The retrospective continues. Today’s is in memory of Isaac Siundu.

One of the advantages of working for The Salvation Army’s international headquarters is the bird’s eye view it affords. I had become aware of some communications training and development needs in Africa, and was in a position to do something about it.

First, I completed an audit of all the organisation’s communications output and effectiveness across Africa – the first time I’d done this on anything more than a national basis. But the data reflected the anecdotal evidence I’d been mulling.

Next, I worked with the exceptional Deborah Condon to flesh out a viable format for a week-long training conference and the inauguration of an Africa Communications Network, rooted in the principles of sharing of ideas and best practices integral to the European group that I’d benefited from being part of. Deb liaised with the incomparable, ever-cheerful and much-missed Isaac Siundu, to masterfully negotiate the choppy waters of budgets, logistics, invitations and visas.

And so it came to pass that we found ourselves in an extremely well-equipped and cooperative hotel and conference venue just outside central Harare, welcoming delegates from every country in Africa that has a Salvation Army presence. Also benefiting from the skills of Kevin Sims and Menno de Boer, over the course of the week we introduced various communications disciplines from identifying audiences, developing key messages, writing for different channels, crisis communications and liaising with media. I’d also been able to negotiate the involvement of the BBC’s Zimbabwe correspondent, Shingai Nyoka who added an extra dimension and credibility that was invaluable.

But, as ever, I learned just as much as the delegates. Even in the first ice-breaker session, where I set teams a task of recreating a Lego model unseen by all but ‘the communicator’, I discovered that the ubiquitous building block was not as ubiquitous as I’d thought. And, more professionally, I learned a lot more about media freedoms from some of the delegates who had been expected to pay journalists for media coverage.

The group bonded really quickly, with many of us attending church together on the Sunday prior to the official commencement, and a fabulous cultural evening of dance and song put on for us by the local Braeside Salvation Army. They also invited us to share in local delicacies such as crickets, mopane worms and other ‘interesting’ fodder. Being super-professional, we grazed on the veritable bushtucker trial in front of us, so as not to embarrass our hosts. Hosts who we found a short while later guffawing loudly about the gullible Europeans, and only then did the potato crisps make an appearance!

A field trip to Howard Hospital, serving an extremely remote community a two-hour-plus ‘lumpy’ drive from the capital, provided an opportunity for delegates to put their learning into effect, and again proved to be a memorable moment.

While in Harare, I also had the opportunity to flit across to a separate peace building conference and present on the impact that the media can have on engendering (or defeating) peace. Unforgettable stories from Salvation Army delegates at that conference about the near-death experiences they had had in the pursuit of peace.

A final highlight – our visit coincided with Zimbabwe’s premier music and arts festival and we were able to secure tickets for every delegate. It absolutely tipped it down with rain, but it didn’t dampen spirits. Such a fantastic week, which led to so many new friendships and a vastly improved capacity for communications for The Salvation Army in Africa. So glad to have played a part in it.