By FFWPU Ivory Coast: In the North Africa Region, the Director of the West Africa Branch of HJ CheonBo/CheonShimWon, Rev. Steve Sakuwa, initiated a special three-day seminar in Ivory Coast focused on the relationship between husband and wife. A dozen participants attended in person each day from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the FFWPU-CI National Headquarters in Abidjan, Cocody. Additionally, about sixty people participated daily online via Zoom.
Each of the three days addressed a specific theme: “Husband and Wife Communication,” “Spirituality in the Couple,” and “Finances in the Couple.” The special seminar consisted of two parts. The first part featured a brief lecture by Rev. Sakuwa centered on a Hoon Dok Hoe message extracted from the Cheon Seong Gyeong (Book 5: The True Family; Chapter: Principles and Order in the Family; Section 2: Ideal Couples and the Parent-Child Relationship; Subtitle: Ideal Conjugal Love; paragraphs 2 to 10). The second part consisted of a Q&A session with a panel composed of several participants, including leaders.
To set the stage centered on the words of the True Parents, Rev. Sakuwa highlighted two main axes:
- Stimulation between husband and wife: This refers to the differences and elements of attraction that create the energy needed to maintain a harmonious relationship over the long term.
- Representativeness: The husband represents all men on earth, and the wife represents all women on earth.
Stimulation and representativeness are the two foundations upon which a couple relies to grow. Thus, for every theme—whether communication, spirituality, or finances—Branch Director Rev. Sakuwa emphasized that True Parents are the ultimate model to follow. Furthermore, he noted that every couple should rely on devotion to CheonShimWon and the “automatic spiritual system” provided by True Parents to resolve marital issues and lead a harmonious life.
The Panelists
The second-part panel consisted of the following individuals:
- Rev. Steve Sakuwa: Director of the HJ CheonBo West Africa Branch
- Rev. Kounnou Marius: Coordinator of the HJ CheonBo Branch
- Rev. Ahondjo Eugène: Branch Lecturer
- Rev. Adon Marie Nsimba: North Africa Regional Director (Online)
- Rev. Koffi Jin-Bok: National Leader of FFWPU-CI
- Pastor Amichia Joseph: General Secretary of FFWPU-CI
- Pastor Bly Odette Simbaya: Director of the Blessed Family Department, FFWPU-CI
- Eliane Dakpogan: Interpreter and Director of the Communication Department, FFWPU-CI
Questions from participants, both in-person and online, covered topics such as: managing anger and arguments; who holds responsibility for decision-making (generally and regarding finances); and the balance between spiritual and economic activities. In addition to Rev. Sakuwa’s enriching personal experiences, the interventions from each panelist provided concrete solutions for the participants.
Participant Testimonials
“As young people, even if we were more or less aware of the topics discussed, seeing our parents support us and remind us of basic rules and advice goes straight to our hearts. It makes us feel like we aren’t alone. Our parents and elders are realizing that we need follow-up even after the Blessing. I think post-marriage support has been missing in our community, and the fact that our leaders are now aware of this is very moving. It makes us realize we have a responsibility; it’s not just about receiving the Blessing and sitting at home. There is a whole system working behind it. We must learn every day.”
“Rev. Sakuwa was truly inspired. Unfortunately, many families did not connect online. It would be interesting to hold this during a Sunday service in person so more couples could follow, as these seminars are so important. These three days were exceptional. With everyone’s participation, there were no taboo subjects. It was wonderful. I followed the three days online with my wife. I think Rev. Sakuwa should repeat this seminar. When a seminar is interactive like this, it allows people to express themselves. My wife and I appreciated it very much. We watched together so it could help us both at once.”
“As for the young couples, this is what they have been waiting for for a long time. They have long reproached us for not supporting them in their marriages. I think this method is very welcome. This way of doing things has nothing to do with our traditional methods. All the elements addressed in this seminar are nothing other than the content of the Divine Principle; it’s just that this interactive approach made the participants much more comfortable. I think this is what young people want. They don’t want us to always stick to the rigid, traditional teaching method of the Divine Principle. Additionally, the panelists provided very instructive answers for the couples.”