duration is three years, but it can be extended for trainees who need more time.

The aim of the programme is enable trainees to move into self-employment based on the skilled trade they have learned. The alternative for many disabled people is begging on the street, and according to the manager, the programme has reduced the number of disabled beggars in Tamale.

Lamin Tholley during morning prayer with students

The trainees live a peaceful and communal way of life in the institution, which is residential. They assist each other according to their abilities; as 1 Corinthians says, “You are Christ’s body”. So, for instance, the able-bodied trainee who is a deaf-mute can collect and do things for those who are physically immobilised. These, in their turn, can direct the blind from dangerous situations and can interpret for the deaf-mute when the need arises. The deaf-mutes can do the heaviest work among them because they can see and move freely.

The two of us who go for our Friday ministry to the Training Centre receive so much from this experience. We see the uniqueness of each according to their abilities, and we have realised that disability is not inability. The wonders of God are realized each time the trainees are doing their practical work. When the blind are weaving, one sees God’s possibilities even though we humans may think such things are impossible.

We enjoy our time there every week, teaching and interacting with them. We help them to grow in their spirituality by leading them in morning devotion each Friday. We admire most of all their ability and willingness to learn. They are energized when you teach them new ideas and have a desire to learn more. We thank God for the experience that we have there, since they are helpful in our growth as well as theirs.

A DAY OF FUN AND GAMES WITH THE KIDS

2011-09-25T21:35:00.003Z

Saturday, 10th September, was a special day for us Novices and the children around our Sagnerigu neighbourhood. It was the first time we have been able to host a day of fun and games at Br. Paul Noonan Formation Centre for local children. We entertained 35 kids up till early afternoon on what was the final Saturday of the long school vacation. We were able to offer the children a fun day just before they returned for the new school year.

All the 13 Novices facilitated well, with plenty of games in small groups. We were grateful for the assistance of a Muslim friend, Rafik, who came to help us with translation, as not all of the children know much English.

PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT

2011-09-12T20:21:00.004Z

PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP

Sexuality is one of those topics that is of vital interest to almost everyone, yet is often not talked about openly. So we were delighted to be visited recently by Brother Donal Kirk, the Deputy Province Leader of the Africa Province, who took us for a Psychosexual Development workshop in early August. We were joined for the workshop by the novices from the F.I.C. Brothers, which made for more interesting interaction.

The focus of the workshop can be summed up by reminding ourselves that the word “sex” comes from the Latin word “secare” which means ‘to cut off’. It refers to the fact that as men and women we are divided, or cut off from each other, by the reality of sexuality. We come into this world unhappy, crying, aching, longing, not at ease, hungry, experiencing disconnection as we leave the mother’s womb. We long for reconnection; we spend our lives searching for this.
The search for God and the search for human intimacy come from the same source-----our sexuality---the energy for relationship. My desire to spend an hour in prayer and my desire to spend an hour with a friend over a cup of coffee come from the same source.
The workshop raised many questions, provoked much recalling of personal experience, provided new insights, and left us all realizing how a life of celibacy as a Christian Brother does not mean somehow leaving our sexuality behind.

A DAY WITH TAMASCO CATHOLIC STUDENTS

2011-08-21T20:05:00.007Z

Unlike novitiates in former times, we are not isolated from “the world”. Interaction with the people and culture around us is an important part of our development as individuals and as a community. So it was that on the 9th of July we had a group of Tamale Secondary School (TAMASCO) students visiting our community. The group is part of the Catholic Society in TAMASCO and they wanted to know something about the mysterious community of young men living near them. There were many interesting questions asked by the students. Their questions were mainly about who we are as aspiring Christian Brothers, what we do and how we live our life. After a short welcome, two novices took them for a quick tour around our compound. We then continued the program with a welcome by our Director, Br. Tony Shanahan. After that, we had a brief presentation by one of the novices about the history of the Christian Brothers, our ministry and formation and our numbers and presence around the world. Four novices then gave testimonies about how they came to know the Brothers in their various countries. They also shared with us their struggles and convictions regarding the call to Christian Brotherhood. There were many interesting stories and they seemed to make a positive impression on the young audience. The students asked many questions regarding the vow of poverty, not getting married, requirements for joining, the challenges we face as Brothers, where we get our money from to do our ministry and – not surprisingly in Africa – who does the cooking for the Brothers. There were other technical questions that we could not answer as novices but we were rescued thanks to our two formators, Br. Kevin and Tony. We ended our program with light refreshments and time to chat with each other. It was a very special moment for us as we enjoyed the students’ company and friendship.

