Pope Francis' Conversation with African Youths Continues to Drive Change as Projects Launched to Transform Communities

“BBI was a one year-project that invited young people into dialogue with each other and with Church leadership at all levels offering training and formation on how to become faith influencers through the digital world of social media,” the Kenyan Priest said.

Then came the African Digital Faith Youth Influencers, a platform upon which online formation and training of the youths was contemplated and realized by the PACTPAN Academy.

According to Fr. Mwakio, the training followed the approach of theory, African context, application and practice. 

He said those who successfully underwent the training program were to undertake self-identified projects and implement them in their localities. 

“It is at this point that we are launching these projects today,” he said, adding that plans are underway for a congress in Abidjan, Ivory Coast at a later date for the young people involved in the projects to share their success stories in making an impact their communities.

Fr. Mwakio said that the presence of African scholars, clergy, religious, pastoral and social agents in PACTPAN, the network that organized the 2022 conversations between Pope Francis and the African youths “makes it possible to stand distinguished in journeying with the Church in Africa, as witnessed in the synodal palaver series.”

He noted that some of the PACTPAN members are at the moment engaged in mentoring the youth projects. 

Meanwhile, Fr. Mwakio has expressed gratitude to the donors whose support has set the youth projects running, saying that funds received are in “productive hands.”

“I want to assure our partners and stake holders that the funds received from various donors for these projects, are in safe and productive hands like in the hands of the faithful servant who received five talents and made five more talents,” he said, making reference to the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 25.

The Kenyan Priest noted that the youth in the PACTPAN program “represent the signs of the time in this Synod on Synodality participation.”

“As the synod assembly is concluding its sessions this month in Rome, these youth are beginning to live fully in synodality,” he said, and added, “It is my hope that the projects chosen by the youth will have an impact in the life of the church and society where they will be carried out.”

At the heart of the projects, is the desire by the African digital evangelizers to reach out to their fellow youths living in what they have described as “digital peripheries.”

In Ghana, for instance, Dr. Linus Kweku Labik’s project seeks to encourage young Catholics, especially those joining college, not to abandon Catholicism. This follows concerns that the number of Catholics in the West African country has been on a downward trajectory.

At the projects’ launch, PACTPAN’s Coordinating Servant Fr. Stan Chu Ilo encouraged the young innovators to develop an independent mindset that doesn’t rely on donations. He encouraged them to instead be innovative in sourcing for funds to keep their projects running.

“Remember that we are not a funding network, and therefore we do not encourage the funding mentality,” Fr. Stan said, and added, “We want to stimulate, to trigger processes, and to plant a seed that will grow into a tree.  I encourage you to become creative about how to raise funds for your projects.”

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Fr. Stan challenged the youths to be innovative in tackling the challenges that the African continent faces.

“Please know that for us as a network (PACTPAN), we are here to think and act differently. We can’t be repeating what has already been done. If you like the way things are on our continent, then you can fold your hands and sleep. But we want to act differently to find solutions to problems and to do it prophetically and courageously,” he said.

The Nigerian Priest said that the young people whose projects were launched at the October 18 event represent the best that the continent has.

He challenged the group to give the best in the running of their projects, saying, “Remember that you are the inaugural group in this program.  The way you do your work will be a demonstration to the world that hope is buried in the heart of Africa.”