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Zambian Religious Brother's Initiative with African Youth Attracts a Dozen Plus Countries

Leaders of the Kenya-based African Youths Renewal Movement (AYRM) seeking to promote unity in diversity in Africa by engaging the youth

A movement bringing together African youth to promote peace and unity on the continue in view of cultivating a culture of peaceful co-existence grounded on the principle of unity in diversity that guarantees development has attracted membership from some 13 African countries, the founder of the Kenya-based movement, Br. Mubanga Chilumba Davies told ACI Africa Wednesday, November 20.

“I have formed a Movement for African Youths. This Movement is called African Youths Renewal Movement (AYRM). Our Movement has Members from 13 African countries,” Zambian-born Br. Chilumba who is a member of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart (SC) told ACI Africa.

“In this Movement we do promote peace and unity of Africa because we believe that when Youths embrace peace and unity, Africa shall develop,” Br. Chilumba explained about AYRM that has attracted members from Angola, Cameroon, Chad, DR Congo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

Believing in peace and unity as pillars of social and economic progress in Africa and going by the slogan “one Africa one continent one continent one Africa,” the one-year-old AYRM is guided by the vision to inspire communities in Africa “in embracing transformational ideologies for unity in our diversity for prosperity and posterity.”

“Beyond the horizons we look forward with hope to harness our diversity and become transformative agents of our time,” reads in part the mission statement of AYRM.

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“We are bound by our zeal to impact positively to the emerging needs of our societies hence respond with combative ideas. We putatively stand as one family for the future to come,” reads the second part of the mission of AYRM founded in September 2018.

“We are also trying to find some solutions to the challenges or obstacles Africa is facing today in social and economic development in Peace and Unity,” Br. Chilumba, an alumnus of the Nairobi-based Marist International College told ACI Africa.

“African Youths Renewal Movement is formed in planting good seeds in African Youths so that these challenges Africa is facing today in social and economic development can be discussed by African Youths and find some solutions to reduce them,” reads in part the description of AYRM on its website.

Among the challenges AYRM seeks to address with the youth on the continent include tribalism and nepotism, early marriages, corruption, addiction to drugs and alcoholism, illegal migration to developed countries, xenophobia in Africa, among other vices.

Based at Tangaza University College, a Catholic institution owned by dozens of religious orders and societies of Apostolic life, AYRM is initiating ways to train the African youth to have a transformative role in society.

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Through a 10-member team, AYRM seeks to reach out to the African youth by “passing through school clubs, movements, classes and organizing conferences in secondary schools, colleges, universities, churches, mosques and other religions with permission from the administration.”

“Our work repeatedly shows that revolutionary opportunities for competitive advantages emerge when people work together with a common logic and approach to the development of the country or continent,” the team overseeing AYRM states on its online forum.

The team adds, “We are pleased to see the ideas we have developed appearing in core curricular in secondary schools, Colleges, Universities also in Churches, Mosques, Companies, Organizations and Religious formation houses across Africa.”

“We are requesting for any help on which we can reach out to our fellow African Youths,” the Zambian religious brother concluded his message to ACI Africa.