One week later we welcomed some of them back to our community but this time it was for a different purpose. It was for a friendly game with their football team, which turned out to be a tough assignment for us. We struggled to keep our younger, quicker opponents out of our territory. Despite the support of Bros. Kevin and Tony, and our visitor and assistant coach, Br. Joe Mosely, we went down 4-0. The spirit of the game was competitive but friendly. We all enjoyed this first time to play together as a team against external opposition.

ON THE MARGINS IN TAMALE

2011-07-06T16:42:00.010Z

Septu and students at St. Charles Lwanga.

St.Charles Lwanga Primary school is a Catholic agency school. The school is made up of 810 students with 35 teachers, all from different religious denominations. Sr. Piala Massawe, a Tanzanian, from the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa, is the headmistress of the school.
The school provides basic educational rights for all children in and around the location. Without this school, the majority of the students would be travelling long distances to other schools. However, some of the students still walk more than one hour to reach the school. The number of students enrolled increases rapidly every year.

The school experienced two major problems earlier this year: overcrowding of classes and shortage of teachers. Additional buildings recently constructed are now in use by the students. This solves the issue of overcrowding but not the issue of teacher shortage. More than half of the teachers are not getting their salaries which causes the teachers to stay away from the school and find other ways to support their family needs.

Blaise and students - out of class time!

After conducting school assembly on Fridays, we go into some of the classes which have no teacher and we teach. We take the responsibility of being with the class until the end of the day’s school programme.

Beating students is the usual way of disciplining students for misbehaviour or coming late for school. We have not followed this practice and we approach students in a gentle, polite and compassionate manner.

Personal reflection by Blaise
Cycling to school takes an hour and ten minutes. Before reaching the school I meet some students having their breakfast at the small street markets beside the road. Inside the classroom some students were not concentrating and participating in the classroom activities. From what I have experienced, a teacher has to use a stick to warn each child to concentrate and to participate. I am challenged by these behaviors and attitudes.

Before taking too much time to find out what is the cause, I really sympathize with these children and started working with them. I love them despite their individual differences and difficulties. I teach them individually according to the best of their abilities. After some weeks of using this approach, I noticed a great improvement. Those who hardly smiled now smile. Those who could not socialize openly, now mix around with others. Those who struggled with concentration and participation in class and school activities, now show attention and involvement in all class activities.

At ten o’clock break some children would come to me individually and say, “Brother Blaise, give me money or food, I am hungry.” Whether this is a true need or whether it is just because they see Christian Brothers as people who have money, it is a challenge to evaluate and reflect on. The questions are: is it a common practice to beg for food or money? What is it like in their homes? How many of them have parents, guardians or families? And how many of them starve for food and good living conditions?
Live Jesus in our hearts… forever.

MINISTRY AT TAMALE CHILDREN'S HOME

2011-06-23T15:15:00.009Z

(Left) What to wear today? (Right) Duelling bottles? Essential tasks to start the day.

Tamale Children’s home is one of the ministry places where the novices have been working as volunteers in previous years here in Ghana. This year two of us, Nature Joseph Busiku and Joseph Abass Kamara, are working there every Friday. The orphanage currently is looking after 28 children, 9 infants and 19 others who are of school age. The majority of the people working in the orphanage are females, including 13 mothers. They work in an organized way with three shifts, morning, afternoon and night. Many children kept at the home are brought from the hospitals or local families due to children being abandoned by their own mothers, because of poverty or because the parents have died.
The orphanage has a pre-school for these children, which is also open to the local community. The school has got no proper teaching materials, such as text-books, story books, teacher’s books, materials for games or writing boards for pupils. The teachers working in the school are finding it difficult to teach the children effectively due to this lack of resources. In the face of this, we novices have taken the initiative by providing some materials, such as bottle tops as counters which can be used by the children for counting in mathematics.

