Kenya – “At Salesian school it’s not just about academics but we learn about life experiences”

07 August 2019

(ANS – Nairobi) – Pius Sebastian Mutemi, a 26-year-old Salesian past pupil of Embu Salesian Seminary School, Kenya, is now a Welding Instructor at “Don Bosco Boys Town”, Nairobi, Kenya. Here he shares his thoughts about his Salesian experience.

What would you say is the difference between a Salesian school and a public school?

I had been to both Salesian school and public school so I can give a comment on the difference between the two. What surprised me at the Salesian school is the fact that we as learners could actually play football with our principal and other teachers, something I had not experienced at a public school!

At a Salesian school there is interaction between learners and teachers. Salesian schools offer learners the opportunity to approach teachers without fear because the teachers are so friendly. At a Salesian school it’s not just about academics but we learn about life experiences.

Another big difference between them is the fact that discipline at a Salesian school is very different from public schools. From my own experience, I have never heard of any of my classmates who were involved in crime; so yes, one could say that Salesian education helped us to be good citizens.

At the Salesian school we also learnt values such as the importance of the spiritual life. When you are near to God, you can deal with challenges of life. Other values we learnt were RESPECT, GENEROSITY, DISCIPLINE and HARD WORK.

What are your hobbies and interests?

I am a very keen cyclist. It is a very new sport in Kenya. When I am stressed or have many things on my mind, cycling helps me to relax and forget about my stress. You feel the freedom when you are on the open road with or without other cyclists. It nourishes you and you feel refreshed.

The other reason for me being involved in cycling is that I am part of a charity cycle group called Miles of Hope which helps poorer youth with education, especially youth who cannot afford school fees. Every week we cycle as a group and each member must contribute 200 Kenyan shillings which goes towards funding poorer youth.

Advice to young people?

We must remember that nothing comes to us on a silver platter. Nothing comes for free unless you put hard work into it. Have a passion for what you do and you will see things moving. I coped with peer pressure when I got involved with cycling because there is no time for idling around. When you are idle, then that is when things like drugs and drinking take over your life.

Look for something that can keep you busy rather than doing something wrong. At the moment in Kenya, there is a big issue with relationships among youth. Many youth commit suicide because they have been rejected. Go back to God even if you don’t go to church, at least pray, have some kind of spiritual connection with your pastor, parents or friends. People don’t recognize God and yet God is always there. 

Clarence Watts, SDB

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