A Leadership Program for Myanmarese Migrants

“To be a leader is to be a servant.” This was shared by a participant who attended the Leadership Program for Myanmarese migrants last 4-5 July 2009 in Kuala Lumpur.

Fifty Myanmarese from four parishes of the KL Archdiocese attended a weekend program for leaders and core members of the Myanmar Catholic Communities in Malaysia (MCCM). This program was conducted by Fondacio Malaysia and co-facilitated by the members from MCCM, with the support of Msgr. James Gnanapiragasam of St. John’s Cathedral.

The program started with a time of recognizing one's gifts and that of each other. The participants, though shy at first, enjoyed the time to appreciate each other in the affirmation circle. Many shared that it was a personally renewing experience to be affirmed of one’s goodness in a culture where one is surrounded by harsh realities that belittle the person.

It was followed by a group dynamics to understand the positive attitudes of both leaders and followers to build a stronger community. It challenged each one in the group to unite in a way to bring their makeshift boat from one end to the other end of the court without losing the life of anyone in the team. After, there were much insights shared and learned about what makes a good follower and leader.

The two-day stay-in program had also other lighter moments. The evening was dedicated for telematches that were filled with fun and laughter. The groups continued to compete and have fun to beat each other. It was also a time to take a personal look at the challenges each one faces as both leader and follower in a community, and to pray...

A distinctive aspect of this program was the focus on the process, for the members of the group to experience learning for oneself. The variety of group dynamics was a learning tool in itself. After each activity, participants were eager to share their insights and reflections, and their life experiences, too. Language was not a major barrier as instantaneous translation from English to Burmese was done for every session.
In addition, there was a workshop facilitated by MCCM members on how to handle different situations faced by migrant workers in Malaysia. It was amazing to see how much they are prepared to face the challenges today as a community. The program ended with the Eucharist celebrated by Fr. Philip Muthu who reminded all that “to be good leaders, we need to pray always.”

The following were some of the participants’ feedbacks:

“The program helped to awaken my responsibilities as leader and follower.”

“I can accept myself and gain confidence to come forward to serve the others.”

“It stirs the desire in me to serve others and to participate more in the community.”

“I feel touched by the Holy Spirit and closer to God.”

The participants interacted well with each other and were fully engaged in all the activities. And they are very much eager to have such programs at least twice a year.

Florence A. Alexius
Fondacio Malaysia