Moments at the Vatican !

By Mabi Azefor Fominyen,

The Vatican has been in the news over the last few weeks. This as the world turned it's attention towards the many events that were unfolding at the Vatican.

It all began in February when Pope Francis took it and he was rushed to the Gemelli hospital for treatment.

During this time pilgrims showed up and prayed for his recovery.I was among them.It was also an occasion for to do the pilgrimage within framework of the 2025 jubilee year /church calendar.

Even though Pope Francis had left the hospital and had been gradually recovering from several health complications, he eventually died on Easter Monday.

This came as a real surprise to Catholic faithfuls and the world especially as he had been out on Easter Sunday to bless the crowd at the St.Peter's Square and had been driven around in the Pope 's mobile during which time,  he blessed the crowd which had turned out to celebrate the Easter Sunday Mass and asked Christines to also pray for him . 

Pope's Francis' death saw thousands of people travelling to Rome and the Vatican in particular to pay their last respects to the Pope , pray for the repose of his soul, view the Pope's body and fully attend his funeral.

It was a painful loss for many people, some of whom described Pope Francis as "a good church leader", "one of God's true disciples", a "humble and down to earth Pope" , " a Peace crusader", an" advocate for children, the youth the poor and needy". 

And so thousands came to the Vatican to honour his memory and bid farewell to Pope Francis. He was later buried at the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica.

May his soul rest in peace.

Following the brief period of mourning and in line with the  Catholic church 's practice, cardinals begun meeting in conclave to vote for a new Pope. That's how they voted for Cardinal Prevost who has now taken the name Pope Leo XIV as the New Pope of the Roman Catholic Church.

See my finished ceramic products, I did it !

By Mabi Azefor Fominyen 

In my last two blog posts I shared with you my amazing learning experience at a ceramic workshop.

I talked about the different methods I had learnt, some of the things I tried making and I also promised to come back with pictures of the finished products . 

Ohhh yessssss! Look at these!

I am super proud of my effort and level of creativity. In just three sessions I was able to design these beautiful items and here I was at the ceramic workshop to collect the items once they had gone through the final baking process.

I was so pleasantly surprised that I kept dancing.

Then the warm words of congratulations from the owners of the ceramic workshop absolutely made my day as well . As I drove home 🏠 I felt a strong sense of achievement and I thought to myself...it is amazing how much joy one gets from learning new things. 

Once I got home , my husband and our kids and were very proud to see the items I had designed; a ceramic tray two key holders, a candy holder and a beautiful small bowl . 

What a great birthday gift it was from my daughter! Thanks a million Ngwi.

To you who is reading this post , now that you have seen the finished project, how did I do?Please feel free to comment. Thank you in advance for your feedback .

My sincere appreciation goes to Valentina and her husband ( owners of the workshop) for such a great creative space where people can come and learn more about ceramics, pottery and actually design personal items. 

Day 2 At The Ceramic workshop

I was quite pleased with my first attempt at making ceramics and so I eagerly looked forward to Day 2.

The trainers did a great job and they  were so pleased with my creativity and quick grasp of the two new concepts ( "the slap and the " Colombino' )

Here are some of my early photos taken on Day 2 ( I will do another post to show you the finished projects. What do you think?)

I Am Learning About Ceramics

Yeahhhhhhh!

It had been on my to-do list for a while ! 

I had talked about it on several occasions in my household. I had even mentioned to my kids that I was looking to create the time to learm how to paint, do some basic carpentry work,  learn about ceramics and a few other crafty projects.

Guess what!!!!!!!!!!!

My daughter surprised me on my birthday this year by actually booking three appointments with the workshop for me to go take the ceramic lessons! I was so happy 😊😊! Oh yes! Really happy! I can't stop thanking her, my son and hubby for their encouragement!

Day 1 came . I showed up at the workshop (as enthusiastic as always) and I  learnt how to use the "pinch method" . During the training we were each asked to use our imagination to make something . Here are some initial photos of the first phase of my hand - made ceramic beginner's project .(N.B I will be back to show you the finished project once it is dry and painted ) .

Wrapping up 2024! Reflections & Questions!

By Mabi Azefor Fominyen 

As the year 2024 wraps up, it just might be a good idea to do some personal reflections to have a clear picture of the entire year and in order to carve out a better road map for yourself in 2025.

