With Parliament in recess and public representatives attending to constituencies, the officials of the institution will this week have a rare opportunity to be the focal point.
A comprehensive wellness programme starts tomorrow and will enable employees of Parliament to take part in a range of activities aimed at promoting individual wellbeing. These include:
- health screening (cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose, body mass index and fitness level, for example)
- therapeutic sessions, such as trauma release exercises
- aerobics, Tai Chi, belly dancing and Zumba (a dance fitness programme created by Colombian dancer Alberto Perez in the 1990s) talks on wellness (cooking for a healthy heart, living with cancer, breast cancer and HIV/AIDS nutritional care)
- pampering sessions offering foot, hand and neck, shoulder and back massages and Reiki
On Friday, employees will share and reflect on our cultures, our practices and celebrate our unity in diversity. Various cultural events and cuisines will be shared during the two-hour programme in Parliament Street.
“Our employees are our strength. We owe it to the commitment of these men and women that we have had unqualified audits for seven years. Parliament works because of them,” the Deputy Secretary for Corporate Services, Ms Penelope “Baby” Tyawa says.
Parliament is a melting pot and the diversity of its staff is reflected in the fact that employees come from every province. Some have been with Parliament for 38 years, while our newest officials started today. The full diversity of our country is reflected in our workforce, she said.
In a week’s time Parliament’s programme resumes and, if the intensity of the last term is anything to go by, the dedication and resilience of staff will once again be tested to the limit.
