Youth Ministry in Abwusa Wabwino Parish – Konzalendo is an apostolate managed by the Religious Sisters of Charity community in Malawi and is being facilitated by a delegate member of the community. The parish has a total number of 75 members within and from 14 Mass Centers of the parish. To work amicably with them, the youths are grouped according to their age level such as Young Catholic Workers (YCW), YCS (Young Catholic Students), and Young Missionary Movement (YOMM). Their positive response and active participation in every organized event are quite encouraging.
Home Visitation
Other involvement within the local community includes; giving motivational talks in community Schools, (by invitation) with a focus on an “Awareness drive in human trafficking”, relevant aspects of management skills, and entrepreneurship. Other parts of our programs include Home to Home visitation and eucharistic ministration to the sick and aged, skill acquisition, and vocation promotion. In the course of our visitation, the youth organize to take on the “Repair of Any Dilapidated Building of the Aged” that would need urgent attention.
Monthly Meetings
The entire parish youth meeting is scheduled for the last Saturday of every month. The meeting commences with a Eucharistic celebration if the Priest is available. The meeting agenda also includes Bible sharing and debate or quiz on faith formation. At the end of the day, all tension is eased out with a football match or handball.
Skill Development and Empowerment
With the help of Michael Noland funding from the congregation, the YCW (Young Catholic Workers) is presently engaged in an entrepreneurial empowerment program of Soap making to upgrade their financial statutes. Presently, four young (teenage) mothers are training in tailoring and textile design for self-employment. The YCS (Young Catholic Students) and Young Missionary Movement (YOMM) are engaged at weekends and during their school holidays, in different kinds of handicrafts as well as other recreational/intellectual (quiz competition) activities.
Motivational Talks
Motivational talks are organized by the school head teachers towards the end of school terms to encourage the student on the importance of education, thinking, and making positive choices that would better their future in terms of moving against poverty standards and forming a support group among themselves. To help the students develop love, and have positive minds towards their education and for those who are not intellectually inclined to be helped to see how their other area of giftedness and capability that can be developed, contribute towards community development, as well as, reduce high rate of suicide among teenagers who sees themselves as failures.
Spellings and Quiz Competition
This is the first of its kind at the parish level. Represented participants were children from Ngomani, Mpaso, Thekerani, and Konzalendo. The aim is to aid the student to improve their basic understanding of English vocabulary and spelling. The quiz is based on the faith formation of basic catholic doctrine within their level. The preparatory question challenged a good number of them to broader study and findings. However, it was an exciting, educating, and beneficial activity which they look forward to time and again.