What we do at the Orphanage:
· Washing and dressing the children ready for school.
· Bottle feeding, cleaning and changing their dresses, and soothing them if they cry.
· Preparing their beds and helping in doing their laundry.
· Entertaining some of the children who are not in school.
· Helping to teach at the school.

A personal reflection - Nature Joseph Busiku
The reception which I was given on the very first day at the ministry was an impressive experience. I felt I was nourished and inspired in my spiritual growth and relationship with God by a spirit of keenness that I feel every time I am in the home relating with the kids.
Mostly I prepare the children for school, feed the babies, and entertain some kids who are not in school. When it comes to feeding the babies, it gives me a deeper sense of my own experience as a tot and the love and care I was given. As I start to bottle feed the tots and clean them if they have made a mess of the porridge or have urinated or messed themselves, I feel a special sense of connectedness with the kids. It’s during this time when these children experience the feeling of human touch and care which they miss from their biological parents. This challenge brings me happiness and joy in this ministry every Friday.
In the school on Fridays, the children have a few lessons but mostly entertainment activities. I teach them lessons such as counting, reading of the alphabet, drawing and coloring. For entertainment, I energize them with songs and different types of clapping, while outside they play football and other games.
I hope my heart will persist in reaching out with enthusiasm, courage and love towards all children I may encounter in my life.

A memorable experience - Joseph Abass Kamara
“Amaraaba!” This common greeting here means “Welcome”. I would like to share with you an amazing story from my ministry at the children’s home.
One Friday morning while we were busy dressing the children for school, a police officer arrived in a car from the Tamale Teaching Hospital. She had with her a baby girl. According to the officer, the baby had been abandoned shortly after delivery by the mother. When the baby started crying, the doctor and nurses at the hospital started asking for the mother. They asked around the entire ward but could not find the mother. Some of the patients nearby told the doctor that they saw the mother going outside almost an hour before the baby started crying. The lady in charge of the orphanage accepted the baby from the officer and asked us to give the baby a name. After giving her the name Josephine, we all welcomed her with a song.
We have been told recently by a family who visited the orphanage that Josephine will be adopted by them and will go to live with them overseas. May we all remember in our prayers Josephine and the many other abandoned children. We pray also for those working to care for such children in the world.

Launching out into the cultural deep!

2011-04-24T16:18:00.008Z

Traditional dancers.

At the pito bar, and meeting two local women who make their living by making pots.

Meeting the chief (centre, standing) at Katariga, near Tamale.

All of the novices and most of the formation team at the Tamale novitiate are from somewhere else – other parts of Africa, Oceania and India. So as newcomers to Ghana, most of us needed an introduction to Ghanaian life and culture. A five-day workshop at the Tamale Institute of Cross-Cultural Studies (TICCS) at the end of March provided this opportunity.

TICCS is a valuable resource provided by the Divine Word Missionaries of the Catholic Church, but its unique work provides support well beyond church circles, to many newcomers to Africa and to Ghana, including government and NGO personnel, students and business people.

A mix of morning presentations and afternoon excursions provided a rich experience, offering much information, many challenging insights about culture, and broadening experiences of aspects of life in northern Ghana. Many found the talk on Islam by the secretary of the central mosque in Tamale an eye-opener in regard to Muslim attitudes to Christianity, especially to Jesus and his mother. The visit to a local diviner took most of us into new territory, as diviners are often frowned on by Christians. So just sitting in his consulting room, surrounded by bottles of herbal recipes and various amulets and charms, was an experience that stretched most of us! We found the man, who was, incidentally, also a Muslim, engaging, down-to-earth and interesting, even if we were not quite ready to take our personal questions to him!

Other presentations challenged us in regard to culture shock and cross-cultural understanding, gender relations in Ghana and the growing popularity with the youth of evangelical and charismatic Christian churches, among many topics.

