[Kenya] President Kenyatta Declaration: “I hope that Mind Education spread and covers all of Kenya”

In 2007, demonstrations due to the election erupted in violence with many people killed and conflicts between tribes culminated. Many people lost hope and left Kenya. In response, the IYF started holding a Peace Camp ever year and the Mind Education from the IYF gave many young people peace in their hearts.

As Kenya’s Ministry of Youth and its National Youth Service both think highly of the IYF, the two organizations have signed MOU’s with and entrusted the education of their young people to the IYF. Also, other organizations such as the police force, correctional facilities, and the ministry of education have all also requested for Mind Education programs to be implemented in their schools.

Mind Education for the Military in 2017

In November of 2019, 20 high-ranking bureaucrats who went to Korea to learn corruption prevention and attended Mind education learning sessions. The Director of Civil Service attended these training sessions and he reported to the president of Kenya about the importance of Mind Education. For the benefit of society at large, he also advised the president to meet Pastor Ock Soo Park to meet in a video conference.

The Director of Civil Service at the MOU signing with Pastor Ock Soo park in 2020

On September 15th at 5 pm (South Korean Time), a video conference on Zoom was held. The Executive Office of the President of Kenya hosted the meeting and Pastor Ock Soo Park, the founder of the IYF, and John Kim, the IYF branch director in Nairobi were invited to attend. Representing the country of Kenya, Joseph Mucheru, the Minister of Youth, George Magoha, the Minister of Education, and Julius Korir, the Vice Minister of Youth, and Ruth Kagia, the state minister for political affairs were in attendance.

The Executive Office of the President of Kenya were the hosts for this video meeting with Pastor Ock Soo Park

Video Conference with the Ministry of Youth, Ministery of Education, and the Executive Office of the President

The meeting commenced with Joseph Mucheru, the Minister of Youth, expressing how although they could not meet in person because of the ongoing pandemic, it was a good thing that they could meet in a video conference. He explained that unforeseen circumstances did not allow the president to attend the meeting himself and has expressed his regret that he could not be in attendance. He then proceeded to read the declaration that the president made titled, “Meeting with Rev. Dr. Ock Soo park, Founder International youth Fellowship & Mindset Education Curriculum in the Republic of Korea.

Declaration by the President of Kenya

The Minister of Youth reading the declaration of the President of Kenya on his behalf

Pastor Park expressing his appreciation to the president for his declaration

During the video conference that lasted for an hour, the president expressed his gratitude: “The IYF has been changing the lives of young people in this country for 13 years for by holding youth camps and through character education. The education from the IYF is education that grows success.” He expressed the work of the IYF with the youth, prison inmates, civil servants, and many other groups of people.

The president gave examples of the issues that the youth faced: depression, drug addiction, alcoholism, and many more. He emphasized the importance of education for the mental health of the young people of the country: “I ask that the IYF contribute their efforts to aiding the Mental Health Institution of the Department of Health.” He actively also asked for specialized education that promoted the development of creative talent for young people.

The president also added, “Education without education for the character is not education at all. That is how important the development of character is. I hope that Pastor Ock Soo Parks works more closely with the ministry of education. I also wish to put mind education into the curricula in Kenya.”

As he ended his declaration, “Now, the government of Kenya is cooperating with the IYF to change our country through character education. I am praying about this aspect and I hope that the Mind Education spreads further through the ministry of Education and I hope this education covers all of Kenya.” Through his declaration, his sincere heart towards Mind Education was apparent.

Pastor Ock Soo Park, the visionary behind Mind Education

Then, Pastor Ock Soo Park spoke about his vision and plan for Mind Education in Kenya.

“We will focus on developing a 10-year plan to develop the ability to think deeply in the heart of the young people of Kenya. We will designate some schools in Kenya as test schools for Mind Education then we will implement Mind Education in all the other schools.”

Pastor Park also mentioned he plans to expand technical education programs at Mahanaim College to include computer skills, construction skills, auto mechanical skills, and many more fields. Pastor Park told officials, “IYF is completely ready. Let us go hand-in-hand and change Kenya” and spoke more about how Mind Education will change young people in the country.

To end the meeting, the ministry of youth said, “Pastor Ock Soo Park has done so much for the country of Kenya. We will work as his partners and the president also wishes for us to cooperate. I have so much expectation about the programs we can provide together to our young people. I hope Pastor Park visits Kenya again after the Coronavirus pandemic has ended. It was an honor to be able to meet with you all again. I will be sending your regards to the president.”

The complete text of the Declaration by President Uhuru Kenyatta

The complete text of the Declaration by President Uhuru Kenyatta

Video Conference with the Chairman of the National Assembly

The day after the video conference with the executive office of the president, a video conference was held between Assemblyman Paul Koinange, the chairman of the national assembly, and Pastor Ock Soo Park. Assemblyman Paul Koinange was one of the people who had opened the way for IYF to work with the government of Kenya.

Assemblyman Paul Koinange, the chairman of the national assembly, giving a welcoming message at the opening ceremony of the 2019 IYF World Camp

Assemblyman Paul Koinange attended the video conference from the office in his electoral district. During the meeting, Pastor Park said, “Since young people do not think deeply, they fall into drug addiction, gambling, and crime. Through IYF’s Mind Education, we wish to nurture the ability to think deeply within the youth and make a bright future for them.” Pastor Park expressed his gratitude to the chairman of the national assembly for opening up the way for IYF to work with the government and wishes to work with him to improve the spiritual state of the nation’s young people.

The video conference between Pastor Ock Soo Park and Assemblyman Paul Koniage

Assemblyman Paul Koniage also expresses his gratitude to Pastor Park: “Just like how you teach, pastor, if we can live with the heart of Jesus and not with our own hearts, then the young people will not fall into sin. Thank you for leading young people, prison inmates, and civil servants with the heart of Jesus.”

The National Assemblyman in deep conversation with Pastor Park

The video conferences between Pastor Park and the executive office of the president as well as the video conference between Pastor Park was a great contribution to the development of the future of the youth. There is great expectation for how the future will turn out for the country through the implementation of Mind Education by the ministry of education, the ministry of youth, and the civil service.