In this edition of the AJANews Newsletter for July 2024, AJAN calls for collective action and more concentrated focus on adolescents and young people. According to the UNAIDS 2024 Global AIDS Update, tremendous progress has been made in preventing new HIV infections despite this, Africa remains an epicenter of the AIDS epidemic with adolescent girls and young women being disproportionately affected. While we continue to seek for more support in the fight against AIDS the Philosophy of Ubuntu and concept of unity stands as a beacon of hope and progress.

The African philosophy of Ubuntu, ‘I Am Because We Are’, reminds us that there is strength in community life than in individual life. By this we understand that when one has a problem, all of us are affected and we can only address the problem as a community. The spirit of Ubuntu instills and premised on the understanding that “if I am,” it is only because “others are,” and my well-being is intricately linked to the well-being of others.” Humanity and compassion therefore is not a prerogative of a few but believing that there is power in unity and others contribute to who I become. By embracing Ubuntu, together we can be the beacon of hope that guides the world toward a more just and harmonious future.

As we celebrate the feast of St Ignatius of Loyola on July 31st, St. Ignatius’ inspiration to renounce a life of privilege in favor of generous service “for the greater glory of God” which has guided our work towards the fulfillment of the third Universal Apostolic Preference, of “accompanying the young in the creation of a hope-filled future. Similarly, Fr. Arturo Sosa, SJ, the Superior General of the Jesuits wrote in his 2019 that “Youth is the stage of human life when individuals make the fundamental decisions by which they insert themselves into society, seek to give meaning to their existence and realize their dreams,…….By accompanying the young in this process, teaching them discernment and sharing with them the good news of Jesus Christ, we can show them the way to God that passes through solidarity with human beings and the construction of a more just world.”

To cultivate this disposition of hope in our own lives and that of the people we serve, I invite you, dear reader, to peruse through this month’s newsletter. Inside, you’ll find inspiring stories where students from St. Aloysius Gonzaga walked through the streets of Kibera slum to create AIDS awareness, called for the community to stop teen pregnancy and drug abuse among the youth. You will also get to read about AHAPPY training of trainers that was undertaken for Prison Catechists and Officers that took place in Nyahururu, Kenya. The training was aimed at providing the participants with the needed knowledge and skills to accompany the prisoners and particularly the juveniles in detention. We hope the stories, engage, and inspire you to join us in our mission. Enjoy the read!”

By, Dennis Owuoche
AJAN Communications Officer