We visited a local chief – one of the very few women chiefs in northern Ghana – and were intrigued by the protocols that had to be observed. We were welcomed to a traditional meal by a family in a village on the outskirts of Tamale, and treated to traditional dancing by a local dance group. And we found time to squeeze in a visit to a pito bar to sample the local beer (or pito).

The week was informative and varied. As well as the valuable information it provided, we were left with new ideas to use as we continue our journey of cultural understanding over these two years. And we were challenged to carry with us the many questions raised by the experience, questions about our own cultures, our own religious faith and, above all, the attitudes and prejudices we all carry with us.

The workshop concluded after five days, but the journey of cultural understanding has a long way to go! Our thanks to Fr. Marek and Sylvester for organising such a stimulating workshop for us.

New Year, New Team, New Novices

2011-03-19T11:34:00.002Z

It is not common that all the formation team in a novitiate are changed at the same time, but various circumstances have conspired to bring this about at Tamale this year. The previous director, Br. Vivek da Silva, has moved to a well-earned sabbatical, Br. Henry McGann is providing his experience to the new novitiate team at Stellenbosch in South Africa, and Br. Denis Vaughan is part of a new community at Yambio in southern Sudan.

In their places have come Br. Tony Shanahan from East Africa, as Director; Br. Kevin Delaney, also from East Africa; and Br. Con Cerejo, well-known in Tamale from his previous role as Principal of the Catholic Mission school at Kanvili.

Following the first profession of the previous group of novices last November, we have welcomed a group of 14 new novices. While most are from Africa (Zambia, Kenya and Sierra Leone), two have come all the way from Papua New Guinea, continuing a tradition that began in Tamale with the very first group of Christian Brother novices in 2001, when three young men from PNG did their novitiate training here.

Below you can read about the formal reception for the new novices on February 19, and you can also meet each of the new novices via the photos and short introductions below and in the Archive section.

Reception of Novices

2011-03-19T11:23:00.003Z

Our fourteen new novices arrived at the Br. Paul Noonan Formation Centre in Tamale on February 6, but their formal reception into the novitiate did not take place till February 19. This marked the official start of the novitiate experience that will unfold over the next 21 months, culminating in the first profession of vows in late November, 2012. For two weeks the new arrivals were introduced to a new country and place (none of them are Ghanaians), new companions and mentors, and the particular way of life that goes with a religious novitiate. Two weeks is not enough for a complete introduction to so many new things, but at least heads had stopped spinning, and feet were more-or-less on the ground, for the ritual that signaled the beginning of this special time.
We were delighted to be joined by Christian Brothers from the Choggu community, and a cross-section of our religious brothers and sisters from congregations in Tamale, to witness the young men asking for admission and being accepted. The novices were presented with symbols of the journey ahead – a candle of encouragement and some of the basic sources of nurture and challenge for them on this journey - the Bible, the Constitutions and the 2008 Congregation Chapter document.

In the photos above (from top left going clockwise) we see Br. Tony, the Director, speaking at the Reception; Br. Kevin presenting the Bible to the novices; Br. Con pouring a libation for the ancestors; and the final blessing of the novices by the assembled community.

Meet Our 2011 Novices - Victor Piniau

2011-03-16T19:59:00.001Z

I am Victor Piniau and I come from the Duke of York Islands in East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea. I am the first of six siblings and both parents are both still alive. I also have an uncle who is a Christian Brother, Br. Joachim ToRavit. I am a teacher by profession and have been teaching for three years before coming to the novitiate. I have been in contact with the brothers as a candidate for about ten years. I lived with the brothers in community for three years - in Golgobip Community in the Western Province for one year, and for two years in Vunakanau Community in East New Britain Province.

Meet Our 2011 Novices - Septimus Sama

2011-03-16T19:57:00.002Z

Sama Septimus Paul is my name. I was born in 1981 in Blama, of the Mande tribe, in Sierra Leone.
When I was five years old I was baptized and was given the name Paul. I am the firstborn in a family of six, four boys and two girls. My late father was from Bo District in the southern part of Sierra Leone. My favorite hobbies are soccer, fishing and singing.
The Brothers rendered great support, spiritual, moral and financial, to my family and others during the time we were displaced in the war. The call to follow the way of selfless service and love of others has inspired me to join the Brothers. I look forward to knowing more of the life of Brothers during this time of novitiate.

