Circles of Concern: Everline Obondo’s SFV Story

“When we realize our worth first as individuals, we extend the same to our families, children and community as a whole. We get encouragement to live for the greater good for others, to dream big, and to take ownership of our live,” Everline Obondo, Sunshine Family Volunteer Coordinator, Kenya

Everline Obondo is a GPW SFV coordinator from Kenya. This year, she initiated Circles of Concern, as her Sunshine Family Volunteer project, with the goal of empowering the members of her community through capacity building and charitable work. The project provided her community members with a safe space where they could share about their daily struggles and uplift each other.

“A circle symbolizes unity in adversity and balance. Others believe it signifies the existence of God. When we sit in a circle, each person is visible to everyone else. This promotes confidence and shows interest to listen to one another. Through Circles of Concern I was able to empower, engage and inspire the community members by advocating for storytelling as a tool for peacebuilding in our homes,” Everline said.

Together with two other families, Everline started conducting community circles of concern sittings and forums. During the weekly meetings, the participants meet to learn, share, listen to each other, give advice and encourage one another on various aspects of their lives. The meetings have helped the participants to build stronger relationships amongst themselves. This can be attributed to the mutual feeling of acceptance, support and safety that the each give and receive.

By sharing, circle members build trust, strong and healthy relationships and promote peaceful co-existence. This has extended to their families and their community.  

Indeed, such platforms inspire us to keep caring for one another in addition to other benefits that can come off such spaces and the teamwork opportunities that they present to us. At GPW we are interested in hearing such stories of community members uplifting others. If you have such an inspiring Sunshine Family Volunteer story to share or your family wants to start such a project, email younshim.park@globalpeacewomen.org.