For the first time in March 2010, the Art of Living and rsquo;s yoga, meditation and other techniques were taught in Chad, Africa. The Part I courses were conducted for the residents as well as the staff at the UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) and MINURCAT (United Nations Mission in Central African Republic and Chad) in the capital city of N'Djamena.
A participant shares: and ldquo;I am so happy to have heard from you and happy to have learnt the wonderful techniques that you taught us while you were here. The techniques are helping me even today. I am healthy and relaxed and would like to continue with these practices and we are waiting for you to come back for the next course. and rdquo;
Notes from a teacher and rsquo;s diary
and ldquo;Last night, I gave an introductory talk to a group of 20 people, in the yard of a local person and rsquo;s home (a traditional mud-hut). There was no electricity, so we were seated in a circle on a carpet, on the sandy ground outside the home, under the stars, with one flashlight. We practiced breathing techniques, there. It's mind blowing to me! and rsquo; shared Hiteshini Jugessur
A few days later, came another post:
and ldquo;Imagine RED fog, not being able to see more than 10 meters ahead, woke up to a funny reddish light outside. In fact it was not fog but dust! It just lingers for a week or so at this time of the year. People are walking with their noses and mouths covered. Means no laundry for a while as everything you wash instantly gets covered in red dust the moment you hang it outside. White cloths turn pink! A course is going on at the moment. and rdquo;
The Art of Living teacher and volunteers faced challenges of extreme weather conditions with maximum temperatures of 52 and deg;C and red dust storms. These outer conditions, although tough, strengthened the volunteers and rsquo; resolve to reach out to people, offer comfort and carry Gurudev message of peace.
Reaching out to child soldiers
Volunteers visited one of UNICEF's (United Nations Children's Fund) transit homes where many child soldiers are being protected and rehabilitated. The country has a large number of child soldiers. The volunteers made presentations on trauma-relief work in various ministries, including the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and the Ministry of Social Services.
Future plans
The Art of Living will focus on rehabilitation of child soldiers and conducting trauma relief programmessmemes in refugee camps around the country. and ldquo;This is only the beginning. We have so much to do in Chad. We need to create strong partnerships with the local government and the various United Nations agencies. In the last trip, I only began to scratch the surface and quot; says Hiteshini.
For those who would like to join in, contact: Hiteshini Jugessur: hitu@artofliving.org