Meet Our 2011 Novices - Nature Busiku

2011-03-16T19:56:00.002Z

My name is Nature Joseph Busiku and I am 26, and I come from Zambia. I am the fourth-born in a family of eight, five female and three male. I was born in the southern part of Zambia in the city of Livingstone, the tourist capital of Zambia.
My mother and late father are both from the south and they were not well educated. My father passed on when I was about ten year of age and was in grade three. I missed my father very much. Four years later I was baptized, and a year after I was confirmed. I joined a number of groups in the parish (youth, liturgy, vocations, English choir) and for eight years I’ve been an altar boy and catechizer. In the parish I’ve also been doing small jobs like decorating and projects for the parish. I like cooking, singing and art.
Having completed school, I joined Youth Alive Zambia in Livingstone as a volunteer facilitator. We were looking after the poor, people living with HIV/AIDS in communities and the elderly. We used to conduct programmes for behavior change in schools of different denominations, institutions and colleges. I also did a Certificate programme in Hotel & Catering Management for two years.
I came to know the Christian Brothers when I was still at school and in 2009 I was invited for a workshop and the Come and See programme. I was accepted for postulancy in 2010, and now here I am in Ghana trying to discover my vocation in the footsteps of Jesus and Edmund Rice.

Meet Our 2011 Novices - Lewis Musonda

2011-03-16T19:50:00.005Z

I am Lewis Musonda and I was born in 1987 in Mansa, the capital of Luapula province, Zambia. I am the first-born in a family of five, four boys and one girl. I started my grade one in 1994 at Chembe Basic School. I did my Junior Secondary at St. Charles Lwanga Minor Seminary and I completed my Senior Secondary from the same school in 2005 with division one. In 2007 I did a computer course at St. Raphael’s printing project in Mufulira where I came to know the Christian Brothers. In June, 2008, I started studying marketing management at the Institute of Commercial Management. I completed my Diploma in May 2009 with a distinction and worked for two months before entering the Christian Brothers Come and See in August 2009. This was followed by postulancy in 2010.

Meet Our 2011 Novices - Lamin Tholley

2011-03-16T19:42:00.002Z

I was born on the 11th of August 1978 and am the second-born son of Mr. and Mrs. Ibrahim Tholley. I have two younger sisters and one brother. I belong to the Temne tribe. My home is in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone in a town called Mile 91, so named because it is 91 miles from the capital city, Freetown.
My primary and secondary education, from 1984 to1998, was all in Catholic schools. Much later, in 2008, I attained a Teacher’s Certificate (TC) in the Northern Polytechnic (Makeni Campus). The subject I like teaching is Physical Health Education and also I am a skilled carpenter.
I have a patch of land at home where I cultivate rice, cassava and potatoes as food crops. I have also planted palm trees, mangoes, bananas and jack-fruits trees. I also maintain a fish pond. My hobbies are reading and writing. I enjoy a game of volleyball. I have organized concerts with children.
I am now with the Christian Brothers, in their novitiate in the city of Tamale, Ghana.

Meet Our 2011 Novices - Amos Kutwa

2011-03-16T19:41:00.001Z

My name is Amos Kutwa Sibo. I am 27 years old and I am the second last child from a family of six children. Mombasa, on the coast of Kenya, is my place of birth. It is the most beautiful city in Kenya and is known for its tourist attractions.
I started my discernment journey as a postulant in the Congregation of Christian Brothers in 2010 in Arusha, Tanzania. During that period I had a chance of getting new horizons of learning, community and ministry. Working in a special needs school was a new experience for me. I really enjoyed it.
We started our novitiate journey on 5th February this year. The novitiate community comprises of people from Zambia, Sierra Leone, Papua New Guinea, Kenya, India and Australia. This gives me an opportunity to live cross-culturally. The most challenging thing so far is the hot weather of Tamale, but there is not much difference from the climate where I grew up. Coming to the novitiate is, for me, a more intense way of discerning my vocation.

