Philosophy

NESIMO Project operates within the belief that any development effort outside the experience of the people you want to help and where they are not main players, is bound to fail. It is then a deliberate effort on the part of the Project Staff to be integrated to the community and identify with the people and pursue a process of helping where it encourages much participation from the beneficiaries themselves. Thus, the establishment of ONESIMO Training Communities, a centre where daily interaction in itself becomes a venue for learning basic Godly values and perceptions in life not only for the youth beneficiaries but also for the staff.

The ONESIMO Project’s distinct approach to youth ministry is summarized in the comparative chart below:

	Traditional Youth Ministries	ONESIMO’s More Radical Approach
1. Structure	Big group meetings; One leader, often the church pastor himself.	Many small groups with young people as leaders. Pastors have a counselling function, if at all involved.
2. Leadership Training	No formal training	A priority program
3. Group sessions/ Bible Study	One speaker, others listen. Very little participation.	Experiential approach (games, visual aids, drama, dance, discussions); High level of participation.
4. Program	Sports and games, usually divorced from the spiritual topic	Integrated approach if possible, sports and games are an integral part of a topic.

REHABILITATION APPROACH
(OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH and YOUNG ADDICTS)

	Institutional Approach	ONESIMO’s Attempt
1. Location of Rehab	Young people are taken out of their normal social environment into a nice house in a friendly neighborhood, away from their daily reality.	Young people are invited into committed training communities, either in a familiar environment. (usually a slum area.)
2. Workers	They come and go on a shift basis.	Young people are invited into committed training communities, either in a familiar environment. (usually a slum area.)
3. Time after	Training as a full-time worker or job-hunting.	Job-hunting and/or self-help projects are an integral part of the program.