Rome (Italy). On 29 June 2024, an online meeting was held for the presentation of the “CIAM TVET Identity Card” (Technical and Vocational Education and Training), in continuity with the results of the meeting “From Mornese to Africa: TVET Network of the Salesian Sisters for innovation and sustainability” held in April in Zway, Ethiopia, in which the representatives of the Provinces of the CIAM Conference worked together with the Ciofs Fp ETS for the creation of an African network of FMA Professional Training in Africa.
More than 80 people participated in the online meeting, including Provincials, Councilors, Youth Ministry Coordinators with their teams, various lay formators, and young people coming from 50 Professional Training Centers in 19 African countries.
Sister Nieves Crespo, moderator of the meeting and Coordinator of CIAM Professional School, welcomed the participants and gave the floor for greetings.
After the greetings of Sister Chantal Mukase, Visiting Councilor, Sister Runita Borja, General Councilor for Youth Ministry; Sister Ruth del Pilar Mora, General Councilor for the Missions; Sister Marie Dominique Mwena, contact person for the CIAM administration; Sister Manuela Robazza, President of the Ciofs Fp ETS Foundation; Sister Yvette Badini, President of CIAM; Sister Chanda Nsofwa, Collaborator of the Youth Ministry Sector, briefly presented the journey of the Youth Ministry network for CIAM from the first meetings up to the Zway Meeting.
Sister Chanda also presented the Coordination structure of the extended PG CIAM Network. For the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Youth Ministry is the realization of the educative mission (cf. LOME 4) and the educative mission takes place in a plurality of environments. CIAM has chosen to give concreteness to the YM Coordination, choosing eight environments: oratory, school, professional school, catechesis, social works, vocational animation, VIDES, and Salesian Youth Movement.
Each Province subsequently presented a summary of the activities of the 50 Professional Training Centers active in Africa, an expression of the richness and diversity of opportunities and activities of the Institute in African countries.
During the meeting, a summary of the Identity Card was presented, which contains the common elements characterizing the professional training of the FMA in Africa and as a starting point for the construction and formalization of a network which will have the task of harmonizing the actions between the different countries, to identify development opportunities, and to strengthen ties and collaborations with the European realities of the Salesian FMA VET.
The CIAM Professional Training Commission is working in collaboration with the CIOFS-FP body of Italy and with the Administration Sector. The Commission was born and operates with a collaborative network style whose priority is to give young people, especially young women, concrete answers to the various difficult situations in which they find themselves. Professional training is in fact one of the best and effective ways to make young people protagonists of their integral growth, active and responsible in the empowerment of families and communities, and leaders of a more inclusive and supportive society.
The journey has begun and in the coming months the Commission will jointly define the steps and actions for the construction of the network and for the launch of projects and collaborations. The objective is to create an agile coordination and promotion structure, which is not left to the good will of individuals and which guarantees continuity of work on the African continent over time.
