Badí Year of Service Project

The Bahá'í community of El Salvador has launched a Year of Service project which will significantly advance the process of entry by troops in the country.

This project was a response to the call of the Universal House of Justice for systemization of teaching and a way of channeling the service of youth who have arisen to offer a period of service.

The project began in January 2002 with five youth, with the support of the Continental Board of Counsellors, using the already existing year of service program in Ecuador as a model for its endeavours in this new project.

There are two areas of service available for youth:

The first is serving as part of a team of youth to work in the areas of teaching and consolidation in rural communities . The year of service youth live and work as teams and stay with families in rural areas as pioneers and work full time on the development of this community and also on an additional community. they are responsible for the planning and execution of a great variety of activities within the Bahái community such as children's classes , deepening, Junior youth classes. Youth workshops. Firesides and feasts which consequently make them legitimate members of the community. In addition they participate in activities which foster their own spiritual growth such as daily deepenings.

The second option available is to work as a volunteer in a specific area chosen by the National Assembly or the Institute Committee such as the Ridvan School (Colegio Ridvan) a Bahá'í School in a rural area of El Salvador where youth are needed to serve as teachers to help teach a variety of subjects.

Each team or group of youth meets once every two weeks to deepen, evaluate and plan their work and also to have some recreation. Although the youth work on separate teams they feel part of a larger community effort which is working towards a common vision.

The youth are constantly guided by the National Institute Process Committee and by area committees whose common aim is to bring the healing message of Bahá'u'lláh, to El Salvador through direct contact with His Sacred Writings.

For more information go to http://www.mjbahai.com/sv/badi (english and spanish) or http://sv.bahai.org (spanish only), you may also write to jovenes_servicio@yahoo.com