In Horowhenua, growth is kindled by junior youth focus
… they also had a simple, clear and focused vision of the role the junior youth spiritual empowerment programme played as a vital core activity …
When a family moved back to Horowhenua District in 2013 after a period away, they set about developing a junior youth programme in the area, with wonderful results.
Settling in Levin, Horowhenua’s largest town, the family of four (a couple and their two daughters), found themselves in a place where only a handful of Bahá’ís lived. The junior youth programme soon proved to be a key to growth.
Horowhenua, in the lower North Island, comprises a handful of towns and is the “h” in the Triumph cluster.
In 2013, the elder daughter was a junior youth, and both she and her mother had previously been involved in a junior youth group. They not only shared a keen mutual desire to engage with junior youth and their families in their local community, but they also had a simple, clear and focused vision of the role the junior youth spiritual empowerment programme played as a vital core activity to raise up the capacity and resources to build their community.
Their first step was to re-establish old friendships. In rekindling these relationships, they were able to converse about the junior youth programme. They also extended these conversations to the new contacts they made in their school and work environments. As a result, a group was soon formed. The programme was conducted in their home and, initially, the animators came from Wellington. The group also regularly attended junior youth camps in Masterton.
Two junior youth continued, as they moved past the junior youth stage of their lives, through the courses of the Ruhi Institute, attending intensives and being tutored by the mother of the family. Now 19 years old, the two have become animators serving other junior youth. Moreover, three other junior youth attended summer school every year with the family. Their attendance at these events was critical in building greater understanding of the Bahá’í community and the Faith in general, and in providing safe environments for service activities.
Another two junior youth have gone on to serve as children’s class teachers at summer school, which has continued to be a highlight for Horowhenua’s junior youth. Summer school has allowed them to develop strong bonds and ongoing friendships with a wider group of junior youth. One of the above mentioned 19 year olds has served regularly as a children’s class teacher at Summer School and this year has been asked to teach in the South Island Summer School. She is currently the main junior youth animator in the Horowhenua District.
Service projects, such as soup days and gardening projects, have helped build enduring friendships with families and demonstrate the impact of the junior youth programme. Camps and tramps are other popular activities.
Last summer, in response to a request from the National Spiritual Assembly for a prayer campaign, Levin’s small community recited the “Tablet of Ahmad” every day. The outcome was an outpouring of divine confirmations. Two local Bahá’ís became reconnected to community life. Their respective families have children and junior youth. In addition, more connections have occurred within the wider community leading to an increase of youth, junior youth and children wanting to participate in activities.
Currently three older Junior Youth, two of whom have come on board more recently, are studying Ruhi Book 1, and another group with younger junior youth has begun. A children’s class is planned to start when one of the parents has completed the Child Protection Workshop. A former junior youth has reaffirmed their faith in Bahá’u’lláh and seven Horowhenua youth performed at a bicentenary event in Palmerston North where three families also participated.
The declaration of some family members has increased community numbers and Horowhenua is now in a much stronger position.
All this from a mother and two daughters with a shared passion to embrace their local community.