Meet Our 2011 Novices - Jonethan Vandy

2011-03-16T19:39:00.002Z

My name is Jonethan David Vandy and I was born in 1984 in Bo District, in the south of Sierra Leone. I am Mende by ethnicity.
My parents also come from the southern part of Sierra Leone. My primary and secondary Schooling took place in Bo, and I obtained the West African Certificate on successful completion of Junior and Senior Secondary Education.
I have four Brothers and three sisters and I am the fourth born in a family which is strongly Catholic by religion. I was an active member of St.Theresa’s parish choir in the Bo District. Singing is one of my hobbies, others being reading and watching movies.
It was through former Vocation Director Brother Prince Tarawalie that I came into contact with the Christian Brothers in 2005, and it was his encouragement that inspired me to seek more about the Christian Brothers.

Meet Our 2011 Novices - Christian Hazeley

2011-03-16T19:36:00.002Z

My name is Christian Hindolo Hazeley and I am a Sierra Leonean by nationality. I was born in 1982 in Bo in the southern region of Sierra Leone.
I attended the Catholic primary school in Bo from1988 to1993, and then studied at Christ the King College, Bo, from 1994 to1997. From there I went to Port Loko Catholic Secondary School in the northern region where I sat my West Africa Senior Certificate examination in 2002. I entered Port Loko Teachers’ College and gained the Higher Teacher’s Certificate Secondary.
I came in contact with the Brothers through the Edmund Rice Network, when I was invited for a series of workshops in which I was touched by the life of Edmund Rice. I was accepted into the Pre-Novitiate for 2010 and am now in Ghana for my novitiate.
I like reading religious books and political magazines, and playing football and volleyball.

Meet Our 2011 Novices - Elly Sakwa

2011-03-16T16:48:00.001Z

My name is Elly Sakwa and I was born in 1988 in Busia district, which is in the western part of Kenya. I’m from a family of eight and am the fourth-born in the family.

I did my O-level examination in the year 2007. After my O-level, I did teaching in two primary schools as an untrained teacher - in 2008 at Nambale Urban Primary School, and in 2009 at St. Paul Primary School in Nairobi.

I came to know Christian Brothers in the year 2007 through vocation promotion by Br. Peter Cole and three other Brothers who had come to our parish. Now I am in my journey of discernment to become a Christian Brother.

Meet Our 2011 Novices - Daniel Phiri

2011-03-16T16:41:00.005Z

My name is Daniel Phiri, and I was born in 1983. We are 12 in my family and I am the seventh-born of eleven boys and one girl. I am a Zambian by nationality and Chewa by tribe, from the eastern part of Zambia. I did my primary education at Chifwani Basic School from 1995 to 1999, and my secondary education at St.Francis High School from 2001 to 2003. I also obtained a Diploma in Social Work at the University of Zambia between 2005 and 2008.

I came into contact with the Christian Brothers in 2008, attended the Come and See program in 2009 and did my postulancy in 2010. I am now in Tamale, Ghana as a novice. It is my prayer to continue discerning my call to become a Christian Brother and to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ and blessed Edmund Rice.

Meet Our 2011 Novices - Romano Rambu

2011-03-16T16:38:00.005Z

My name is Romano Rambu, and I was born in 1978. I come from Meru County in Kenya’s Eastern Province. I am second-born in a family of four, and I have two brothers and a sister.

I did all my education in Kenya up to the level of a Diploma in accountancy, completed in 2002.

From 2004 to 2009 I worked with BAT (K) Ltd., then was an auditor of funds for Free Primary School Education, and finally worked at St.Francis of Assisi Parish, Mitunguu, as well as being a volunteer at Shalom Home for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Meru County.

My Hobbies are reading, travelling, watching movies, and making new friends.

I came into contact with the Christian Brothers in the year 2008 through The Seed magazine and Vocation Promotion by Brother Peter Cole. I went for my Come and See in July, 2009, and joined the Postulancy programme last year in Arusha, Tanzania.

I am happy to be here in Tamale and I pray the will of God be done in me as I continue to discern my vocation.