Here are a few things and questions which have been on my mind and I thought these might be helpful to someone else. 

.What has been your biggest achievement or accomplishments in 2024?

. What worked?

. What has been your greatest strength?

. What has been your biggest set back, weakness or challenge in 2024?

. What didn't work in 2024?

. Have you experienced any form of growth in 2024? 

. What are you most proud of in 2024?

. What has been your purpose?

. What surprised you most in 2024?

. What did you spend too much time or energy on ?

. What are you grateful for? 

. What did you appreciate the most ?

.What did you take for granted?

. Did I improve anyone's life this year? 

. How did you feel? Valued? Appreciated? 

. What has been your most fun moment in 2024? 

. What three words best sum up the year 2024 for you?

. What can you do differently next year?

. Where do you see yourself this time next year?

You know it is easy to feel excited about a fresh start to a new year! My view is that,  as one thinks of what the future potentially holds it is important to reflect upon both the good and the bad, the opportunities and the lessons from the past year. Taking time to do this can help one learn and do their utmost in the future.

Rural Women's Day 2024! What's at stake? By Mabi Azefor Fominyen

October 15, is often celebrated as the World Rural Women's Day. The International Day of Rural Women was created by the United Nations General Assembly with the aim of highlighting the role and situation of Women in rural areas. 

October 15, 2024 thus celebrates the pivotal role of rural Women in agriculture and food security. 

According to the Pan African Farmers ' Organisation ( (PAFO), Rural Women make up to 40% of the global agricultural workforce and they process 80% of agricultural products in Africa.  

This points to the essential role that rural women play in different communities in the domain of agriculture and the economy.

How then can we all support these women to overcome the numerous challenges and barriers that they continue to face in their quest to meaningfully contribute towards food security?  These challenges include; land resources; many lack access to farm land while others are limited by certain traditional norms and practices from owning land resources.Finance is still a challenge as well as the lack of seeds, farming equipment and technology.

These are just a few of the issues that rural women deal with in many communities worldwide. 

The world therefore needs to continue to support women by improving access to agricultural and financial resources, encourage their participation in strategic decision- making processes, strengthen their leadership capabilities through training and by building a more productive,  inclusive and equitable future for rural women,  where everyone feels empowered and ready to carry forward with the crucial role they play worldwide.  

Happy Rural Women 's Day 2024! 

International Evening 2024 @St George’s in Rome . I was a Volunteer! By Mabi Azefor Fominyen

It has been an amazing experience Volunteering alongside others, to successfully organise the 2024 International Evening at St.George’s.  

With a record high of 100 countries represented at the school , every effort had to be deployed by the Parents Organisation (PSG) to ensure a smooth and successful event. 

We began by brainstorming on how  we wanted the event to look like. We also put a draft plan in place and individuals volunteered to carry forward with different tasks. Planning the International Evening is often a huge task, given that it is often a heavily attended event whereby countries come out to show case their cultures, cuisine, flags, history, costumes, performances, and also carry out lots of activities while representing their countries to the best of their abilities.  For several weeks the team held meetings and networked with the school management and the wider school community in order to get the necessary logistics, human resources and the massive participation of parents, teachers and students. 

Helas! The big day came and everything was successful.

 

Countries stalls, were busy, a variety of cultures, cuisine, performances were on display.

People from diverse backgrounds turned out to celebrate and enjoy the evening.

  Clad in different costumes and traditional regalia Parents,  teachers and students showed up to be a part of the event and all celebrated in style and colours. 

The evening kicked off with the flag parade of nations and it was indeed a beautiful moment during which countries waved their flags as they paraded across the Oasis. When I took the microphone 🎤 to announce the start of the event,  I could see the huge crowd that had turned out for the event and it truly warmed my heart ❤️. 

I am happy to have volunteered my time, expertise, experience and knowledge to spearhead all communications and media aspects of the event along with my beautiful and hardworking friend, Alya .

Thanks to the community, the entire LS- PSG team especially The PSG -LS Chair , Co-Chair, the logistics , maintenance and finance teams and all Volunteers; for the great teamwork and tremendous effort we all put in, 👏 towards  ensuring a successful 2024 International Evening at St George's.  #Teamwork made the dream work !

(Italy showcase in picture)

Here are a few more pictures of the event. Below are some of the "African delegates" who came to show case their different countries. 

Above , USA 🇺🇸 represented.