The educators of the Hungarian Gypsy Missions International took part in a special self-awareness training in Békés, aimed at personal development and increasing the effectiveness of community work. The mission is currently planning to launch on-site training in eleven locations, and the aim of this programme was to prepare the educators for future challenges.
The mission is also launching two new initiatives: one is the “Methodology of Multiplication” training, which will be available in six locations, while the “Community-Transforming Missionary Worker” training will begin in five additional locations starting in September. In-depth training of educators is essential for the success of these programmes.
László Surman, Mission Director-General, stated that over the past three years, the number of educators in the organization has grown to twenty-two. He emphasized that alongside professional preparation, the development of educators’ self-awareness is also crucial. “Effective engagement with others requires adequate self-awareness. Our goal is for our educators to have knowledge in pedagogy, psychology, and communication, and this training aims to promote that,” he said.
According to trainer Judit H. Kovács, the foundation of effective helping work is that participants understand their own reactions and feelings. “I thought it was important to put together a very interactive programme so that the participants could open up to each other, because honesty and openness are essential when dealing with other people,” she emphasiezed.
The focus of the next training session will be to learn in detail about the mentoring toolkit, which will further strengthen the educators’ preparedness and skills in community building. Such training aims for educators to develop not only professionally but also personally, in the interest of effective community work.
