On the occasion of the commemoration of Valentine’s Day, 14th February 2026, a global event celebrating love and friendship, the Centres Sociaux Loyola (CSL) conducted awareness activities for young learners at a fashion school in Togo. The goal was to promote a responsible celebration of this holiday, respectful and value-driven for young people.

Indeed, the interpretation of this holiday varies depending on countries and cultures, the common point being the exchange of flowers, gifts, words, and gestures of attention between people who love each other. It is also an occasion where peer pressure and the desire to act or appear like others take over. Faced with the deceptive lure of gifts of the day, many young people give in to high-risk behaviors and subsequently face disastrous consequences.

So how can Valentine’s Day be lived while respecting the sacred nature of love? By preserving its values? By respecting one’s body, one’s choices, and those of others?

These are the questions to which this awareness session responded.

First, the main facilitator, Denise EKON, introduced the participants to the Christian origin of this holiday through the story of the patron saint of lovers, St Valentin; this was a first occasion for most participants. Special emphasis was placed on the sacred nature of love that St Valentin sought to preserve, and the need to respect it as a divine order.

Through a participatory question-and-answer approach with prizes, participants were invited to share their experiences on the different ways young people celebrate Valentine’s Day and to distinguish between those that can build and those that can destroy respect, dignity, dreams, projects, and lives. High-risk behaviors include new romantic encounters with strangers, sometimes met on social networks, casual sexual relationships, alcohol abuse, and other stimulants.

Based on examples of real stories shared by participants, the facilitator raised awareness among participants about the disastrous consequences that often result from the aforementioned high-risk behaviors. Among these consequences are the loss of dignity, loss of values, early or forced sexual activity, unintended pregnancies, school dropouts, contracting STIs/HIV, disappearances, and even sudden and premature deaths.

How to celebrate Valentine’s Day?
As individuals engaged in a sincere relationship, it is an occasion to show affection and attachment to the loved one. One can give flowers, gifts, sweet messages, romantic outings, as one knows how to do well. But all this is not enough. It is also a time to take stock, to listen more attentively to the loved one, to learn to love differently in a sincere and true way in all its dimensions, not only through sex. We must respect the bodies, convictions, choices, and values of the people we love if we truly love them and contribute positively to achieving their goals.

For us young people still in search of true love, there is no need to rush, to seek to appear in a couple at all costs, to the point of engaging in practices and behaviors that risk destroying our lives and sacrificing our dreams. Valentine’s Day is also an opportunity for us to realize that we are beloved creatures of our God. It is beneficial for us to take stock of our relationship with God, with ourselves, and with others. Note that our body, as well as that of others, is a temple of the Holy Spirit. We must therefore respect these bodies and avoid using them as objects to satisfy our sexual desires. True love is prepared from now on. We must learn self-control, make informed choices, and above all set boundaries if necessary. We can also take advantage of the occasion to show gratitude to those who love us unconditionally. And above all, we must pray, entrusting our emotional desires and needs to God, who alone can fulfill our expectations.

Participation was very active, manifested through questions, contributions, sharing of experiences, and advice among young people.
For these fruitful discussions, 60 apprentices took part and were advised to cultivate prudence and vigilance regarding their behaviors linked to the interpretations of this celebration. They were invited not to be distracted by peer pressure or the deceptive lure of gifts, which sometimes leads to saying yes when it should be no; to continue defending their principles and values. Participants were also invited to relay the message within their surroundings through their behaviors.

By, Denise EKON,

Psycho-social Counselor & Executive Assistant at CSL.